"Firstly, the win against James Madison, at any time, is a great one," said Martelli. "It's the first time we have beaten them. They were picked No. 1 in the CAA preseason coaches' poll to win the conference. That win by itself is huge; the 100th win was just the icing on the cake."

At the beginning of the season, Martelli had already compiled the most wins in Panther history, with a record of 90-87-23. With 10 victories needed to reach the 100 mark and a talented team and coaching staff by his side, Martelli began this season confident in his team's ability to reach the top and not only meet, but surpass the prized 100th victory.   

To go along with Martelli's 100th win, the Georgia State women's soccer team has also made some significant achievements thus far this season. The Panthers have compiled an impressive record of 10-3-2 and 4-1-1 in conference play, their best start ever in the Colonial Athletic Association. The team also earned a No. 7 ranking in the Mid-Atlantic region this week, the highest ranking ever achieved by a GSU women's soccer team.

Now in his 11th season as head coach, Martelli is well on his way to his most successful season since joining the CAA in 2005. His finest season as a member of the competitive conference came two years ago in 2008 with a record of 11-9 and with five games still yet to be played on the schedule, bettering his 11 wins is well within grasp. Although not a member of the CAA at the time, Martelli's best season occurred in 2003, 16-6, the Panthers' last season in the Atlantic-Sun conference.

 "I could have 100 wins many times over," stated Martelli. "When you coach in this profession, it's not always about the wins at the end of the day. It's about what we deal with day-in and day-out with the student-athletes. What we can do for them after they graduate or what they can accomplish for themselves. Taking all that into consideration, I have had 100 wins many times over with the different things that have happened in relationships and post-graduate accomplishments all my players have achieved throughout the years."

Martelli subscribes to the enduring sports mantra that has been repeated countless times to athletes young and old: "There is no 'I' in TEAM." When given the opportunity to express his thoughts and feelings following his momentous 100th win, he focused not on what he did to reach the historic point but on those that were with him every step of the way.

 "I definitely did not make it to 100 victories on my own, I have to thank a lot of people," said Martelli. "First off I have to thank my family. My wife, Kirsten and my kids Brielle and Nicolas, they have been there to cheer me on and support me through both my wins and losses. I have to give thanks to my parents and my brother, Sal, and sister, Teresa. My father is my mentor; there is nothing else more that I try to do than to follow in what he has done in his life as a person and as a coach himself."

 "The coaches that have helped me from Jamie Varianides that when we first got here 10 years ago to all the other coaches that been there along the way," said Martelli. "Yon Struble, Jenn Walters, Sarah Rahko and of course Mandy (Schneider) who is now is my full-time assistant after playing for me for four years (2002-05). She left and got some coaching experience at Jacksonville and then came back here and hit the ground running. Mandy helps take care of our program and makes us better than what we were. Her contributions have helped us this year to get us to 10 wins so far."

 "There's also all my volunteer coaches who lend so much of their time and expect nothing in return," said Martelli. "Jason Woodall, Chris Kouns who is now an assistant at the University of Cincinnati, Todd Shulenberger now an assistant at University of Missouri and Chris Pete who now works at the University of Denver. Right now currently we have Edgar Flores and Fields Brown. Everything they have done with this program and all of our growth is done with their help throughout the years."

 "Of course I have to send my thanks to the players," said Martelli. "The players that came to Georgia State 10 years ago and the players who continued to come. The student-athletes who have a commitment to not only me but to our program and our university. Georgia State has come a long way as a university and it has come even further as an athletic program. You can see the results of that in all our sports, especially women's soccer with help from all the people that I just mentioned."

Martelli came to GSU in 2000 after serving as assistant women's soccer coach for seven seasons at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1989 after playing four years on the Ohio State men's soccer team.

The Panthers' head coach will look for his 101st and 102nd wins this weekend as the Georgia State women's soccer team travels north to take on CAA opponents Towson on Friday, Oct. 15 and George Mason on Sunday Oct. 17.