Nikki Boland, Carmel Catholic HS, IL
Kelsey Carroll, Hononegah HS, IL
Katie Chambliss, Muscatine HS, IA
Justine Hohmann, MO
Abby Kent, Assumption High School, IA
Hannah Maberry, Davenport North HS, IA
Angie Podulka, Elk Grove HS, IL
Grace Ripslinger, Davenport North HS, IA
Molly Rockrohr, Marian Catholic HS, IL
Courtney Seffrood, Oswego HS, IL
Vanessa Vaclav, Lockport Township HS, IL
Janelle Vermeire, Quincy Notre Dame HS, IL
 

Muscatine, IA -- October 27, 2007

Video of the winning goal
Video of postgame
Box Score

from the Midwest Collegiate Conference website

St. Ambrose and Grand View Qualify for NAIA Region VII Women's Soccer Tournament

Posted by Molly Brown - Sun, Oct 28, 2007

The NAIA Region VII Women's Soccer Tournament bracket has been released. St. Ambrose University and Grand View College will represent the Midwest Collegiate Conference at this year's regional tournament. The Region VII Tournament semifinals and championship games are hosted this year by Grand View College at James W. Cownie Complex in Des Moines, Iowa. [ click here for directions ]

St. Ambrose (12-6-2) won the MCC regular season and the MCC Tournament titles and enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Queen Bees receive a bye in the first round the tournament and face the winner of Tuesday's No. 3 Saint Xavier (15-3-2) vs. No. 6 Trinity International (9-7-1) match-up on Friday, Nov. 2, at 3:30 p.m.

No. 4 seed Grand View (11-4-4) will host No. 5 Trinity Christian (15-3-2) in the first round of the Region VII Tournament on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. at Cownie Complex. The winner will face top-seeded seed Judson on Friday, Nov. 2, at 3:30 p.m.

The winner of the Region VII Tournament earns an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championship held November 14-20 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Queen Bees advance to MCC tournament final

Muscatine, IA -- October 24, 2007
Alyse LaHue

A strong first half was all the Queen Bees needed to finish off Viterbo for the second time in less than two weeks. This time they were able to end off Viterbo’s season and move into the Midwest Classic Conference playoffs championship game.

The Bees had an extremely dominating first half that saw them find the back of the net off two corner kicks. The first one came in the 22nd minute when Shelby VanGieson pinpointed a corner kick in front of the net and into the path of a determined Kari Petersmith who put the Bees up 1-0. In the 33rd minute Sam Cohen this time took the corner kick that would find defender Krysta Schmitt in an almost identical play. Soon after the Bees would find themselves again in a similar situation but after a scramble inside Viterbo’s goal that would find the ball in the back of the net, the referee chose to penalize SAU with a foul call and disallow the goal.

Shortly before halftime Viterbo got the break they needed when an errant SAU pass found the foot of a Viterbo midfielder who broke loose and set up a fellow teammate when a cross right in front of the goal. Outstretched Ambrose keeper Erica Inendino managed to get a hand on the volleying shot, but it found its way off the right post and into the net.

Viterbo would carry that momentum into the second half and attempt to look for the tying goal, while Ambrose looked to get an extra goal in the net. Both teams were fighting back and forth and each got decent looks at goal, but the hard-fought second half would not see any goals and SAU would end up with the 2-1 win that would send them into the conference playoff finals and would end Viterbo’s season.

On the other half of the MCC playoff bracket, Clarke slipped past GrandView 1-0.

SAU will face Clarke for the MCC tourney title on Saturday, October 27th, in Muscatine for a 3pm match-up. The winner will receive an important #1 seed heading into the Regional Tournament, and will also receive a first-round bye.

Muscatine, IA -- October 21, 2007

The Queen Bees opened conference play today in dominating fashion with four unanswered goals by Senior Amanda Wilford on St. Ambrose’s own senior night victory over William Penn.

The first 15 minutes of the game were the most competitive of the match as WP was looking for an early goal to sit back on, but it would be the Bees who would strike first when senior Amanda Wilford cut loose on the left side of the field after a pass from fellow senior Denise Absil. Wilford skillfully chipped the WP keeper with the outside of her right foot in the 22nd minute to put the Bees ahead for the rest of the contest.

With only seconds remaining in the first half of play, it would be Wilford finding the left side free again after a great ball played from sophomore Leigh Miller. Wilford blasted the ball with her left foot and the William Penn keeper would not be able to get a grasp of the ball as it ricocheted off her hands and into the net for the 2-0 halftime lead.

If there was any doubt about SAU coming out with a victory, it would be dispelled immediately after the beginning second half whistle as the Bees continued to pound towards the WP goal. The Bees had several good looks at goal but would not put one away again until the 70th minute when junior Shelby VanGieson played a ball over the top of the WP defense and Wilford skillfully was able to chest the ball down and put it away for a hattrick.

Five minutes later senior Kari Petersmith found herself an open look against the WP keeper, but the ball rebounded off the crossbar and into the path of Wilford, who would cap off the day with all four SAU goals.

The Bees ended the day with 30 shots on goal while WP found only 4. Senior keeper Tootsie Maus would hold onto the shutout for the Bees.

At halftime the Bees recognized their outstanding senior players: Denise Absil, Colleen Fischer, Lindsey Guerin, Tootsie Maus, Kari Petersmith, and Amanda Wilford.

In the other part of the bracket, Viterbo defeated Ashford 1-0. The Bees will face Viterbo on Wednesday in Muscatine for a chance to play in the Conference Tournament Final on Saturday.

Queen Bees cap undefeated conference season with championship

Davenport, IA -- October 16, 2007

The St. Ambrose Queen Bees won the Midwest Collegiate Conference title with a 3-0 win over Viterbo. The win capped off a conference season in which the Queen Bees were undefeated with six wins and two ties.

SAU took an early lead in the game and never looked back. East Moline native Kari Petersmith scored an unassisted goal in the 20th minute to put SAU up for good. The Queen Bees launched four more shots in the first half that could not find the back of the net and so they took a 1-0 lead into the half.

In the second half, both teams had opportunities to score. Viterbo managed eight total shots on the goal but could not put anything away. Erica Inendino finished the game with eight saves for the Bees.

As Viterbo made a late run at the end of the game, the Queen Bees capitalized on their over-aggressiveness by scoring two goals in the last ten minutes. Kari Petersmith scored her second unassisted goal of the game in the 85th minute. One minute later, senior forward Amanda Wilford capped the scoring with a goal off of Kate Gardner's assist.

The Queen Bees finished the regular season going 6-0-2 in the conference and 9-6-2 overall. They will be back in action when the MCC tournament kicks off on October 21st.

Burlington, IA -- October 10, 2007
Alyse LaHue

St. Ambrose traveled to Burlington tonight to take on Iowa Wesleyan in the second half stretch of conference tonight. After an unusually hot day at Augustana on Sunday, the weather dipped to its coldest point of the season and kept the Bees cool throughout the first half.

The Bees were unable to break through the Wesleyan defense in the first half and the game remained 0-0 at the half.

The second half saw a much improved St. Ambrose side and they continued to attack Wesleyan and get shot after shot on goal. Finally the deadlock was broke when defender Krysta Schmitt was able to put away a 30 yard free kick around the 70 minute mark. Iowa Wesleyan was unable to get any good shots against the Ambrose defense and the Bees lead never seemed in doubt. The game would end 1-0.

The win puts the Queen Bees as sole leaders in the conference race, being the only team without a loss at 4-0-2. In other conference action tonight Clarke beat Ashford 2-1 and Viterbo gave Grandview their first loss of the season with a 3-0 win at home. The Bees will play Clarke on Saturday at DSC fields in Davenport for a 1pm matchup in one of their final 2 crucial conference games. Viterbo will follow next week.

Rock Island, IL -- October 7, 2007
Alyse LaHue

The Queen Bees traveled to Rock Island to take on cross city rival Augustana on an unusually warm October day. The Bees came out ready to play but suffered difficulties getting into a rhythm on the Vikings’ turf field.

It would be St. Ambrose that would find themselves creating the best opportunities on goal for much of the game, while the Bee defense led by senior Lindsey Guerin, juniors Krysta Schmitt & Sam Cohen, and sophomore Griffin McDonald, didn’t allow any good looks for the Vikings for much of the first half.

But Augustana’s height would benefit them during the second half when they were able to slip through the defense and pull out Bee keeper, Tootsie Maus, to head a ball over and into the net.

The Bees continued to press the attack but as time was winding town it seemed the Bees were going to suffer a loss in regular time to their crosstown rivals. With just 16 seconds remaining in the game, senior Amanda Wilford won a corner kick after breaking away down the right side of the field. A Shelby Van Gieson corner kick found defender Schmitt for a simple right foot volley that sent the game into golden goal overtime.

The Bees had some spectacular opportunities on goal in overtime play, especially a cross that found left mid Kate Gardner for a volley that just barely missed the net. But the day would end in heartbreak for the Bees after a Viking forward pulled out moves that put her one on one with SAU keeper Maus, who had little chance to save the blazing shot from just off the goal line.

The Bees take to the road on Wednesday to face Iowa Wesleyan in another conference match-up.

Queen Bees defeat UW-Platteville

Muscatine, Iowa -- October 5, 2007
Alyse LaHue

After a tie to Grandview College earlier in the week, the Queen Bees were looking to rebound with a win against non-conference foe UW-Platteville, and were able to do so in a dominating 2-0 win.

Both goals came during the first half from the hard work of right outside midfielder Brittany Ward. In the 15th minute junior Ward made a pinpoint cross to freshman Leigh Miller, whose hard work in the air forced a rebound to bounce off the keeper and into the path of Kirsten Perkins, who was easily able to blast the ball in from just a few yards out.

Just seven minutes later it would be Ward again who was dominating the right side of the field to fire a cross to senior forward Kari Petersmith who slotted the shot away to give the Bees a two goal lead going into the half.

The second half saw the Bees on the attack again and outside mid Leigh Miller would get a few chances that would slip just over the crossbar.

The Pioneers put together 20 minutes that found them coming at the Bee defense and manage to get a few shots off, but Bee keeper Erica Inendino would continue to hold the shutout.

Around the 80th minute, the Bees would get several good chances off corner kicks, but the two first half goals would be all they needed as they cruised to a 2-0 win over the Pioneers.

St. Ambrose draws 1-1 with conference rival Grand View

Muscatine, Iowa -- October 3, 2007
Alyse LaHue

St. Ambrose was facing one of its most important conference games of the season against Grandview College. The Bees knew this game was going to be extremely important in terms of the race to take the lead in conference play.

The Queen Bees opened up taking complete control of their home field and putting Grandview on their heels in the opening minutes of the contest. But GVC would have the best early opportunity when they got a 1 v 1 with Bee keeper Tootsie Maus who came up with a phenomenal save to keep the score 0-0. Just one minute later, however, GVC got a break down the right side of the field and after a high cross, GVC was able to rise above the Bee defense to head away the first goal of the game.

In the 20th minute, SAU senior Amanda Wilford sent in a powerful shot that came off the bottom of the crossbar. Center midfielder Shelby Van Gieson picked up the deflection and found Wilford with a cross, but her header drifted just past the post. In their last chance of the first half, Queen Bee Denise Absil fired a low shot that went just wide right of goal.

With an urgency to tie up the game, the Queen Bees came out and put one away in just the 6th minute of the second half. A long throw-in from Amanda Wilford found the head of Kate Gardner who won a deflection and put the ball into the path of teammate Deni Absil to slot the ball away.

The game would continue to battle back and forth and neither team would be able to pull off the win in regulation.

Overtime was a battle as the ball went from end to end with each team getting quality shots on goal. The best for the Bees came after they were able to pull out the GVC keeper and Lindy Shaw caught a good look at goal but it would slip just barely left of goal. After two 10-minute overtimes, the Bees would end up with their second conference tie of the year.

This finish leaves the MCC conference race wide open for the coming weeks.

Bees knock off Region VII 5th ranked Judson

Muscatine, Iowa -- September 27, 2007
Alyse LaHue

St. Ambrose pulled off a stunning come from behind victory against Judson College in Muscatine today.

The first half was a back and forth battle between both teams looking to control the pitch, but neither team was able to find the back of the net, leading to a 0-0 score at halftime.

The second half saw much of the same as the first except for the Queen Bees finding a few more looks at goal. But it would be Judson who put the first point on the board in the 64th minute after a wayward ball found its way to the foot of Judson midfielder Samantha Vestal. With St. Ambrose unable to apply pressure soon enough, Vestal blasted a 30 yard shot that was impossible for Bees keeper Erica Inendino to get a hand on.

It was a depressing momentum shift for the Bees who had been on the attack for most of the second half.

But like we have seen in so many games during this season, the Bees have a penchant for willing themselves to score when facing adversity. In the 79th minute of the game, Amanda Wilford provided a long distant throw-in that fellow forward Kari Petersmith was able to get her head on. A Judson deflection put the ball in the path of a blazing Alex Schulz down the left side and with a one-touch blast Schulz put the Bees on the board.

A minute and a half later, Petersmith was able to get off a right side cross that found Wilford for a header on target. The Judson keeper had to dive to keep the ball out of the net, but her deflection was again into the path of Schulz who had no trouble slotting the ball in the net from close range.

The Bees were able to hold off a final Judson onslaught in the remaining minutes to seal off the 2-1 victory.

On Saturday, the Bees will travel across state to play Waldorf College in a Conference match-up at 1pm.

Queen Bees tie Ashford in a late game stunner, 2-2

Clinton, Iowa -- September 25th, 2007
Alyse LaHue

The Queen Bees traveled to Clinton, Iowa, to face the Ashford Saints for their 3rd conference match-up of the year. They faced a much improved Ashford side that proved they were willing to defend their home field.

Under pouring rain in the first half, the Queen Bees suffered from lost touches and misqueued passes. Ashford got the first shots off when they were able to pull Bee goalie, Tootsie Maus, out from the net for an open shot on goal. But due to Kate Gardner’s flying heroics in front of the net, the Bees were able to deny Ashford finding their way onto the scoreboard. Their next attack came shortly after and this time an SAU communication error was able to help Ashford find their way to a 1-0 lead.

The stunned Queen Bees were able to tie up the game after the Ashford goalie bobbled a low 25 yard shot from last week’s MCC Player of the Week Amanda Wilford.

This tie would carry both teams into halftime and finally see a break from the rain.

The second half would test the Bees with another miscommunication error that Ashford easily took advantage of to take the 2-1 lead. But proving their resilience towards the end of regulation games, the Queen Bees kept fighting towards the Ashford goal. The Bees were able to get many shots off but under the wet conditions were not able to connect fully on many of them. Midfielder Kirsten Perkins provided one of the best connections when she headed a corner kick just over the crossbar late into the half.

In a late game stunner, similar to what the Bees provided at Carthage, St. Ambrose was able to pull off the 2-2 tie with only seconds left on the board. This was provided off the right foot cross of flanker Kate Gardner finding Wilford with a pinpoint pass for the header goal.

Two 10-minute overtimes would prove to be not enough time for either team to pull off the important conference win.

The Queen Bees face Judson College in Muscatine at 1pm on Thursday, September 27th, in non-conference action. After last seasons game against Judson was called early due to lightening, the Bees are eager to get a chance to face them again.

Queen Bees play strong at William Penn, win big MCC game

September 22, 2007
Angela Sirna

The St. Ambrose women’s soccer team matched up against William Penn Saturday as part of their conference campaign. The Queen Bees won the game with a score of 3 to 0, and showed some great skill from the beginning of the game, attacking from the outside and creating scoring opportunities down the middle.

The first score on the board was a ball kicked by Junior Captain Krysta Schmitt to fellow Captain Amanda Wilford, who drove the ball home. The Queen Bees doubled their score shortly after that with a pass from Shelby Van Gieson to Wilford, who made the score. “It was great to see the midfield and forwards combine so well,” says Coach Mannall. “It is so important for us to really start getting our timing and understanding right at this time of the season. That was good to see.”

At the end of the first half the Bee’s third goal was made by Kari Petersmith, which was her second score of the conference season. The second half of the game started and ended with a score of 3-0, and the game would finish with a great save by SAU’s keeper, Erica Inendino. The Queen Bees take on Ashford University on Tuesday, September 25th for another conference game.

Queen Bees drop close decision to Carthage 2-1

Kenosha, Wisconsin -- September 19, 2007
Alyse LaHue

The Queen Bees traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, today to battle against a strong Carthage College team holding a 5-1 record on the season.

The Bees have suffered losses to Carthage the last several seasons and were hoping this would be the year they would turn it around on the Lady Reds’ home turf.

The first several minutes saw bona fide chances for each team as Carthage forced Bees keeper Tootsie Maus to make a diving save to keep them off the score board in the first minute.

The Bees came right back in the 5th minute after Alex Schulz sent Amanda Wilford a beautiful pass up the center of the field which set Amanda Wilford up for an open look at goal which slipped just left of the net. This would be the best opportunity for the bees in the first half of play.

Carthage were the first to strike in the 31st minute when their #14 midfielder snuck past the Ambrose defensive pressure and found a teammate for an open look from the left side, which required only a one-touch shot to slip past Maus in goal.

The second half was a physical battle for both sides that culminated in an unfortunate set back for the Bees when Carthage was able to put away a shot on the left side in the 75th minute.

With 3 minutes left in the contest the Queen Bees bounced back to life and took complete control of the field after left-back Griffin McDonald found Amanda Wilford on a diagonal run to the corner. Wilford used her speed to get past a defender and slot one in at close range through the Lady Red keeper’s hands.

The Bees continued to high pressure the Lady Reds in the closing minutes of the contest in a last-ditch effort to equalize the boards. Their chance came with one minute remaining when Wilford was brought down in the top of the box. What should have resulted in a Bees penalty shot was instead called for a free kick on the edge of the box. Shelby Van Gieson took a great kick on goal but it was collected by the opposing keeper. This would be the last chance for the Bees as they ended with a hard fought 1-2 loss.

The Bees fall to 2-5 on the year, while Carthage increases their wins to 6-1.

St. Ambrose travels to Oskaloosa, IA, this Saturday for a conference contest against William Penn at 1pm.

Queen Bees win Conference opener

Muscatine, IA -- September 18, 2007
Alyse LaHue

The Queen Bees had a very strong showing in their season Conference opener against Mount Mercy, defeating the Mustangs 5-0. On their home field in Muscatine the Bees were able to build to a two-goal halftime lead, on account of the best possession game they have shown this season. Along with the majority of ball possession, the Queen Bees were also able to get off more than 30 shots during the game. Forward Alex Schulz provided the most threatening offensive punch for the Bees on the day accounting for 1 goal and 2 assists.

The Bees first arrived on the board in the XXth minute when midfielder Shelby Van Gieson volleyed in a cross from Lindy Shaw. The Bees followed up in the first half when 2006 Midwest Classic Conference Player of the Year Amanda Wilford was able to find midfielder Kirsten Perkins, who let off a 30 yard blast that found its way high into the net after the Mount Mercy keeper came off her line. First half goalie Tootsie Maus was able to collect a few unthreatening saves to finish off the first 45 minutes of play.

The Bees came out strong again in the second half looking to pick up where they left off, but Mount Mercy found an opening that made second half SAU keeper Erica Inendino come off her line to make two monumental blocks. This was the most threatening moment of the game for Mount Mercy. The Bees regained control and never looked back. Alex Schulz made a smart run from the goal line to set up Kari Petersmith for the 3rd goal of the game. The fourth goal was created from a backline run from defender Sam Cohen who had a perfect cross to forward Alex Schulz who half-volleyed the goal into the back of the net from 10 yards out. The final goal was another cross from Schulz who found a blazing Lindy Shaw running from the right midfield position to run the ball into the back of the net.

The Bees are now 1-0 in conference play (2-4 overall). They will be heading to Carthage College (Kenosha, WI) tomorrow for a non-conference contest. Carthage has won the last several meetings against the Queen-Bees in recent years and the Bees hope to turn that around in Kenosha.

Queen Bees fall to Illinois Institute of Technology

(09/05/07)

In their second home game of the season the Queen Bees were unable to answer 2 first half goals by Illinois Institute of Technology.  It turned out to be all the Scarlet Hawks needed as they closed out the game with a 0-2 win.

The Bees responded to the challenge at the start of the second half as they pounded the Hawks back into their defensive half of the field.  In a fairly dominant second half performance, the Bees were unfortunately unable to find reward for their work.  Right defender Sam Cohen helped the Bees in their offensive attack by providing great service up the line. Outside midfielder Brittany Ward was looking for the assist with her solid right side crosses, but the Bees were never able to put any of them away.  The intensity persisted through the second half with the Bees making every attempt to get shots off, but none of them found success.  A late handball in the box by IIT may have been the ice breaker the Bees needed to get themselves on the board, but the referee was not available for the call.

Along with their 1-2 loss in St. Louis against Missouri Baptist over the weekend (goal scored by Amanda Wilford), the Bees drop to 1-2 on the season.  The next challenge will come this weekend in their own St. Ambrose Tournament taking place in Muscatine, IA, September 8th and 9th.  The Bees will look to even their record Saturday against Robert Morris at 4pm, right after Grand View and St. Xavier meet up in the earlier 2pm match-up.  The Bees will then meet St. Xavier on Sunday at 2pm, following the Grand View/Robert Morris game at Noon

Queen Bees Play with Intensity, but Missouri Baptist had the Upper Hand

By Angela Sirna  (09/03/07)

The SAU women’s soccer team traveled to St. Louis, Missouri on Saturday, September 1st for their first away game of the season. The Queen Bees took on Missouri Baptist for their first game and although the ladies delivered a strong defense, Missouri Baptist had the edge by already having played a few competitive games already this season.

Missouri Baptist scored first in the 8th minute of the game, and the first half of the game was played with equal strength from both teams, battling it out in the middle of the field with little opportunity for Mo Bap or SAU to score. Eventually the home team was able to double their lead with a strike from the top of the 18. Although the Bees came back fiercely in the second half, and their intensity allowed them a score by a corner from Denise Absil, and the shot taken by Senior Amanda Wilford, the home team was able to hold their ground by one goal.

“The home side was a step quicker in the first half, and their previous games experience showed,” said Coach Mannall. “We lacked a little invention in the final third and did not capitalize on some of our possession, but we feel there were plenty of positives to be taken from the game and we hope to take what we have learned into another tough game on Wednesday.”

The SAU Queen Bees will be on the field again Wednesday evening at Muscatine against Illinois Institute of Technology.

MUSCATINE, Iowa  (08/30/07) 

The Queen Bees proved they were up to the test in their season opener against Calumet College of Indiana.  Under perfect weather conditions in Muscatine, the Bees had an easy handling of the under-manned Crimson Wave.  St. Ambrose pulled away to a 6-0 lead at halftime and were able to double that during the second half. 

The Bees were led by the offensive performances of Amanda Wilford with a hat-trick along with an assist, Alex Schultz offering her own hat-trick, Brittany Ward with a goal and 3 assists, Sam Cohen providing the Bees with a scoring threat from the defensive end with her 4 assists, and Shelby Van Gieson offering 2 goals of her own.

Other SAU scorers include Denise Absil, Megan Allen and Krysta Schmitt. A final assist was served up by Kirsten Perkins, The Bees ended the day with an astounding 39 shots on goal and 19 corner kicks, while the SAU defense did not allow Calumet any shots on goal or corner kicks.

The next test for the Bees will come this weekend when they take to the road for their first away game at Missouri Baptist in St. Louis, MO.  Matchup will begin at 1pm on Saturday, Sept 1st.

DAVENPORT, Iowa  (08/30/07)  With pre-season behind them, the St. Ambrose Women’s Soccer team looks forward to another competitive season with a conference championship in their sites.

Pre-season went well with few injuries and two competitive scrimmages against two good opponents that have set the Queen Bees on the right foot to get stuck into another very competitive schedule.

“This year the program has undergone a number of changes. The program has split its Varsity and JV programs; something that had to be done, and was very tough to do due to the large numbers of talented girls in the program. Additional support staff have been brought in and a generally different feel has covered the program.” Says Coach Mannall.

“We have always been competitive within our schedule but have just not had that edge to win some of the big games or take a conference title (The Queen Bees have been runners up in the MCC 4 years running). With this in mind we had to make some changes, bring a slightly different attitude, and create a different environment. This is something that the entire program has to feel and adapt to and hopefully as we start out the season we will see those changes.”

The Queen Bees return a host of talented performers from their 06 season. Amanda Wilford, Eldridge, IA enters her senior year as a team captain and hopes to help lead the group after her Conference Player of the Year performance in 06. Other returning players who hope to guide the team are Seniors Kari Petersmith, “Tootsie” Maus and Lindsey Guerin and Juniors Krysta Schmitt and Shelby Van Gieson.

“We are not going to look very different personnel wise this year, but we hope to see some big differences in the score books.”

“Overall there is an exciting feel about where we are right now …. Lets see where it takes us…”

DAVENPORT, Iowa  (06/06/07)  The Women’s Soccer program and head coach Jon Mannall are proud to announce the signing of Alex Hemmen of Rock Island, IL and Rock Island Alleman High School. Alex joins St. Ambrose after a successful high school season accumulating All Conference, All Metro and All Sectional honors while being a 2 year team Captain. Alex has also been a member of the Quad Cities United Soccer Club and had played under coach Mannall at the U16 Level.

“Our focus is always to attract the best of the local talented players here in the Quad City Area. In Alex we have a very versatile player who has all the tools to excel at the collegiate level. I have been fortunate to of coached Alex previously and know first hand what she can offer the team. She has developed into a leader on and off of the field and I predict a great future for her here at St. Ambrose.” Says Coach Mannall

by Amanda Trossen 

DAVENPORT, Iowa  (11/06/06)  St. Ambrose Junior, Amanda Wilford, was recently named Midwest Classic Conference (MCC) Player of the Year. In addition to receiving this honor, Wilford was also named to the MCC first team, along with teammates Martha Stork and Lisa Corkery.  Bridget Krajewski and Krysta Schmitt were named to the Second Team. Kari Petersmith, Denise Absil and Erica Inendino received Honorable Mention All-Conference honors..

Wilford first started playing soccer when she was just four years old, and she has been playing ever since. She acquired the passion from her dad who coached her in her younger years. As a fifth grader, Wilford began playing more competitively when some of the girls from her team invited her to play for the Quad City Strikers, and has continued to do so ever since.

Wilford’s favorite part about playing on a competitive team is that it takes everyone to be successful. So, while this honor is for her it has come as a result of the support from her team too. She was able to play at the level she did because of the communication and connection that she had with her teammates out on the field.

This connection was apparent during the first game that SAU played against Grandview.

“The game against Grandview sealed the deal for me, in a sense. It was the biggest and best game of the season, and we beat them for the first time since I have been here,” said Wilford.

After a scoreless first half, Wilford showed just why she deserved this title. Only three minutes into the second half she scored the first goal and a second one just a minute and a half later.

“The Grandview game was definitely my favorite memory from this season,” said Wilford. “After I scored the second goal, the whole team ran down the field and jumped on me in celebration.”

Wilford lead the conference in shots on goal (72), goals (14), game winning goals (4), and was fourth in assists (5). She was the MCC and Region VII Player of the week for the week of October 2, 2006. All of these things led to her being named to the MCC first team and MCC Player of the Year.

Making the conference team was one of Wilford’s goals going into this season. Coming off an ACL tear, that was a pretty lofty goal, but she accomplished it along with her other goals of staying healthy and remaining starting forward.

Even with these goals Wilford was surprised to receive this honor. Wilford ended out her season on a high note with this honor, yet she takes it humbly and will use it to motivate her next year.

“Being named MCC Player of the Year means so much to me, I never would have expected it, and I am really excited,” says Wilford. “I really hope that I can live up to it next year.”

Next year Wilford hopes to repeat these goals. She is also adding a few more including a repeat as MCC Player of the Year, winning conference as a team, and taking her game up yet another notch by scoring more goals.