T.R. Bell, a 1996 graduate of the College, was named Forester Athlete of the Week on Thursday for his performance during the first two men's soccer games of the 1995 season.
Bell's senior year began with a 3-2 victory at Aurora University on September 4 and continued with a 4-1 win over visiting Rockford College five days later. He contributed to five of Lake Forest's seven goals, scoring twice in each contest and adding an assist against Rockford.
The season-opening triumphs were the first of 13 consecutive victories, the longest single-season winning streak in program history. The 1995 Foresters went on to post a 17-1-0 overall record and a 9-1-0 mark in Midwest Conference North Division play. Lake Forest hosted the MWC Championship Tournament and knocked off two-time defending champion Grinnell College 4-2 to claim the 12th title in team annals. The Foresters' overall record, as well as their 72 goals, are still the best marks in program history.
Bell repeated as a First Team All-MWC selection and the Foresters' Most Valuable Player in 1995. He finished his career with 28 goals and is still the program's all-time leader with 35 assists. The 2009 inductee into the Lake Forest College Athletic Hall of Fame was later joined in that elite club by teammates Rob Samuels '96 and Brett Egner '96. Bell has also been the head coach of the Forester women's soccer team since 1997 and his 248 victories are the most of any soccer coach — men's or women's — in MWC history.
Hall of Fame Bio | Coaching Bio
Since all Lake Forest College sporting events during the fall semester have been postponed, the Athletic Department is utilizing its archives to continue the weekly recognition of high-level performances by Foresters. The department has selected a Forester Athlete of the Week since 1996, so the honorees for the rest of 2020 will have earned the distinction at least 25 years ago.
A note of gratitude goes out to Mike Dau '58, whose tireless efforts as the department's historian has made this fall's Forester Athlete of the Week research possible.
