Krystle Kallman

Class:
Senior
Height:
5-6
High School:
West Virginia
Hometown:
Woodbury, Minn.

Krystle Kallman is set to begin her third year on the coach staff at the University of Minnesota in 2011, working primarily with the Gophers defensive corps.

2010 marked another banner year for the Gophers soccer program as the team reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the second time in Kallman[apos]s three years with the team. Defensively, Minnesota allowed fewer than 20 goals for the third-straight year while defensive midfielder Kylie Kallman - a younger sister to the Gophers assistant - earned All-Big Ten and NSCAA/Performance Subaru NCAA Division I Women All-Great Lakes Region Team honors. The Gophers assistant coach was also instrumental in the program setting a program record with 16 All-Big Ten honorees while the team also earned a second-straight Academic Progress Report Public Recognition Award.

In 2009, the back line helped Minnesota post one of its most successful seasons in program history. In 20 games last year, the Gophers allowed just 14 goals for a goals against average of 0.67 - both ranked second in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Kallman was instrumental in the development of Minnesota[apos]s defensive players such as senior Jennie Clark, who earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors and NSCAA First Team All-Great Lakes Region in 2009.

Kallman joined the staff fresh off her senior season with the Golden Gophers where she patrolled the defense and led them to the top of both the Big Ten and NCAA charts. As a starter in every match in 2008, Kallman helped lead the Golden Gophers to the best record in school history (22-4-0) and an appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Defensively, the Gophers earned 17 shutouts in 2008, which led the league, set a Big Ten record and ranked fifth nationally with a shutout rate of more than 65%. Kallman and her teammates on the backline also produced the Big Ten[apos]s best goals against average (0.45) on their way to allowing a league-low 12 goals.

In her senior campaign, Kallman earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors on Oct. 13 after leading Minnesota to their third and fourth consecutive shutouts, tying a season high. She collected three points on the weekend, assisting on the game-winner in a 1-0 victory over Purdue, before scoring the game-winner in a 1-0 win over Illinois.

Kallman is one of the most decorated high school players to come out of Minnesota. From high school to college she has been a champion on every team she had been a part of, which includes State Championships, Big East Championships and the 2008 Big Ten title. Kallman began her collegiate career at West Virginia University where she played for three seasons (2005-07). With the Mountaineers, the defender started in all 67 matches, collecting seven goals and five assists for 19 points in her career. She also earned herself a reputation as a stellar one-on-one defender and was twice named the Mountaineers Most Valuable Defender. Another milestone at WVU was when she was named to the SoccerBuzz Elite Team of the Week, along with her sister Kylie who was a freshman at Minnesota at the time. The pair became just the second set of sisters to be named to the team in the same week.

In addition to the college game, Kallman was also an important member of the Minnesota Lightning W-League team for four seasons. In 2007 she earned All-Conference honors when she helped the Lightning to the Midwest Division title.

As a prep at nearby Woodbury High School, Kallman was named the 2004 Minnesota High School Gatorade Player of the Year. Her high school career included, four years as a starter on a team that claimed four conference titles and four section titles, as well as state championships in 2003 and 2004. In her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, Kallman was named to the All-State Tournament team. She was an All-Conference selection in her last three seasons, and was an All-Metro and All-State choice following her junior and senior campaigns. Finally she was named a high school All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

On the sidelines, Kallman[apos]s coaching career began in 2004 with the Woodbury Soccer Association. There she has been the head coach for the Woodbury Azzurri U-14 team, while assisting on the Woodbury Inferno U-17 team. With the WSA, she has coached her teams at the highest level of Minnesota soccer and in numerous elite level tournaments. In addition she has instructed several Olympic Development Program players, Regional Team players and National Pool players. After finishing her playing career, Kallman joined the Minnesota staff in the spring of 2009 as a volunteer coach. She earned her NSCAA National Diploma in Jan. 2010.

Kallman comes from a decorated soccer family, as one of five successful soccer playing children. Her older brother Brian played at Jacksonville University and Creighton, and is currently with Minnesota[apos]s professional soccer team, the NSC Stars. Her sister Kylie recently graduated from the University of Minnesota after one of the most successful careers in Gopher history. Her brother Brent is a junior at Creighton University, where he plays for the men[apos]s program. Her youngest sister Kassey is also playing collegiate soccer as a sophomore at Florida State.