Six games into the season, Metro's women's soccer team appears every bit as tough as last year's team that made it to the NCAA Division II National Tournament Final Four. While very optimistic, head coach Danny Sanchez is careful about making predictions.

"Obviously, we didn't expect to go to the Final Four last year," Sanchez said. "We knew we had potential and we knew we had a shot at making it in to the tournament. And once you get in the tournament, as we demonstrated, anything can happen."

With the Roadrunners currently undefeated and ranked third in the nation, Sanchez says the team goal is to make it to the national tournament again.

In addition to the team's first-ever Final Four appearance, Sanchez lead last year's team to an overall record of 19-3-3 their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season championship and RMAC tournament championship.

Sanchez downplays suggestions that the Roadrunners this year are a marked team after their stellar performance last year. "I think teams play their hardest no matter who they're playing. I don't think our record last year will make a difference to our opponents."

Nevertheless, this year's team is different. "They're more fit and more prepared than last year," Sanchez said. "The players are carrying themselves like professionals with pride in what they're doing and how they're representing the school."

That's a result of the high expectations that Sanchez himself has. Before coaching, Sanchez had a successful playing career at the collegiate and professional levels, and he brings that same level of success and intensity to Metro State. At the University of Connecticut, Sanchez helped lead the 1989 team to a Big East Championship and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. After college, Sanchez played in the World Soccer League for the Arizona Condors and in the United States Interregional Soccer League for the Arizona Cotton.

Sanchez then embarked on a successful coaching career. Prior to Metro State, he was the head coach of the men's and women's teams at Mesa Community College in Arizona. He amassed an overall women's record of 103-15-5. In 2001, Sanchez was honored as both the Men's and Women's Arizona Community College Athletic Conference and Region I Coach-of-the-Year. While at Mesa, Sanchez led the Thunderbird women to the post-season in all six years of the program's existence. In 2001, the women finished the season ranked sixth in the nation. Sanchez's 1997-2000 teams finished their seasons ranked in the top-12 nationally.

Sanchez jumped when the Metro State opportunity came up. "I had a lot of success, but I was looking for a new challenge, and Metro is known for having a quality athletics program."

Coaching and his role as business manager for the Athletics Department leave little free time. When he's not working, Sanchez spends time with his family in their Thornton home. He and his wife Beth have two young sons, four-year-old Cole and Drew, 10 months.