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Tigers Announce 2008 Recruiting Class
February 6, 2008
COLUMBIA, Mo.--The University of Missouri women's soccer team announced its 2008 recruiting class Wednesday, as six players signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Tigers in the 2008-09 season. Among the signees, two Missouri products are staying in-state, as Liz Gayer and Mallory Stipetich come to Mizzou from inside the Show-Me State. The Tigers signed three from neighboring Illinois, as Jessie Crabtree, Kendra Collins and Candace Ruff all hail from the Land of Lincoln. The Tigers also signed Kelsey Blincow out of the Dallas area.
"Not only is this 2008 class super talented on the field but we are most excited about their great character off the field, Tiger Head Coach Bryan Blitz said. "The future is very bright for this freshman class."
Kelsey Blincow Position: Forward/Midfielder Hometown: Lewisville, Texas High School: Hebron Club Team: Sting Club Coach: Kenny Medina District Offensive MVP in 2006 and 2007 as a forward for the Hebron (Texas) Lady Hawks ... Selected to the Dallas Morning News All-Area second team in 2007 after scoring 21 goals and dishing out 19 assists during her junior year ... Her club team, the Sting, won the Region III Championship in 2007 ... They also finished second in the 2007 United States Youth Soccer National Tournament ... Member of an Olympic Development Program team that finished fourth in the national tournament last year ... Member of the National Honor Society, the student council, the Spanish Honor Society and H.O.P.E. Why did you choose Mizzou? It has a great soccer program and is very strong academically as well. The campus and facilities were amazing and I loved the coaches and players when I went on my unofficial visit. What part of being a Mizzou student-athlete do you look forward to the most? Mizzou is such a strong university, both academically and athletically. I look forward to having the opportunity to be part of a great women's soccer program. In addition, I also look forward to continuing my education at one of the best journalism schools in the country. From Coach Blitz: "We are excited about Kelsey's sophistication on the field and her ability to be so versatile in our attack minded system." Kendra Collins Position: Forward Hometown: Naperville, Ill. High School: Neuqua Valley Club Team: Windy City Pride Club Coach: Ko Thanadabouth Collins was a member of the 2007 All-Conference team during her junior season at Neuqua Valley High School ... She was also named a Top Drawer Soccer player to watch ... Helped her team win the Illinois State Championship in 2005 ... Neuqua Valley was also a sectional semifinalist in 2006 and a sectional finalist in 2007 ... Her club team, the Windy City Pride, made it to the US Soccer Club Regionals in 2007 ... They were also finalists in the Illinois State Cup in the spring of 2007 ... Off the field, she made the honor roll three straight years. How can you help the team in 2008? On the field I will build on the speed that is already present but will also add a strong physical presence up top to create important plays along with a good work ethic and willingness to do whatever it takes to win. Off the field my high-energy personality will keep everyone having fun! Why did you choose Mizzou? I choose Mizzou because I love the atmosphere of not only the team but of the school itself. Also, I think that the team and I share many of the same goals and this will help me to achieve my goals and take my game to the next level. From Coach Blitz: "Kendra's athletic presence and her determination will allow her to be a big contributor in our attack." Jessie Crabtree Position: Forward Hometown: Marion, Ill. High School: Marion Club: Metro United FC, River Cities FC Club Coaches: Dale Schilly, Justin McMillian Part of the Missouri State Olympic Development Program in 2006 and 2007 ...An All-State selection her junior year at Marion High School in Southern Illinois ... She holds the Marion High School goals scored record with 106 going into her senior season, helping the team to its best record in history her sophomore and junior years ... She is the first Marion athlete ever to earn 18 varsity letters (pending track & soccer in Spring) ... Crabtree currently holds a 4.0 GPA while ranked No. 1 in her class ... Plans to enter the pre-med program at Mizzou. On the 2007 Tigers I was Mizzou's biggest fan last year. From the first day I met with Head Coach Bryan Blitz he talked about winning a National Championship and I believe he is sincere about that goal. I knew our team was going to be good and they certainly lived up to those expectations. Best of all that success came without one senior! I am honored and humbled to be joining a team of this caliber. How you can help the team, on and off the field? I will work as hard as I possibly can to help my team succeed. My specialty has always been hitting the back of the net. I relish the opportunity to do this as a Mizzou Tiger more than I ever have for any other team in my life. Off the field, academics are important so I will continue to strive for excellence in the classroom as well. I know it is an honor to be a Mizzou Tiger so I promise to represent the University of Missouri well in all of my endeavors. My desire to win is relentless and I will have the same goal as the rest of my teammates ... to win a National Championship! From Coach Blitz: "Jessie's fantastic work ethic and competitive nature will make a vast impact to our team." Liz Gayer Position: Defender Hometown: Columbia, Mo. High School: Hickman Club Team: Carrera Club Coach: Paul Pitchford Gayer makes the short trip to Mizzou from Hickman High School in Columbia, where she was an All-state player her junior year ... She played for Carrera under Head Coach Paul Pitchford... Off the field, she is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and she will study athletic training and business administration at Mizzou. How can you help the team in 2008, on and off the field? What do you think about Mizzou's 2007 season? I was very pleased with the athletics at Mizzou this past year. I am so proud to be representing Mizzou in the upcoming soccer season, because they ranked so high in the nation, last season and this has made me very happy to be signing soon. From Coach Blitz: "Liz is a tenacious defender and her blue-collar mentality will add to our back line." Candace Ruff Position: Midfielder/Forward Hometown: Hinsdale, Ill. High School: Fenwick Club Team: Eclipse Club Coaches: Rory Dames and Mike Nesci Made the Olympic Development Program's Region II Camp and State Team in 2007 ... Honorable mention all-section in 2007 ... All-conference in 2005, '06 and '07 ... All Area in 2007 ... Also played on the 2007 Illinois State Champion basketball team at Fenwick ... First honor roll (three years), second honor roll (one year) Why did you choose Mizzou? I chose Mizzou because it just felt like the right decision when I went on my official visit. The coaches and the team made my decision easy. I felt like this school had the perfect combination of high-level competition and wonderful people; all of which I was looking for in the university I was to choose. What do you think about the athletic success in 2007 at Mizzou? I think the soccer success in 2007 at Mizzou was superb. It seemed like once or twice a week I would receive a new email from one of the coaches exclaiming about another win for the team. When conference season came to a close the success of the team did not end. The fact that Mizzou got a bid for the NCAA tournament was a success in itself; then going into overtime with USC, the future national champions, just shows the team's hard work paid off. From Coach Blitz: "Candace is a tremendous athlete who will be able to make an impact with her versatility." Mallory Stipetich Position: Defender/Midfielder Hometown: Liberty, Mo. High School: St. Pius X Club Team: KCFC Alliance Jazz Club Coach: Richard Davies First team All-Kansas City, all-conference and all-district with St. Pius X High School in Kansas City, Mo. ... Second team all-Missouri ... Missouri Olympic Development Program Team Region II Alternate ... Her club team, the KCFC Alliance Jazz, won the Midwest Regional League Championship in 2007, and they were the Kansas State runner-up in 2007 ... Also all-conference in tennis ... Made the A and B honor roll ... Member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes an the French Club. What part of being a Mizzou student-athlete do you look forward to the most? Meeting fellow athletes and forming friendships and competing in the Big 12 Conference. How can you help the team in 2008, on and off the field? I hope with hard work I can bring all my abilities to the team to help further their success in 2008. From Coach Blitz: "Mallory's tackling and distribution abilities will add depth to our defensive unit next fall." |
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