Athletics Hall of Fame – October 7, 2006
Elizabeth Gray Cain graduated from Coker University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education, Fitness Programming and a minor in Coaching. She is one of the College’s greatest women’s soccer players of all time.
Cain began her career at Coker in 1992 and had an immediate impact on the field. As a freshman, Cain earned several awards including CIAC/Independent All-Division Co-Freshman of the Year and CIAC/Independent All-Division First Team honors. She was also a four- time recipient of Coker’s Best Defensive Player Award and two-time winner of Coker’s Most Valuable Player Award. She was a two-time All-District Team selection, as well as a two-time selection on the Mid South All-Region Team. Cain was named the to All-Carolina’s Conference Team in 1993, while being ranked fourth in the nation in goals against average, and she was one of the top 15 goalkeepers in the nation with the most saves. In 1994, she was named to the Tennessee Wesleyan All-Tournament Team and she was named to the All-American Honorable Mention Team.
Cain set many Coker record’s that still stand today, including setting and tying the single season record of 11 shutouts in a season in ’93 and ’94. She set the career record for shutouts with 33 and the career record for saves with 639. Cain also holds the record for season and career goals against average, with a .61 goals against average in 1993 and a 1.03 average for her career.
Cain was involved in many community activities both as a student and graduate including volunteering as middle school soccer coach at Thomas Hart Academy, helping with the Darlington Raceway Clean-up Project, conducting a Women’s Soccer Clinic at Irmo High School and volunteering as an assistant coach at Coker Soccer Camps for four years.
Upon graduation, Cain worked for the Parks and Recreation Department in Tampa, Florida, before moving to Tucson, Arizona, where she was a Certified Medical Technician for two years. She returned to Coker in 2002 to earn her Teaching Certification while and serve as the Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach. Currently, Cain resides in South Carolina with her husband and son.