Women's soccer debuted at Towson in 1992 and it was that infancy that caught Christie Landi's attention two years later when she became a Tiger, hoping to have an impact on the program's growth.
Along with Mindy Bean (softball), Stan Eisenhooth (football), Christina Ghani (gymnastics), Brian Matthews (basketball) and Reed Sothoron (lacrosse), Christie will be inducted into the Tigers' Hall of Fame Friday, October 21st at the 58th Annual Induction Banquet at the Delta Hotels Baltimore Hunt Valley, 245 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley, MD. The 1971 Men's Lacrosse Team will be honored as well as the Team of Distinction. Tickets are available by visiting https://towsonuniversity.regfox.com/towson-athletics-tiger-honors-hall-of-fame-induction-2022
"I embraced the challenge of joining a new program, I felt there would be room for me to make a significant contribution," says Christie, who was an All-County and All-State performer at W.C. Mepham High School in Bellmore, N.Y. "There was a New York presence on the team that made me feel comfortable and a lot of really talented players at that point. I knew the only way for the program to go was up."
Christie closed out her high school career as the Pirates' all-time leading goal scorer. She duplicated that at Towson with 27 goals and 16 assists for 70 points which currently rank her second. Her 10 game-winning goals still stand as a program best with eight of those in one season. Her 14 goals and 33 points in her senior year were school records that have since been broken. She continues to hold the single-season record for shots at 91.
In 1996 Christie scored the biggest goal thus far in the history of the program when her marker in the 142
nd minute lifted Towson to a 2-1 four-overtime victory over Delaware in the America East championship, giving the Tigers their only conference title. Christie was named first team All-America East in 1997 and was twice selected to the America East All-Tournament team. She was Towson's Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 1997 after leading the Tigers to a 14-6-1 record. That still stands as the best single season record in the program's first 30 years.
In the summer of her junior year Christie was recruited by the Delaware Genies of the newly organized semi-pro, USL W-League. College players were allowed to participate alongside established international players without jeopardizing their eligibility. After graduating with a degree in Sports Communication and a minor in Sports Management, Christie would play two more summers in the W-League while coaching soccer at nearby Essex Community College.
In 1999 Christie was invited to try-out for the Washington Freedom of the newly formed Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). It was an opportunity she had envisioned since she dribbled her first ball down the field at age six. But tragedy struck.
"A couple of months before the try-out I tore my posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)," Christie says. "That effectively ended my playing career. It was time then to focus more on my future. I coached a bit longer but knew I needed to take the next step in my career. My ultimate goal was to work for a sports team. I knew I had the knowledge and background for it. I just needed to get my foot in a door."
She found the right door, landing a sales job with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. With her reputation spreading, the NFL's New York Jets wooed her, hiring her in 2009 as the Inside Sales Manager with a staff of 100 to start selling the newly constructed MetLife Stadium. After eight years she joined the leadership team at Madison Square Garden. Two years later she accepted an offer from the New York Giants and is currently that NFL franchise's Senior Director of Premium Sales, overseeing all season ticket and suite sales.
"When you work in the sports industry, there are aways two things you strive for: to be a part of opening a brand-new stadium and to work in the NFL. I have been lucky enough to do both. It's been an exciting run so far."
