COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Nearly two decades later, the brilliance of the MSU Denver women's soccer Division II national championship teams from 2004 and 2006, and that of star player Kylee (Hanavan) Palmer still resonates.
 
Both teams, and Hanavan Palmer as an individual, were formally inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Hall of Fame on Thursday night at the league's annual banquet.
 
"That's the best accomplishment," Hanavan Palmer said of the team awards. "We strived to be excellent during those years and we succeeded. Having that hard work recognized is all that we could ask for."
 
Dozens of players from those teams were in attendance and were recognized in a celebratory reunion.
 
"It's incredibly emotional," All-American Ymara Guante said. "It was an incredible couple of years.
 
"We were sitting together talking about, 'Remember this road trip?' and 'Remember when this happened?' and it all came rushing back."
 
And what a rush it was.
 
The 2004 team went 25-1 overall and 14-0 in the RMAC, outscoring RMAC opponents 67-4. And while Hanavan (and Amy Leichliter) each earned All-America recognition, it was Guante who was the Division II National Player of the Year.
 
The 2006 team was 24-2 overall and 12-0 in the RMAC while outscoring league opponents 42-2, with Hanavan Palmer earning National Player of the Year honors.
 
"The '04 team was so determined and had so much talent, and I don't even know if talent is the right word," said Adrianne (Almaraz) Pietz, the captain of the 2004 team and an assistant coach on the 2006 team who later became the Roadrunners' head coach. "And the '06 team was so gritty. They had so much fight. It was two separate teams, with two separate words to describe them. But they were both championship teams, with championship players and coaches."
 
Those Roadrunners followed legendary coach Danny Sanchez into the RMAC Hall of Fame. Sanchez was inducted in 2018.
 
The 2004 team started a still-standing Division II record-tying unbeaten streak of 59 games after losing the third game of the season, and also extended a still-standing Division II record for home winning streak (it eventually reached 61 games) and a since-surpassed (in 2021) Division II record for conference unbeaten streak (it eventually reached 72 games).
 
The team also started a school-record winning streak of 46 games and school-record streak of 46 games with at least one goal, and was part of school-record home unbeaten streak of 61 games (Division II record broken in 2014) and a school-record conference winning streak of 57 games (a Division II record broken in 2018). 

"It was the determination," said Elin Otter, who was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. "We were meant to win. We had been so close the year before, and we were even closer the year before that. What stood out in '04 is that it wasn't about one individual. It was a team. The unity, the camaraderie. Even though we had fantastic individual players, it wasn't about one player, it was about the team."
 
The 2006 cavalcade of stars also included All-American first team goalkeeper Rachel Zollner (23-2, 13 shutouts, 0.42 GAA, .878 save percentage), All-American first team selection and Final Four Most Valuable Player Kira Sharp (14 goals, 12 assists) and All-American first team defender Nicole Cito.
 
"When I came in 2004, we had talent," Hanavan Palmer said. "We had great players in 2004. We won due to what we had on the field and because of our hard work. In 2006, we were talented as well, but I think we had the heart, too. It's weird to say that we won on a championship on heart, but we were, in our minds and hearts, going to win it. And we did."
 
Hanavan Palmer was a two-time RMAC Player of the Year and a three-time All-American, including two first team designations. 

"Fast," Guante said of Hanavan Palmer. "She was explosive. We couldn't catch her in training, and we couldn't catch her in the games, and neither could the other team. I knew that when I looked forward, Kylee was going to be there. From day one she was a go-getter."

She scored the game-winning goal with 39 seconds left in regulation in the national championship game victory against Adelphi (N.Y.) in 2004. She scored 27 goals in 2004, 30 goals in 2005 and 23 goals (with 20 assists) in 2006. She ranks second in RMAC history with 25 career game-winning goals.
  
"Extraordinary player and person," Almaraz Pietz said. "Very unselfish. She did whatever it took to be on the field and help us win. Her mentality and ability were second to none. It obviously set the tone, for many years, for our success."
 
Said Hanavan Palmer: "I can only thank the team."