Ryan will be the second Kickapoo Chief to play for the Billikens, following Jack Jewsbury’s tenure from 1999-2002, after which he was drafted by the Kansas City Wizards. Much like Jack, Ryan is a forward who prides himself on his ability to score goals. Jack is excelling for the Wizards at outside back again this season, and Ryan is also being called on to play a significantly different role for the Chiefs this year. He’ll be playing in front of Tombridge as the central defender, focused first on shutting down opposing teams attacks while also taking responsibility for leading the team from the back with his fellow seniors. It will be a challenge for a young man who is used to playing with his back to the opposing teams goal. Here’s what his Coach, Phil Hodge, had to say about it:

Ryan has taken this team on his shoulders this year. He is offering tremendous leadership and a work ethic that does not stop. Ryan is in the weight room before practice and often times after practice as well. While Ryan knows where he will be next year he has not forgotten about his Senior year at Kickapoo. Ryan will be a captain for us this fall, along with Chris, and has high expectations for his Senior year.

Ryan is a Springfield kid, living in the same house his entire life, and soccer has been his window to the world. While he played some basketball and ran track at Cherokee Middle School, soccer soon captured his sole attention. Whether playing for the “Surge” or later, with Newport on a Springfield Premier squad beginning at the U12 age group, he’s been testing himself on an increasingly larger stage every year. Olympic Development (ODP) programs, and then in the Midwest Regional League (MRL) with Springfield SC, he and his teammates opened eyes back in 2007 when they finally broke through and won their first State Championship.

It was at those games in St Louis, soon after Ryan scored the game-winner against Lou Fusz in the quarterfinal round to get past their nemesis (the photo above is Ryan’s reaction after scoring) that College Soccer hit his radar. Joe Burger, formerly a Missouri State assistant and long time MSU Soccer Camps Coach, approached Ryan about the possibility of playing for Drake University, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference and alma mater of Ryan’s father Ron.

That spark of interest sent Ryan on a recruiting journey that culminated in his recent decision. He first worked with Jeremy Alumbaugh to compile a list of 10-15 schools that interested him. He began reaching out to the schools to express his interest in learning more about their program while also letting them know when they could see him play, whether at College Showcase games or MRL games. He attended a couple of summer camps, including the Indiana Hoosier Camp in 2007 as well as the Wisconsin Badgers Camp this past summer. He was narrowing his choices, and soon it looked like Missouri State, Wisconsin or SLU would be his college home.

I asked Jeremy, Director of Soccer Operations at Springfield SC, to offer some thoughts on Ryan

Ryan is a high quality athlete. The first thing you notice when you see him play is obviously his size, but he has so many more qualities than just a typical target forward. He is agile and has soft feet with a good knack for finding goals at the right time. He really enjoys working hard and is always staying after practice to improve his game. The coaching staff at SLU will love his desire to improve and he is a great addition to a quality SLU program.

The first conversations with Donigan, and the SLU staff, occurred at State Cup this Spring and continued at Regionals in Rockford, culminating in a formal visit to the campus in late June. It was during this visit that Ryan let the Coaches know he was interested in making a decision before school started and that he was interested in the Billikens. A formal offer was tendered soon after his visit and his final decision was made a week later.

Asked about his decision criteria, Ryan admitted to first wanting to see a bit of the world and leave Springfield, thus eliminating Missouri State from the equation. There were also discussions with other programs, including Wisconsin and DePaul, that expressed interest in having him play as a central defender in college. While it is a role he gladly assumes for the Chiefs this season, the goal-scoring responsibilities at forward are more to his liking. That, along with the opportunity to play at a program like SLU’s with it’s tradition and fan-base that sealed the decision for him. The Billikens averaged 2,116 fans for 10 home dates at Hermann Stadium last season, which ranked ninth in the nation.

Ryan will join a signing class that already numbers 8 for 2009, including a pair from Scott Gallagher in St Louis, 2 from TX and 2 from CA. This years recruiting class is ranked #24 in the country by College Soccer News and also includes 3 Division I transfers. The challenges will only get greater. I’m looking forward to watching his continuing progression!

On a somewhat related note, I asked Ryan what was in his music player the day I interviewed him. Apparently he’s a classic rock guy, having spent the weekend with his parents at the Lake rocking to the Doobie Brothers while picking up “Mothership”, a new 3 disc collection of the best of Led Zeppelin with some birthday cash. “Houses of the Holy” and “Led Zeppelin IV” both came out when I was in high school but I was busy discovering you “Can’t Buy A Thrill”.

Unlike many of the players I’ve talked to about their recruiting experience, playing college ball wasn’t necessarily on his radar screen. A bit hard to imagine with an older brother who is part of the squad at Washington University (Bryson, Kickapoo 2007) and a club team that will likely see every single player go onto to college ball, it was just a question of time for this young man. So despite carrying a 30 ACT score into the recruiting fray along with his considerable skills, it’s another reminder that goalkeepers are a special breed.

The wake up call came last year after the Springfield SC U16’s lost to the eventual regional champion Michigan Wolves in the semifinals of the Region 2 tournament. Soon after his return to Springfield he began to receive email invitations to consider attending College Camp programs from half a dozen coaches interested in introducing their program to him (NCAA rules limit the contact to that level apparently). He attended the Goalkeeper Camp at Marquette the summer of 2007 and continued his training with Springfield SC, and more importantly Jesse Miech, now GK coach at Clemson University. It wasn’t until March of this year, following the Dallas Cup, that Northwestern became part of the recruiting picture. It was there that Lenahan first saw him play, on the recommendation of the Akron Zip’s coaching staff who saw the team at the Disney Cup the previous December.

Interspersed among these Showcase opportunities, Tommy had begun identifying programs he was interested in and contacting them. He also took the ACT test. Twice! So when the opportunity arose in Dallas, he was ready. Coach Lenehan saw the first game, a 3-2 win. While that never hurts, the feedback Tombridge received later was that his academic results were a requirement before Northwestern would even talk to him. That, along with the earlier recommendation, are what brought Northwestern to his sideline among the many options available to a coach at the Dallas Cup.

NCAA rules don’t allow direct contact at that point but an invitation to visit the Northwestern campus was extended. Tommy did his overnight visit in April, when the Club team was scheduled to be in Rockford IL for MRL games. April in Chicago can be pretty darn nice (in between the snow showers that are always possible) and the Coaches, team and campus made a big impression on him.

There was still more to be done however with additional discussions continuing with programs like Wisconsin, Bradley, Missouri State and Tulsa among others. And then in April, once Coach Miech arrived on campus at Clemson, Tommy was suddenly on the radar screen for an ACC team as well.

I asked Jeremy Alumbaugh, Director of Soccer Operations at Springfield SC, about Tommy and the recruiting process. He had some very interesting things to offer:

Recruiting is an especially difficult process for goalkeepers. There are always questions. The games at Regionals as well as the Showcase events the boys qualified for this year test the entire team and allow constant evaluation. That plays an important role.

More importantly though, Tommy is a player who is focused on pushing himself to the top. I’ve worked with some excellent goalkeepers, from Matt Modersohn (MSU), Brad Guzan (2 time national champ with the Chicago Magic, now at Fulham) as well as Matt Pickens and Lance Parker. Only Guzan came close to Tommy’s work rate. He just likes to work. The individual effort he has put in has taken his game up significantly and is going to help him reach the next level.

The final decision for Tommy came down to Clemson and Northwestern. ACC or Big Ten. After attending the Northwestern camp in mid-July, he had verbal offers from both programs and a decision to make. It’s the purple of the Wildcats that we’ll be following. His decision was based upon the academic opportunities, with a major still to be determined. He’s not admitting to any need to be closer to home but that’s OK, I’ll accept that answer. The Northwestern home field has to qualify as one of the most scenic in the Midwest. That’s Ann Cook, Springfield native and assistant at Penn State, pictured at a game last Fall I covered. Lake Michigan is located a stone’s throw behind her in this photo, with the campus stretching for a significant distance along the lake.

I also have a better idea of how I’ll be spending my birthday this year. Northwestern renews their rivalry with SLU, playing at Hermann Stadium on Tuesday September 30th at 7:00 pm. They last played to a 1-1 draw in an exhibition game last August. Before that, Northwestern knocked the Billikens out in the 2nd round of the NCAA playoffs in 2006 enroute to a Quarterfinal finish.

So I’m a happy camper. I’m looking forward to watching the battles between Devon Newport and Tombridge in the future. Club teammates now, college foes soon. Now I’m off to figure out who “Explosions In The Sky” is, Tommy’s pre-game music choice. Congrats Christopher ‘Tommy’ Tombridge! UPDATE - as noted, the other Big 10 player (besides Rachel Lavoy at Purdue) will be Graham Basecke who will be playing for the Indiana Hoosiers. That’s what I get for finishing this story at 2:30 am

New soccer coach knows how to start new programs

In his course of being a head coach on the soccer pitch for 33 years, Brad Smith has started three different programs from the ground up. He will get a chance to help complete the construction of the Crowder College soccer program next, as he was recently hired as the school’s second head coach.

Smith is currently the head coach at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky., where he will exit next week and start the new job at Crowder in July.

Crowder will open its season on August 15 with a scrimmage against Missouri Southern. The team will include Hector Valenzuela (Cassville), David Valenciano (Monett), Ryan Toombs (Bolivar), Justin Rogers (Glendale) and Preston Bates (Kickapoo) on it’s first year roster.

The three-time all-city, all-region, and all-state soccer star has not only earned a soccer scholarship at Missouri State University, his kicking prowess on the football field has earned him a spot on the 2008 Kansas Shrine Bowl West Squad. In his senior year, Anthony Cantele was successful on 8 of 10 field goal attempts and 29 of 31 extra points, besides handling kickoff and punting duties for the Crusaders.

As for college, the four-year Kapaun honor roll student has already enrolled and is ready to attend Missouri State in the fall, where he will play soccer and prepare for a career as a strength and conditioning coach.

By Dave Benson
Thursday, June 26, 2008

A four-year starter, Finders immediately became a valued commodity in the Warriors midfield. She was named to the all-Gateway Athletic Conference North Division first team each of the past three seasons, and this year Finders earned first team honors on the Class 1 all-state team.

Finders led the Warriors in scoring with nine goals and six assists this season. She had 23 goals with 16 assists in her prep career.

Finders will continue her soccer career at Missouri State University. She made an oral commitment over a year ago to the NCAA Division I Bears, who went 6-11-2 overall in 2007, and officially signed in February.

Sunday July 27th, 2008
10am-2pm
Who: 9th-12 Graders

The objective for this camp is to provide the committed soccer player the opportunity to train and be evaluated by the Missouri S&T soccer staff in a competitive training environment.

The focus of the field sessions will be on the development of technical and tactical awareness through speed of play, small sided and 8v8 games. Information sessions on the recruiting process, player development and the demands and expectations of a college student-athlete will also be provided.

Schedule:
10:00-11:45am Training Session
11:45am-12:30pm Snack and Info
12:45am-2pm 6v6, 8v8

Coach Kiester is entering his 4th Season with the S&T Women’s Soccer Program. He comes to the program after Asst Coaching stints at the University of Oregon (PAC-10) and Baylor University (Big 12). He is the state team coach for the Missouri ODP girl’s ’92 team, which competed for the ODP National Championship in Frisco, TX. He holds his coaching certifications from US Soccer as well as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)

The camp is open to all girls entering the ninth through 12th grade in the 2008-09 school year. All campers will be required to bring indoor and outdoor shoes, shin guards, a water bottle and appropriate attire for the weather.

COST is $45 per girl. All campers will receive a camp shirt. Registration forms are available from the Missouri S&T athletics department. Those planning on participating should register by Saturday, July 19.

FACILITIES The Miner CSP Camp will be held on the campus of Missouri S&T.

Please register by July 19th, Space is Limited.
$45 Check Payable to:
S&T Women’s Soccer CSP
705 W 10th Street
Rolla, MO 65401
kiesterj@mst.edu

Download Camp Flyer

Kaitlin has been a force in both sports all four years and unlike her close friend Katie Pritchard, she wanted to continue playing both sports in college. I’m excited to hear she found an opportunity. I’m crossing my fingers there will be a game the weekend I visit St Louis to catch Emory take on Washington University when former high school teammates Patrick Carver and Josh Florez face off one last time. Fontbonne is just down the street.

Photo provided by Rolla HS, includes Front row, left to right - Mark Bramel, father; Kaitlin Bramel, and Darlene Bramel, mother. Rolla staff on Back Row, left to right - Kelly Hinshaw, AD; Mike Howard, Soccer Coach; Bryce Swafford, Basketball Coach

BOYS SOCCER COLLEGE PREP CAMP
Saturday July 26
10:00 am to 2:00 pm
The men’s soccer team will hold a college prep camp at the Missouri S&T Soccer Field. The focus will be on the development of technical skills and tactical awareness through the speed of play, small-sided and eight-on-eight games. The camp will also include information sessions on the recruiting process, player development and expectations for student-athletes at the collegiate level.

The camp is open to all boys entering the ninth through 12th grade in the 2008-09 school year and all campers will be required to bring indoor and outdoor shoes, shinguards, a water bottle and appropriate attire for the weather.

The cost of the camp $45 and all campers will receive a camp shirt. Registration forms are available in the Missouri S&T athletics department; those planning on participating should register by Saturday, July 19.

Camp Director:
Coach Joe Ahearn is entering his 2nd Season with the Missouri S&T Men’s Soccer Program. He comes to the program after Assistant Coaching stints at Colgate University (Patriot League), DePaul University (Big East) and the United States Soccer Federation where he was the National Teams Equipment Operations Manager during the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, 2003 Confederations Cup (France), and the 2001 U-20 World Championships (Argentina).

The objective for this camp is to provide the committed soccer player the opportunity to train and be evaluated by the Missouri S&T soccer staff in a competitive training environment.

Saturday July 26th, 2008 Schedule
9:45-10:00 am Check-in
10:00-11:45 am Training Session
11:45 am-12:30 pm Snack and Info
12:45 am-2:00 pm 6v6, 8v8

Missouri Science & Technology Soccer Camp

Location: The Miner CSP Camp will be held on the campus of Missouri S&T. Check-in will be located in the Gale- Bullman Multi Purpose Building on the corner of Bishop and 10th Street

Devon, pictured on the left, accepted an offer from the St Louis University Billikens in late February. Graham, on the right, accepted an offer from the Indiana Hoosiers in early April. The last player from this region to play for SLU is the KC Wizards Jack Jewsbury (Kickapoo), a decade ago, while Graham is the second regional player to be accepted into a Big 10 program following Rachel Lavoy (Kickapoo 2006) who is a Purdue Boilermaker. I can’t do justice to the quality of either of these programs if you are unaware of their place in the record books. Indiana University has won 4 national titles in the past 10 years, the last in 2003 and 2004, and is the only team with multiple titles in that period. SLU has won 9 titles, more than any other program, sports an Overall Record of 652-179-80 and has made 43 NCAA Tournament Appearance, the last in 2006 when they lost to Big 10 foe Northwestern in the 2nd Round.

I sat down with the two players recently, after a game in St Louis against Pacesetter Premier (Ohio North) in the Midwest Regional League. When I arrived at halftime on that cold dreary Sunday (two weekends ago) the boys were losing 0-3, a very uncharacteristic position for them. They proceeded to take Coach Cory Carr’s words to heart (are you a player? or a poser?) and storm back to win 4-3. You can see pictures of the game here. They are currently top of the table in the U17 Red Premier Division with a 4-0-1 record and two games remaining.

The boys begin play this weekend in the Missouri State Cup where they are defending State Champions in their age group (birth year 1991/1992). A repeat title in Cup, or finishing first in their Division of the MRL, will send them to Regionals for the second straight year.

All of these facts are pertinent to the conversation I had with these young men. They have been teammates and close friends since beginning play together on the Pershing team as sixth graders. That has continued with their play for the Glendale Falcons and most importantly, the Springfield SC U17 squad. The teams success on a national level, reaching the semifinals in Region II last year, was the catalyst for exposing them to the programs. While both college programs have strong St Louis roots (Indiana Coach Mike Freitag is a CBC graduate and former All-American player for IU) and both were noticed at State Cup last year by SLU Coach Dan Donigan, it has been the opportunity to play against programs from across the country, at Disney, Dallas Cup and through the MRL, that has allowed the boys to test themselves against the best and created the opportunities that have now presented themselves.

I generally attempt to understand the process a player went through during their recruiting cycle, so that we can all learn more about the process. For these two, it has been about the game. The recruiting cycle itself was a very stressful process, a necessary requirement to achieve their stated goal at playing at the highest level possible. Both Devon and Graham have professional aspirations. As Carl Rose recently shared with me, Devon indicated that to him as a 5 year old and Carl has had nary a doubt since that it has a good chance of happening. That is what led to an early decision, with offers, coaches and programs they have confidence in. Devon will continue as an attacking midfield player and Graham as a holding or central midfield player.

While both of them have achieved personal goals with these decisions, the commitment to the team goals remain paramount. Neither of them feels they have sacrificed anything in terms of friendships, school activities or other areas despite the long hours of training and travel to compete nationally. And it stems from the fact that this is a band of brothers that should graduate every member of the team to a quality collegiate program. And reaching the Region II competition is the next step. I’ll report from St Louis next weekend (May 3-4) on their progress. In the meantime, here’s a little treat…

Pershing Generals vs Cherokee Chiefs, Oct 18 2004 from oleolson on Vimeo.

The Pershing Generals, coached by Bob Jordan, take on the Cherokee Chiefs in a mid-season game on October 18, 2004. The Pershing team features current Springfield SC teammates Devon (xx), Graham (xx), Ian Newport, Ryan Partch, Ryan Squires and xxx on Pershing as well as Ryan Moses (xx), Tyler Bennett and xx for Cherokee. You can also see Skyler Russell (#10, Cherokee)

Give me a hand folks and identify all of the players for us

Hamlin, who has one goal and five assists, is in a different role this season.

“I’m playing a new position this year, so I’ve had to step it up a little more,” she said. “I had played midfield previously and I moved from outside to inside defense. I have to control things back there, but our defense is really good and we play as a tight unit and work really well together.”

Kevin Aubuchon, a senior at St. Mary’s High School in St. Louis, is the lone men’s signee. He led the Dragons in scoring his senior year, earned first team all-conference honors the last two years and was a third team all-metro selection.

The Lions’ 10 women signees include Randi Russell and Stephanie Taylor from Joplin and Brianna McKenzie from Webb City. McKenzie did not play in high school since Webb City does not have a girls soccer team, but she has been part of the Arkansas Olympic Development Program.

The Lions signed another player from the Ozark Conference. Brianna Ragains set several school records at Lebanon, including career goals (66) and assists (40) entering her senior season this spring.

Also joining the Lions are goalkeeper Kimberly DeRaedt from Elgin, Ill., defenders Laura Creason from Blue Springs and Kara Hammann from St. Charles, defender/forward Michelle Dimza from Notre Dame High School in St. Louis, midfielder/forward Shannon Kuhn from Wentzville and utility player Audrey Copenhaver from St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City.

Copenhaver helped St. Teresa’s win state championships her freshman and sophomore years and was named the team’s most valuable player as a junior.

Creason and Dimza have been named to all-area teams, Kuhn has been her team’s leading scorer for three years, and DeRaedt posted 25 shutouts during the last two seasons.

Editors note - in addition to being able to see the Ozark Conference players this upcoming Spring season, we’ll be able to see Michelle Dimza and Audrey Copenhaver play at the Kickapoo Shootout April 11th and 12th.

This year’s recruiting class includes two players each from the states of Missouri and Illinois, as well as players from Texas and Kansas. The signees are as follows:

SABRINA DRENNAN, a 5-9 defender-midfielder from Incarnate Word Academy in St. Louis, Mo.: Drennan played on a high school team last season that finished as the Missouri Class 3 runner-up, as she recorded three goals and five assists for 11 points. Two of her goals in the 2007 spring season were game-winning tallies. An honorable mention selection in the MWAA White Conference, Drennen has also played club soccer with the Missouri Premier team for coach Sterling Wescott. She plans to major in business at Missouri S&T.

SHELLY EKHOLM, 5-6 midfielder from Cy Springs High School in Houston, Texas: Ekholm is a four-year letterwinner who earned first-team all-district honors in each of the last three seasons. She was selected as her team’s offensive most valuable player in 2006 and as her team’s “Rookie of the Year” following her freshman year. In addition, she led her club team, the Westside Quest Stars in assists and finished as the team’s second-leading scorer. She has been involved in numerous groups at her school, including the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Ekholm plans to major in architectural engineering.

HEATHER FERSTL, a 5-7 midfielder from Burlington Central High School in Elgin, Ill.: Ferstl was a three-time all-conference performer at the high school level and has led her team to two conference titles. She had five goals and four assists during the 2007 season for 14 points after scoring four times with four assists in 2006. Her high school team has gone 18-0-2 in conference play over the last two seasons. Ferstl has played club soccer for the KUFC Tempest squad in the Midwest Regional League. Ferstl plans to major in civil engineering.

PAIGE SMOTHERS, a 5-3 defender-midfielder from Marion High School in Marion, Ill.: Smothers is a two-time all-league selection in the South Seven Conference as as defender and has been one of the team’s top offensive players from that position. She earned honorable mention all-section honors as well during her prep career. Smothers has played on the SMSC Sweepers club team for coach Justin McMullen and has also been a part of the Metro United team in the Super Y league. A member of the school’s branch of the National Honor Society and Math Honor Society, Smothers plans to major in either civil or mechanical engineering at Missouri S&T.

LEAH WILLIAMS, a 5-6 forward from Free State High School in Lawrence, Kan.: Williams has been named to the Kansas Class 6A all-state team in each of the last two seasons, while also earning two all-region awards and three all-conference awards in the Sunflower League. Williams has also played club soccer with the Topeka Select Galaxy. She is ranked first in her academic class and has been a member of the school’s branch of the National Honor Society as well as the principal’s honor roll. Williams plans to major in engineering at Missouri S&T.

MELISSA YOUNG, a 5-9 midfielder from Helias High School in Jefferson City, Mo.: Young was an honorable mention all-state selection following the 2007 season in Missouri Class 2 while also earning all-region and all-district honors. Young, who led her team in scoring last season, has been a part of the Missouri Olympic Development program and has played club soccer with the Carrera Soccer Club for coach Paul Pitchford. She is ranked in the top 10 percent of her academic class and plans to major in engineering at Missouri S&T.