Women's Soccer
Macdonald, Gretta
Gretta Macdonald
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Office:
- HAH 310
Gretta (Arvesen) Macdonald begins her 12th season as the head coach of the soccer program at St. Cloud State University in 2025. Macdonald was named the 2023 NSIC Coach of the Year and is the all-time winningest coach in program history, producing an 89-69-31 mark over 11 seasons. She has led the SCSU program to new heights in her decade-plus stint as head coach, guiding the Huskies to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances, its first conference championship, three 10-win seasons and seven conference tournament appearances.
In Macdonald’s tenure, 42 Huskies have earned All-NSIC accolades and 10 have been named to All-Region teams with Linsey Trapino being named the 2023 NSIC Freshman of the Year. In the classroom, 131 Huskies have earned NSIC All-Academic recognition, while 21 have earned the distinguished NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award and 10 have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. Additionally, SCSU has had two women earn the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship, with Maria Witte earning the honor in 2019 and Karlie Valdez in 2023.
In 2024, Macdonald led the Huskies and its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and finished the season with a 11-4-5 mark. SCSU reached 10+ wins for the second consecutive season and eighth time overall, with its first time with back-to-back 10-win seasons since 2010-11. The Huskies set a program record with an 11-game unbeaten streak and advanced to the NSIC Tournament for the seventh time in the last nine seasons played. Six Huskies earned All-NSIC recognition, with Ellie Primerano and Ana Spaine being named to the first team while Izzy Halunen, Grace Olson, Brooke Quam and Linsey Trapino were named to the second team. Three Huskies – Olson, Primerano and Spaine – earned All-Region honors by either the United Soccer Coaches (USC) or D2CCA.
SCSU experienced its best season in program history in 2023, setting numerous school records including most wins (14), best winning percentage (71.4%) and most conference wins (10) while capturing its first ever conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Huskies captured the NSIC Regional Season Championship after a 10-2-2 mark in league play while Macdonald was named the NSIC Coach of the Year and Linsey Trapino was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year. SCSU totaled a league-high and program record eight All-NSIC performers, with Ellie Primerano, Brooke Quam, Ana Spaine and Rheana Zerna earning first team recognition while Grace Olson, Gracie Parsons, Jaylee Strickland and Trapino were named to the second team. Additionally, five Huskies – Primerano, Quam, Spaine Trapino and Zerna – earned All-Region honors by either the United Soccer Coaches (USC) or D2CCA.
The Huskies hit record numbers in 2019 under Macdonald's leadership. SCSU posted a 12-5-3 overall record and a 10-3-2 NSIC record, which set then-records for most conference wins in a season and was the second most wins charted by the Huskies in a single season.
Prior to her move to SCSU in 2014, Macdonald was an assistant soccer coach at NCAA D-I Central Michigan University. Her responsibilities included Director of Internal Operations and Director of the CMU Soccer Academy. At Central Michigan, Macdonald assisted in analyzing, developing and implementing the women’s soccer program. As Director of Internal Operations she was responsible for coordinating academic support, strength and conditioning, compliance, sports information, sports science, marketing, camps and clinics, facilities and equipment. As Director of CMU Soccer Academy, she was responsible for programming Elite ID, Overnight and Day Camps and Soccerfest.
Before joining the Central Michigan soccer staff, Macdonald was on the soccer staff at Minnesota State serving as an assistant coach from July 2008 to January 2013, and taking on the interim head coach assignment from January to April 2013. While at Minnesota State, she also served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) liaison and an assistant professor and instructor in the New Student and Family Programs Department and Human Performance Department.
As the assistant coach for the Mavericks, Macdonald was the recruiting coordinator, managed and directed team operations, supervised academic progress, assisted with budget management, directed MSU Soccer Academy camp programs, directed and implemented community service and outreach events, and assisted with the development and implementation of program-level fundraising.
The Minnesota State University soccer program made four NCAA tournament appearances during her coaching stint, notched 74 wins, won two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament titles, had five All-Americans and three Capital One Academic All-America team members, earned five straight National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) team academic awards and back-to-back NSCAA Silver Team Sportsmanship and Ethics Awards. Macdonald was involved in numerous community and volunteer activities in Michigan and Minnesota and participated in professional development programs since 2007.
A native of Pine Springs, Minn., Macdonald played collegiate soccer at Creighton University from 2003 to 2007, earning four letters. She was on the SAAC Committee and Team Leadership Council. The Bluejays won two Missouri Valley Conference Championships and made two NCAA tournament appearances.
After graduating from Creighton with a degree in mass communication and public relations, Macdonald was a graduate assistant coach at South Dakota State University for the 2007-08 season. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University.
The Macdonald File:
In Macdonald’s tenure, 42 Huskies have earned All-NSIC accolades and 10 have been named to All-Region teams with Linsey Trapino being named the 2023 NSIC Freshman of the Year. In the classroom, 131 Huskies have earned NSIC All-Academic recognition, while 21 have earned the distinguished NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award and 10 have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. Additionally, SCSU has had two women earn the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Graduate Scholarship, with Maria Witte earning the honor in 2019 and Karlie Valdez in 2023.
In 2024, Macdonald led the Huskies and its second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and finished the season with a 11-4-5 mark. SCSU reached 10+ wins for the second consecutive season and eighth time overall, with its first time with back-to-back 10-win seasons since 2010-11. The Huskies set a program record with an 11-game unbeaten streak and advanced to the NSIC Tournament for the seventh time in the last nine seasons played. Six Huskies earned All-NSIC recognition, with Ellie Primerano and Ana Spaine being named to the first team while Izzy Halunen, Grace Olson, Brooke Quam and Linsey Trapino were named to the second team. Three Huskies – Olson, Primerano and Spaine – earned All-Region honors by either the United Soccer Coaches (USC) or D2CCA.
SCSU experienced its best season in program history in 2023, setting numerous school records including most wins (14), best winning percentage (71.4%) and most conference wins (10) while capturing its first ever conference championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Huskies captured the NSIC Regional Season Championship after a 10-2-2 mark in league play while Macdonald was named the NSIC Coach of the Year and Linsey Trapino was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year. SCSU totaled a league-high and program record eight All-NSIC performers, with Ellie Primerano, Brooke Quam, Ana Spaine and Rheana Zerna earning first team recognition while Grace Olson, Gracie Parsons, Jaylee Strickland and Trapino were named to the second team. Additionally, five Huskies – Primerano, Quam, Spaine Trapino and Zerna – earned All-Region honors by either the United Soccer Coaches (USC) or D2CCA.
The Huskies hit record numbers in 2019 under Macdonald's leadership. SCSU posted a 12-5-3 overall record and a 10-3-2 NSIC record, which set then-records for most conference wins in a season and was the second most wins charted by the Huskies in a single season.
Prior to her move to SCSU in 2014, Macdonald was an assistant soccer coach at NCAA D-I Central Michigan University. Her responsibilities included Director of Internal Operations and Director of the CMU Soccer Academy. At Central Michigan, Macdonald assisted in analyzing, developing and implementing the women’s soccer program. As Director of Internal Operations she was responsible for coordinating academic support, strength and conditioning, compliance, sports information, sports science, marketing, camps and clinics, facilities and equipment. As Director of CMU Soccer Academy, she was responsible for programming Elite ID, Overnight and Day Camps and Soccerfest.
Before joining the Central Michigan soccer staff, Macdonald was on the soccer staff at Minnesota State serving as an assistant coach from July 2008 to January 2013, and taking on the interim head coach assignment from January to April 2013. While at Minnesota State, she also served as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) liaison and an assistant professor and instructor in the New Student and Family Programs Department and Human Performance Department.
As the assistant coach for the Mavericks, Macdonald was the recruiting coordinator, managed and directed team operations, supervised academic progress, assisted with budget management, directed MSU Soccer Academy camp programs, directed and implemented community service and outreach events, and assisted with the development and implementation of program-level fundraising.
The Minnesota State University soccer program made four NCAA tournament appearances during her coaching stint, notched 74 wins, won two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) tournament titles, had five All-Americans and three Capital One Academic All-America team members, earned five straight National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) team academic awards and back-to-back NSCAA Silver Team Sportsmanship and Ethics Awards. Macdonald was involved in numerous community and volunteer activities in Michigan and Minnesota and participated in professional development programs since 2007.
A native of Pine Springs, Minn., Macdonald played collegiate soccer at Creighton University from 2003 to 2007, earning four letters. She was on the SAAC Committee and Team Leadership Council. The Bluejays won two Missouri Valley Conference Championships and made two NCAA tournament appearances.
After graduating from Creighton with a degree in mass communication and public relations, Macdonald was a graduate assistant coach at South Dakota State University for the 2007-08 season. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Minnesota State University.
The Macdonald File:
| Year | Overall | NSIC | NSIC Tournament | NCAA Tournament |
| 2014 | 6-11-1 | 5-9-1 (11th) | N/A | N/A |
| 2015 | 9-6-3 | 9-6-3 | 0-1 | N/A |
| 2016 | 7-8-4 | 6-5-4 (6th) | 0-1 | N/A |
| 2017 | 8-8-2 | 6-7-2 (9th) | N/A | N/A |
| 2018 | 8-7-4 | 8-4-3 (5th) | 0-1 | N/A |
| 2019 | 12-5-3 | 10-3-2 (5th) | 1-1 | N/A |
| 2020 | No Season (COVID-19) | |||
| 2021 | 7-8-3 | 7-5-3 (7th) | 0-1 | N/A |
| 2022 | 7-7-4 | 6-5-4 (10th) | N/A | N/A |
| 2023 | 14-5-2 | 10-2-2 (1st) | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| 2024 | 11-4-5 | 8-1-5 (4th) | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Overall | 89-69-31 | 74-45-29 | 2-7 | 0-2 |
2024 SCSU Women's Soccer Pre-Season Press Conference
Wednesday, September 04
2023 SCSU Women's Soccer Pre-Season Press Conference
Friday, September 01
SCSU Women's Soccer vs Minnesota-Duluth
Friday, September 02
SCSU Women's Soccer vs Bemidji State
Tuesday, July 26
