University of Minnesota Athletics
Gopher Soccer Senior Spotlight: Clare Grimwood
8/12/2008 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
In an eight-part series this summer, Gophersports.com will correspond with each of the eight Gopher soccer seniors to catch up and chat about everything from their favorite munchies to their most poignant Minnesota soccer memories. The 2008 seniors are the first group to play their entire careers under head coach Mikki Denney Wright.
This year’s senior class, which includes six players from Minnesota and two more from the state of Iowa, are a prime example of the focus that Denney Wright and her coaching staff have put on keeping the best home-grown Midwestern and Minnesotan talent at the U’ and sporting Maroon and Gold.
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A veteran of 57 games and 55 starts, Clare Grimwood (Eagan, Minn.) has been a vital cog in center of the Gopher midfield for the past three seasons. Along with fellow seniors Kelsey Hood and Kaitlin Wagner, Grimwood’s patrolling of the midfield will be central to the Gophers’ story in 2008.
An All-Big Ten Freshman team honoree in 2005, Grimwood’s steady play helped her to collect nine assists and two goals through her sophomore year. In 2007, she nearly doubled her career point output as she netted five goals and added two assists to finish third on the team with 12 points in 2007.
The Eagan High School product saved her most crucial contributions of 2007 for last, as her goal and assist in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in a 2-2 tie with Illinois helped her garner All-Big Ten Tournament accolades.
"Clare has been made a tremendous impact on our program throughout her career. She is a powerful leader on our team who has the courage to hold herself and her teammates to the highest level. Her development over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable,” head coach Mikki Denney Wright said. “She has taken her game to an entire 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."
Buoyed by adept ball skills and an attacking flair, Grimwood looks to be one of the most important ingredients to the Minnesota attack this season. If the team is to reach it’s lofty goals of competing for a conference title and gaining an NCAA Tournament berth, Grimwood will have to be in the middle of things for the Gophers.
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Gophersports.com: What are you up to this summer?
Clare Grimwood: This summer I stayed around the Twin Cities and took classes. I also coached a U15 girls soccer team.
Gophersports.com: Do you have a favorite Premier League team?
CG: Not really.
Gophersports.com: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
CG: I love making and eating s’mores.
Gophersports.com: Do you have a favorite on-campus restaurant?
CG: I enjoy eating at Kafe 421.
Gophersports.com: If you could go anywhere in the world to take in a soccer game, where would it be?
CG: I would want to go to Rio de Janeiro and watch a game at Maracana Stadium
Gophersports.com: Have you seen a movie recently that you would recommend?
CG: I recently watched the Bucket List and loved it!
Gophersports.com: Are you starting to feel reflective about your collegiate soccer career or are you just looking forward to the season?
CG: A little bit of both, it’s interesting to watch how each of us has developed over the years but I am mostly excited to start the Big Ten season.
Gophersports.com: What has playing with your senior class for Mikki over the last four years meant to you?
CG: These girls provide such a stable support network, its going to be hard not spending a significant amount of time with them each day.
Gophersports.com: Your senior class features six girls from Minnesota and two more from Iowa. What do you think is the coolest thing about playing on a team that is so homegrown?
CG: I love playing in front of a hometown crowd; a lot of our fan base stems from our local communities.
Gophersports.com: Your first game is just ten days away. What are you looking forward to most for this 2008 soccer season?
CG: Earning a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Gophersports.com: You’ve been a big part of the Minnesota midfield over the course of your first three years. How do you think that experience both yours and your teammates’ will help the team this season?
CG: I believe that our experience will benefit the overall mentality of the team. We have won the big games and lost important ones, the key is learning from what we experienced the last three years and applying that to the way we approach this coming season.
Gophersports.com: This team has clearly taken some strides in the last two seasons and you all appear poised for a solid push for the NCAA Tournament this year. Do you feel more pressure or less pressure because of this team with eight seniors?
CG: I don’t feel any negative pressure; I think some pressure is good in order to achieve the highest level of play. This is the year that we have all been working and preparing for, I’m looking forward to leaving everything on the field.
This year’s senior class, which includes six players from Minnesota and two more from the state of Iowa, are a prime example of the focus that Denney Wright and her coaching staff have put on keeping the best home-grown Midwestern and Minnesotan talent at the U’ and sporting Maroon and Gold.
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A veteran of 57 games and 55 starts, Clare Grimwood (Eagan, Minn.) has been a vital cog in center of the Gopher midfield for the past three seasons. Along with fellow seniors Kelsey Hood and Kaitlin Wagner, Grimwood’s patrolling of the midfield will be central to the Gophers’ story in 2008.
An All-Big Ten Freshman team honoree in 2005, Grimwood’s steady play helped her to collect nine assists and two goals through her sophomore year. In 2007, she nearly doubled her career point output as she netted five goals and added two assists to finish third on the team with 12 points in 2007.
The Eagan High School product saved her most crucial contributions of 2007 for last, as her goal and assist in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals in a 2-2 tie with Illinois helped her garner All-Big Ten Tournament accolades.
"Clare has been made a tremendous impact on our program throughout her career. She is a powerful leader on our team who has the courage to hold herself and her teammates to the highest level. Her development over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable,” head coach Mikki Denney Wright said. “She has taken her game to an entire 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."
Buoyed by adept ball skills and an attacking flair, Grimwood looks to be one of the most important ingredients to the Minnesota attack this season. If the team is to reach it’s lofty goals of competing for a conference title and gaining an NCAA Tournament berth, Grimwood will have to be in the middle of things for the Gophers.
---
Gophersports.com: What are you up to this summer?
Clare Grimwood: This summer I stayed around the Twin Cities and took classes. I also coached a U15 girls soccer team.
Gophersports.com: Do you have a favorite Premier League team?
CG: Not really.
Gophersports.com: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
CG: I love making and eating s’mores.
Gophersports.com: Do you have a favorite on-campus restaurant?
CG: I enjoy eating at Kafe 421.
Gophersports.com: If you could go anywhere in the world to take in a soccer game, where would it be?
CG: I would want to go to Rio de Janeiro and watch a game at Maracana Stadium
Gophersports.com: Have you seen a movie recently that you would recommend?
CG: I recently watched the Bucket List and loved it!
Gophersports.com: Are you starting to feel reflective about your collegiate soccer career or are you just looking forward to the season?
CG: A little bit of both, it’s interesting to watch how each of us has developed over the years but I am mostly excited to start the Big Ten season.
Gophersports.com: What has playing with your senior class for Mikki over the last four years meant to you?
CG: These girls provide such a stable support network, its going to be hard not spending a significant amount of time with them each day.
Gophersports.com: Your senior class features six girls from Minnesota and two more from Iowa. What do you think is the coolest thing about playing on a team that is so homegrown?
CG: I love playing in front of a hometown crowd; a lot of our fan base stems from our local communities.
Gophersports.com: Your first game is just ten days away. What are you looking forward to most for this 2008 soccer season?
CG: Earning a bid to the NCAA tournament.
Gophersports.com: You’ve been a big part of the Minnesota midfield over the course of your first three years. How do you think that experience both yours and your teammates’ will help the team this season?
CG: I believe that our experience will benefit the overall mentality of the team. We have won the big games and lost important ones, the key is learning from what we experienced the last three years and applying that to the way we approach this coming season.
Gophersports.com: This team has clearly taken some strides in the last two seasons and you all appear poised for a solid push for the NCAA Tournament this year. Do you feel more pressure or less pressure because of this team with eight seniors?
CG: I don’t feel any negative pressure; I think some pressure is good in order to achieve the highest level of play. This is the year that we have all been working and preparing for, I’m looking forward to leaving everything on the field.
Players Mentioned
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