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