University of Minnesota Athletics
Soccer Celebrates Seven 'Super Seniors'
10/23/2008 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Minnesota Soccer, off to a 15-2-0 start this season and in the midst of a battle for a Big Ten regular season title, will celebrate its annual 'Senior Day' during halftime of their match against Wisconsin on Friday night.
* * *
This 2008 senior class has been among the most accomplished of any class to come through the Minnesota Soccer program. Many of these seniors have played nearly every minutes of every game since the group walked on to the pitch at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in the fall of 2005.
As head coach Mikki Denney Wright’s first full recruiting class at Minnesota, this group of Hometown Heroes’ has been at the core of a turnaround that has allowed this 2008 version of Minnesota Soccer to accumulate a 15-2 record through this season’s first 17 games. This group, which includes five players from the state of Minnesota and two more from Iowa, represent the current coaching staff’s emphasis on recruiting the best home-grown talent.
This season, the senior group has led the team statistically - scoring 35 of the squad’s 86 points - but has had a greater influence on the program with their leadership, experience, and passionate play.
“I cannot imagine a class that has had as great an impact on our program as this one. They have put this program on their back for the last four years, and have made Minnesota Soccer a championship-level team again,” Denney Wright said. “I am so proud of their development as soccer players, but more importantly of who they have become as people. Over the years, they have embraced every adversity, taken every challenge head on and have invested their hearts and souls into our program.”
Since the 2005 season, this class has presided day-in and day-out over a program that has accumulated a 41-27-6 (.595) record. Collectively, this group has played in 472 games, made 412 starts, totaled 606 shots, tallied 172 points, and scored 60 goals over the course of their collegiate careers. As the 2008 season nears a close, the accomplishments and leadership of this class has Minnesota Soccer in the hunt for a Big Ten Conference championship and on track to earn its first NCAA Tournament berth in nearly a decade.
Lindsey Dare ∙ #25 ∙ Apple Valley, Minn.
Lindsey Dare (Apple Valley, Minn.) has had a banner year for the Gophers in 2008. Although she has been the beneficiary of strong play by defensive teammates Kylie Kallman, Jennie Clark, Krystle Kallman and Josie Solie thus far this season, Dare has been the leader of a historically stingy defensive group.
Dare’s has earned a reputation as an extremely athletic and cerebral keeper has earned her a place in the Minnesota Soccer history books. As such, the Apple Valley, Minn. native has found herself vaulting up the Minnesota Soccer and Big Ten Conference record books this season. Dare’s 13 shutouts this season are a Minnesota school record. She currently sports a 0.35 goals against average that leads the Big Ten by a wide margin and ranks ninth nationally. With the conference race coming to a head, Dare and her Gopher teammates are also challenging a number of other Big Ten Conference records. Entering play this weekend, her career goals against average of 0.64 ranks first in the history of Gopher soccer, as does her career winning percentage of .750 (24-7-3).
Although Dare’s performance on the field has been significant, the leadership she has provided during her time wearing Maroon and Gold has probably been her most significant contribution. During her time at Minnesota, Dare has been a member of the Minnesota Soccer Leadership Council for each of the past three seasons.
Head coach Mikki Denney Wright said: “Lindsey Dare is the positive life force of Minnesota Soccer. She has grown tremendously as a soccer player over the past four years, and at the same time has been such a wonderful role model for her teammates. She is committed not only to being a great player, but more importantly, she is dedicated to being a great human being. It has been an honor to have her as part of our program.”
Carlie Edwards ∙ #10 ∙ Inver Grove Heights, Minn.
Playing as a defender for her first two seasons as a Gopher, senior Carlie Edwards was moved to forward for the 2007 season, but saw her season cut short with an ACL injury last year just four games into the season. This year, Edwards has provided depth at both forward and midfield positions for Minnesota.
During her freshman and sophomore seasons, Edwards was part of a much-improved defensive group that was among the stingiest in the Big Ten. Edwards was a key cog in a defensive unit that set a school record with a 0.84 goals against average (GAA) in 2005 and notched seven shutouts to go along with a 1.18 GAA in 2006. Edwards has appeared in 25 matches and has made seven starts during her Gopher career.
“Carlie is a extremely coachable young woman who takes her training and her commitment to self development very seriously,” Denney Wright said. “I am so proud of the growth she has made as a player, as a person and as a student during her time in our program. She is a wonderful example for Minnesota Soccer.”
Clare Grimwood ∙ #7 ∙ Eagan, Minn.
A veteran of 74. games and 72 starts, Clare Grimwood (Eagan, Minn.) has been a vital cog in center of the Gopher midfield for the four years she has spent in a Minnesota uniform. Along with fellow seniors Kelsey Hood and Kaitlin Wagner, Grimwood’s patrolling of the midfield has been central to the Gophers’ story in 2008.
An All-Big Ten Freshman team honoree in 2005, Grimwood’s steady play helped her to collect eight goals and 11 assists during her career. The Eagan, Minn. product earned All-Big Ten Tournament accolades in 2007, after she recorded a goal and assist in a quarterfinals match against Illinois right here at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Buoyed by adept ball skills and an attacking flair, Grimwood has been among the most important ingredients to the Minnesota attack this season.
Head coach Mikki Denney Wright said of Grimwood: “Clare is a powerful leader on our team who has the courage to hold herself and her teammates to the highest standard. Her development over her years at Minnesota has been nothing short of remarkable. She has taken her game to an entirely new level with her commitment and consistency. The mentality she has demonstrated in her senior year is a great model for all our players. She is totally prepared, focused and relentless in her drive to be great. We are thrilled to have her as a leader in our program."
Kelsey Hood ∙ #22 ∙ Ankeny, Iowa
The first SoccerBuzz top-100 recruit in program history, Kelsey Hood has been a stalwart in the Minnesota midfield for the last three years. Known for her consistency and hard-nosed play, Hood has garnered second team All-Big Ten and SoccerBuzz third team All-Great Lakes Region honors each of the past two seasons. She was also named to the All-Big Ten freshman team following the 2005 campaign.
In 2008, Hood has had another dominant season playing in the Minnesota midfield. Known as one of the conference’s best 1v1 defenders, Hood has been at the center of the Gophers’ defensive success this season while quarterbacking the team’s counterattack. In three-plus seasons as a Gopher, Hood has four goals and nine assists from her defensive midfield position.
This season, the Ankeny, Iowa native has been central among a cast of veterans in the center of the pitch for the Gophers. Hood has helped form a central midfield group that Denney Wright describes as the X-factor for a squad that has worked to make the jump to one of the elite programs in the Big Ten and will challenge for the team’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 1999.
Denney Wright said of Hood: "Kelsey is one of the toughest competitors I have ever been around. She finds a way to win in every arena and thrives under pressure. She brings a fantastic soccer savvy to our group and has distinguished herself as one of the top midfielders in the Big Ten,” Denney Wright said. “Kelsey is an admired leader in our program and we are grateful for the investment she has made to our team.”
Krystle Kallman ∙ #15 ∙ Woodbury, Minn.
Krystle Kallman has been the vocal leader of a Minnesota defensive group that been historically successful this season. Playing alongside her sister, Kylie, and Jennie Clark in the Minnesota back line, Kallman has established the Gopher defense as an effective and physical group this year.
Excellent in the air and an imposing physical presence, Kallman came to Minnesota this year after playing her first three collegiate seasons at West Virginia. Over the course of four years playing at both West Virginia and Minnesota, Kallman has played in and started each of her 84 career matches.
Mikki Denney Wright on Kallman: "We have been huge fans of Krystle Kallman since her days as a youth player in Minnesota. Krystle is a model teammate and player because she is responsible, accountable and self motivated in every sense. She defines mental toughness, and her training mentality is a great example for young players in Minnesota to follow. She has a great soccer mind and adds experience and wisdom to our backline. We are very grateful to have her as part of our program."
Lindsey Schwartz ∙ #14 ∙ Bettendorf, Iowa
Lindsey Schwartz has already etched her name in the Minnesota Soccer record books, and Gopher soccer fans have watched her continue her ascension up the all-time ranks in several offensive categories this season. Entering the weekend, her career totals of 26 goals, 16 assists, 68 points and 244 shots each rank among the top 10 all-time in Minnesota Soccer history.
With six goals this season, the Bettendorf, Iowa native is on track to lead the program in goals scored for the fourth consecutive season. Her 22 points in 2007 were the most for any Gopher in any season since 2002. Since coming to the U’ in the fall of 2005, Schwartz has started each of Minnesota Soccer’s 74 matches during that stretch.
Mikki Denney Wright said of her star striker: “Lindsey has been one of the most consistent players in the history of Minnesota Soccer. She has been a great example for our team as the leader of our attack the past four years. Her effort on the field has been tremendous - she gives as much in the final minute as she does in the first minute. We are so proud that this young woman has been a part of Minnesota Soccer.”
Kaitlin Wagner ∙ #19 ∙ Plymouth, Minn.
Kaitlin Wagner has been a staple of the Minnesota midfield throughout her four seasons wearing Maroon and Gold. Wagner has played in 71 games and has made 66 starts in the center of the soccer pitch during her time at Minnesota.
The Plymouth, Minn. native has been a clutch performer for the Gophers again in 2008 as three of her four goals this season have been of the game-winning variety. Wagner’s free kick goal in double-overtime last fall against then eighth-ranked Penn State delivered one of the signature moments in Gopher soccer history.
During her time at Minnesota, Wagner has established herself as an offensively savvy player who possesses a remarkable ability to make her teammates better. The unrelenting hustle and consistent scoring threat that she brings to the soccer pitch on a daily basis illustrate values that have helped the Minnesota soccer program to their successes this season.
“Kaitlin Wagner has invested every fiber of her being in this program. She has taught her teammates what it means to work hard and has been an inspiration for our team and for our coaching staff,” Denney Wright said. “Kaitlin is a courageous leader and a talented soccer player. She demonstrates on a daily basis the standard for Minnesota Soccer. We feel blessed that she has been part of our program.”
