University of Minnesota Athletics
Kolander Signs With Czech Republic Team
8/1/2017 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Simone Kolander, a former University of Minnesota player from 2013-2016, has been signed by AC Sparta, a professional women's soccer team in the Czech Republic.
Kolander signs with the team after she completed a tryout. She will join a team that has two players that have also been players in the NCAA. Megan Dorsey, a goalkeeper, played for North Florida and graduated in 2015. Lizzy Raben is a defender on AC Sparta. She graduated from Duke University.
Kolander, a Lakeville Minn. native, goes down as one of the top forwards in Minnesota history. She is top 10 in points, goals, assists and game winning goals. She earned the Big Ten Forward of the Year award in both 2015 and 2016. In 2015, she tied the program-record with six game winning goals, including two in one week against Penn State and Ohio State. She was named to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team twice, and was a two-time All-Big Ten First Team honoree. Head Coach Stefanie Golan says Kolander has all the skills to succeed.
"We are thrilled for this opportunity that Simone has earned with AC Sparta Praha. She is going to have an incredible experience and will definitely grow as a player," said Golan. "Simone has worked hard to earn the opportunity to be a pro, and we cannot wait to see her blossom at the next level. We take a lot of pride in the work ethic our players possess, and the four graduated seniors who are continuing to pursue their dreams of playing professionally are making us extremely proud by grinding away to find the right opportunities at the next level."
Coached by Jan Janota, AC Sparta plays in the Czech First Division, which is a league with eight teams. The team plays at Letná Stadium, which holds 6,375 and is located in ZlÃÂn, Czech Republic. AC Sparta has won the Czech Women's Cup eight of the first 10 years of its existence.
The team has won 18 out of the 24 league national championships, the last one coming in 2012-13. The winner of the league qualifies in the UEFA Women's Champions league. AC Sparta's best showing came in 2005-06 when the team reached the quarterfinals. Kolander said she is excited to join a historically great team.
"I am extremely excited to continue my soccer career with AC Sparta," said Kolander. "After four amazing years with the Gopher soccer program, I wasn't ready to stop playing and I am happy to be able to continue playing the beautiful city of Prague and with AC Sparta. Of course I couldn't do this without my parents, all of the coaches I've had over the years, and the staff and teammates I had at the University of Minnesota."
At last report, the team was in second place with 35 points, holding an overall record of 11-2-1. The team will start training for the 2017-18 campaign in early August.
