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Club connection
tflagstad@journalnet.com
POCATELLO -- When freshman Noelle Sanders started practice with the Idaho State soccer team last week, the Orem, Utah, native was already familiar with several of her new Bengal teammates. They had been her teammates in the past, as well. Sanders is one of seven players on the Idaho State roster who played for the Orem-based Celtic Storm Soccer Club in high school. Five of those seven are in their first or second season with the Bengals, so Sanders didn't have to worry about not knowing anyone when she moved to Pocatello.
"It's really nice because you just feel already connected with some of the girls," she said, "and it's really easy to get used to it." Freshmen Ashley Askwig and Megan Stainbrook, sophomores Crosby Joyner and Karissa Henage, junior Jana Boehler and senior Kilee Quigley joined Sanders in exchanging the Celtic Storm's four-leaf clover for a Bengal paw when moving on to college.
While the club kinship certainly helps the players settle in, it also benefits the Bengals. With 10 newcomers on the 2008 roster, quickly forming a cohesive unit wasn't a given. The past connections forged in the club ranks helped speed up the process.
"It helps a lot, actually, especially in this first week when we haven't all played together," Boehler said. "There's groups of us that have played: The people from last year at ISU and the people from Celtic Storm. ... When you have a couple groups, the groups can come together instead of each individual having to come together. It helps a lot to get us going faster." Boehler played on the maiden version of the Celtic Storm when she was 12, and she later teamed up with Quigley before both decided to be Bengals.
While those upperclassmen didn't play with the freshmen until they arrived in the Gate City, the club tie still pays off. "It is a good bond, and we know we've come from a good club where we've all worked hard," Boehler said. "We've learned how to play soccer all in the same way, and it's really helped us."
Idaho State coach Allison Gibson doesn't hesitate to look at the club while recruiting. In the 2008 signing period, the Celtic Storm produced 18 college players, which was actually down one from the year before. According to the club's Web site, only three other programs in the country churned out as many Division I products in 2007.
With the connections Gibson has formed with the club, chances are that Celtic Storm alumni will continue to trickle into the Idaho State program. "I like the way they coach, the style," Gibson said. "They demand a lot of their players; fitness is big. They train very hard, so it's those other qualities that I look for in a program. They produce good, solid soccer players that are committed."
Based on last season, Celtic Storm alumni certainly fit that description. Boehler and Quigley started all 18 games for the Bengals, with Boehler leading the team with six goals and Quigley anchoring a midfield that controlled most games.
After starting the season on the bench, Henage took over as a starting middle defender early on and rarely came off the field while starting 13 games. She scored two goals from her backline position. Joyner tallied a goal and an assist while making 16 appearances, including three starts. Askwig, Sanders and Stainbrook will have a chance to provide similar contributions in their freshman campaigns, particularly with the familiarity they have with their former club teammates. "It's really nice knowing a lot of the girls and being able to relate with them," Joyner said. "It helps them settle in as freshmen being able to know someone and relate to someone that's already been here playing." By Tim Flagstad
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m roth wrote on Sep 7, 2008 1:24 AM: