Patriot League 20th Anniversary Profiles: Lisa Gibbons King



Sept. 2, 2010

Name: Lisa Gibbons King
Institution: Bucknell University
Sport: Women's Soccer
Graduation Year: 1995
Did You Know?
Recorded 15 game-winning goals at Bucknell

Bucknell's first superstar in the sport of women's soccer, and she holds school and Patriot League scoring records that may never be broken. Gibbons came along and instantly helped the team to a seven-win season and credibility in Eastern soccer circles. She finished her career with a 66 goals, 35 assists and 167 points. Gibbons was a First-Team All-Patriot League selection three times (1992-94), was the league's Rookie of the Year in 1991 and the Offensive Player of the Year in 1993. As a senior, she was named to the NSCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team and was a Christy Mathewson Award winner as the top athlete in her senior class. Gibbons became the first Bucknell women's soccer player to be elected to the school's Hall of Fame, entering with the Class of 2006.

  • 1993 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year
  • 1991 Patriot League Rookie of the Year
  • Three-time First-Team All-Patriot League pick (1992-94)
  • Owns League and Bucknell school record for points in a season (57), career goals (66) and career points (157)
  • Tallied 11 hat tricks during her Bison career

    Q: What factors helped in your decision to attend Bucknell University?
    A: National Rankings compared to other liberal arts colleges, my interview with Toby Loveccio, the head coach of the Women's Soccer Program and proximity to my hometown.

    Q: Who were your sports idols growing up and why?
    A: Dan Marino, Hall of Fame QB for Miami Dolphins. His ability to lead a team and turn around a program that had been mediocre for too long.

    Q: What was your proudest on-the-field/court accomplishment?
    A: I am proud that I was one of the pioneers in Bucknell's women's soccer program. I was there from its first year as a varsity program and was able to be apart of its growth into a highly competitive and winning NCAA soccer team.

    Q: What was your proudest academic accomplishment?
    A: After graduating from Bucknell, I went on to attain my doctorate in Forensic Psychology.

    Q: How were you able to balance the demands in the classroom with the demands of being an athlete?
    A: I work better when there is a structured schedule with less down time. The busier it is, the better I seem to do.

    Q: How did your experience as a student-athlete prepare you for life after college?
    A: After college, my preparation and experiences allowed me to continue to play soccer at a high level while going on to achieve my doctorate degree.

    Q: Which honor are you most proud of -- being named the 1991 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, being a three-time First-Team All-Patriot League selection or being named the 1993 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year?
    A: I am proud of all of them, but being named as the 1993 Offensive Player of the Year is probably my favorite award.

    Q: Do you think your Patriot League career points (167), season points (57), career goals (66), or season assists (19) records will ever be broken?
    A: I'm sure that time will come eventually, but it will be difficult. I say this because due to the infancy of Bucknell's soccer program during the time that I was playing, I was able to start all four years which is not always the case for incoming freshmen.

    Q: What was it like competing at the semi-professional level for 10 years?
    A: I loved it. I would be lost without the ability to compete on the field and this gave me the chance to travel the country and compete with the best soccer players in the nation.

    Q: If you could go back to college and compete one more time, where would it be and against whom?
    A: I would go back to New York to play against Colgate. It is the only team we were unable to beat.

    Q: How did it feel to be inducted into Bucknell University's Hall of Fame?
    A: It was one of my most proud moments. I knew that I did well at soccer during the time I was in school, but to be compared to the greatest athletes ever to play at Bucknell was truly humbling.

    Q: If you had to offer current student-athletes some words of wisdom what would they be?
    A: Remember to keep a balance between school and sports so that one does not interfere with the other. Also remember that a sport should be something that you enjoy. If I did not absolutely love being on the field, being with my teammates, and working to get better every day, then I probably would not continue to play.

    Q: Do you still follow Bucknell athletics?
    A: Yes. I receive Bucknell's soccer newsletter and keep tabs on the team's success as well as keep watch on my record.

    Q: Looking back, what does it mean to you to have been a Patriot League student-athlete?
    A: It means I was able to receive the best education, while at the same time, be able to play the sport I love at a very high level. I walked away prepared to continue to play competitive soccer as well as to become successful in my current profession.

    Q: Can you talk about the football venture involving you and your husband?
    We started the Women's Football Alliance, the largest women's tackle football league in the nation, which consists of 48 teams. I was named first-team All-American as a wide receiver for the Pacific Warriors women's football team.