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Sean Helliwell has led the Rose-Hulman men's soccer team to 10 regular-season conference championships, six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, and a 2013 NCAA Sweet Sixteen in his 17 seasons as head men's soccer coach.
Helliwell has compiled a record of 198-74-42 in 16 seasons, including a mark of 137-20-19 in matches against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents (counting the regular season and conference tournament). The Fightin' Engineers have won ten regular season conference championships (2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) and have also captured eight HCAC Tournament championships (2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2020, 2022, 2023).
The 2023 team claimed the HCAC title after entering the tournament as the #3 seed. The team earned two exciting wins against Bluffton and Hanover to advance to the HCAC Tournament Championship against Manchester. The Fightin' Engineers claimed their eighth HCAC Tournament title with a 1-0 win over the Spartans to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history. The team fell short in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Ohio Wesleyan with a final score of 2-0.
The 2022 team reached the NCAA Tournament after a near-undefeated season as their lone loss came to Ohio Northern in the final regular season game. the Fightin' Engineers advanced to the NCAA Tournament before falling to #15 North Park in the first round.
The 2021 squad became just the second Rose-Hulman men's soccer team to complete a perfectly unbeaten conference regular season. Rose-Hulman finished 12-5-1 overall and 9-0-0 in league play to improve its regular season record to 16-0-1 over the past two years.
The 2020 team was the first unbeaten squad in Rose-Hulman history. The Fightin' Engineers finished 9-0-1 and won both the HCAC regular season and conference tournament championship while completing 100 percent of their defined schedule during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The 2013 team enjoyed a magical run to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen, highlighted by a second round victory over No. 1 ranked and undefeated Ohio Wesleyan University. Rose-Hulman advanced to the NCAA second round with a penalty kicks victory at Penn State Behrend, then upset the top ranked Battling Bishops on their home field.
With the historic victory, Rose-Hulman advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen for the first time in men's soccer. The win also marked just the third time that any Rose-Hulman team had advanced to the NCAA Division III Sweet Sixteen.
In 2014 and 2015, the Fightin' Engineers battled nationally ranked Calvin (No. 4) and Wisconsin-Whitewater (No. 13) to scoreless draws before failing to advance in the penalty kick round. Rose-Hulman won three consecutive HCAC Tournament championships, with every title game going into overtime.
The 2016 team featured another regular season conference championship and just the second undefeated and untied HCAC season in Coach Helliwell's era. The Fightin' Engineers also defeated then No. 7 ranked Wheaton 1-0 on its home field.
In 2017, Rose-Hulman continued its tradition of excellence by reaching the HCAC Tournament Championship Game for the fifth straight year before falling in double overtime. The 2018 team qualified for the HCAC Tournament before falling in the penalty kicks in the semifinal round.
In 2019, Rose-Hulman tied a single-season school record for wins with 16 and also tied for the HCAC regular season championship. The Fightin' Engineers advanced to the HCAC Tournament Championship Game before falling in penalty kicks on the road.
Helliwell has been named HCAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year by his peers nine times in his 13 seasons at the helm of the Fightin' Engineers. He also received Rose-Hulman's "Shining Star" Award at the 2013 Commencement dinner. The award recognizes the individual judged to be the top campus-wide staff member who has been with the Rose-Hulman community for five years or less.
Helliwell leads a Rose-Hulman program that has compiled a 188-70-37 record since 2006. Prior to coming to Rose-Hulman, he spent the previous two seasons as assistant coach at NCAA Division I Western Kentucky University.
Before accepting the Western Kentucky position, Helliwell served as the head soccer coach at Greenwood High School in Bowling Green, Ky. His record was 155-56-17 record in a tenure that featured nine district, four regional and two sectional championships. His 2004 squad placed second in the Kentucky State Tournament.
Helliwell is actively involved in the Olympic Development Program in Region 2 and is serving as the head coach for the 2000 Boys Regional team this year. He also served as head coach for the USA Division III Soccer Select Team which traveled to Brazil in the summer of 2014.
In his collegiate career, Helliwell played four seasons and served as team captain for three years at the University of Southern Indiana, prior to earning his bachelor's degree in 1995.
Helliwell and his wife Amy, the women's soccer coach at Rose-Hulman, reside in Terre Haute.
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