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Years from now, if someone were to look up how the seniors of the 2010 Lady Knights soccer team did, they would most likely find themselves looking at some kind of stat sheet or form online. If that sheet included career totals, then they would see that the class of 2010 combined to score over 80 goals, earn over 80 assists, and win more than 60 games.
If they looked further, they would see how the Lady Knight’s won two conference championships and a district championship. They would see the 19 and 20 win seasons. However, no matter how much they looked or how many numbers they saw, they wouldn’t see the story behind those numbers, the story of seven girls, seven seniors, seven teammates, all preparing for different paths in life, who stayed together for one final season beforegoing their separate ways.
Meet the seven: Betsy Blanchard: a starting forward for the Knights who led the team in points her freshman year. Kelsey Hieb: A starting wing midfielder, Kelsey is the current points leader on the team. Bre Kinworthy: A starting forward, Bre has just come back from an injury that kept her out her entire junior year. Mo Murphy: Has played the same position her entire career at North as a wing midfielder. Becky Lackey: The Knight’s starting center midfielder. Becky was once a kicker for the football team at North. Cindy Lackey: Becky’s counterpart on the field, Cindy is the team’s sweeper. Jacy Waldrop: The Knight’s starter between the pipes has earned 22 shutouts in her career, but has never played club soccer.Of the seven, three have played varsity all four years, two for three years, and two have played for two years.
Of the seven, all have decided what school they will attend next year. However of the seven, only five will go on to play college soccer.
“They’re a good group,” Head coach Dan Hogan said. “They’re doing exactly what you expect seniors to do, which is lead. They’re gonna give you that extra effort seniors always have. They’re up there with the best we’ve had.”
With the season almost at a close, there is only one thing left for the seniors to do at North, only one thing left for them to leave their mark on: State. Two years ago they came close before losing to Hazelwood Central in the quarterfinals. Last year, all signs pointed to them going at least that far until they were shocked by Pattonville in their District final. So far this year, no time has been wasted. With 14 wins in 17 games, State is the team’s single focus.
What senior is going where? Who are the two who aren’t going to play college soccer? What’s in store for the Lady Knights? Their stories, along with their fate can be found in part two of the senior seven.
It was windy at the Lady Knights soccer practice last week. A storm-like cloud had covered the area all day, and with it came a wind strong enough to blow over a bench. Chaos reigned in the parking lot as track teams competing in GAC’s flowed in and got off their buses. Just past the parking lot, the varsity lady Knight’s soccer team was scrimmaging themselves on the left half of the upper field. The game: shirts against pennies toward goal, however nobody seemed to be taking things too seriously.
“Brittanaey, Brrrrittanaey, would you pass me the boll?”
Near the sideline of the field, senior Kelsey Hieb was checking toward the ball for a pass. Her accent was easily heard as she asked for the ball. Hieb, along with the rest of the seniors have been known for their British accents they use at practice.
“Those kill me,” junior Taylor Berra said. “That and their ‘Gagas’ that they say after everything, I love it. That’s my favorite thing about this team, how we can be so good but have fun at the same time.”
While Hieb has always known how to keep things fun for the Lady Knights, she also knows how to be good. After two years on JV, Hieb was moved up to varsity her junior year, and helped the team finish their 20-3-1 record with four goals and an assist. Hieb has also led the scoring this year with 13 goals and 5 assists in the team’s 16-3 record. Not far behind her is Bre Kinworthy, whose 10 goals and 8 assists is second on the team. Bre is a three year varsity player, however this is her second year playing after a broken leg kept her out last season. Both seniors will be going to Missouri Valley next year, an NAIA school.
“I think that will be a great thing for them,” junior Brooke Oostendorp said. “They’re good friends off of the field and that shows on. They’re always getting each others assists.”
Both Bre and Kelsey found Missouri Valley through their club soccer team, A.F.A . After a visit to the school and a talk with the coaches, both seniors agreed to play there. The decision on who to room with was the easiest choice in the process.
“I’m going to [room with Bre] because we’re like the same person,” Hieb said. “We play really really well together and we’re best friends.”
Back on the field play continues. The ball gets crossed in front of the net, it looks like they play will end with a goal until a girl with bright blond hair pulled in a ponytail heads it out.
“Good job Becky!” another girl with equally bright blond hair says.
Cindy isn’t used to not playing. Watching the practice hurt from the bench puts her out of her comfort level. Normally the team’s sweeper, she and her twin sister Becky have played varsity at North all four years in high school. Both of the girl’s have played soccer their entire lives on school teams or on their laundry list of club teams. Naturally, they knew that wherever they ended up playing college soccer, it would be together. After getting lots of early recruitment in their freshmen and sophomore years, both girls figured they would end up playing Division I soccer. After verbally committing to Eastern Illinois University and turning down offers from Iowa, Northwestern and Auburn, their dreamed seemed to be guaranteed to come true. However after the head coach at EIU jumped ship, those dreams seemed to go down with him.
“It still leaves a bitter taste in our mouth’s,” Becky said. “Iowa still wanted us, but they didn’t have any money left. They said we could walk on. but with us being twins, we needed money.”
Even though their Division I dreams we’re lost, both Becky and Cindy are still very happy about their college careers. Committed to a top ranked Division II school, University of Central Missouri, both girl’s received some redemption by getting the most money of all ten of the freshmen recruits there.
“That makes me feel a lot better,” Cindy said. “Like we know ‘Hey we’re the favorites right now.”
As complicated of a recruitment that the Lackey twins had, senior Mo Murphy’s recruitment could not have been any simpler. After one phone call, one visit, and a couple of practice games, Mo made the decision to become a Greenville Panther.
“It was actually kind of random,” Mo said. “Their coach called me, and we started talking about their program. We set up a visit and I ended up really liking it.”
A three year varsity player, Mo transferred from Duchesne her sophomore year and has played wing mid her entire time at North, although she admits sometimes she’d rather play up top. Mo will be going into pre-dentistry
“She’s really nice, and really talkative,” Berra said. “She works hard, but she always makes me laugh. I’ll miss her.”
Another hard worker is Betsy Blanchard. A four year starter for the Knights, Blanchard has led them since her freshman year, when she led the team in scoring. Blanchard is not however going to play in college, a decision she went back-and-forth on several times in the past two years.
“That was a decision I thought a lot about, cried a lot about. In the end, I decided I was more of an academic person. I want that to carry through college and not have [soccer] as a big distraction. But I know soccer will always be a part of my life. I’m sure it will manifest itself in one way or another. Maybe my kids will play, maybe I’ll coach. Soccer stays with you forever.”
Despite not playing soccer Blanchard will be headed to Utah State next fall. She plans to major in English and eventually work for a book publishing company.
Jacy Waldrop. The goalkeeper. The last line of defense. The last senior. Waldrop has played soccer, and goalie, her entire life. Even though she has played primarily played rec-ball in that time, she still leads the Knights with over 25 career shutouts and over 10 this season. Jacy will be attending Missouri S&T in Rolla, and will not be playing soccer either.
“I never really considered it,” Waldrop said. “I always had played soccer for fun.”
At practice the girl’s continue to scrimmage; after a couple more plays Head coach Dan Hogan stops the drill.
“Alright ladies, it’s nice to have fun, but it’s time to get serious. We have Ursuline, Washington and Oakville left and that’s it before…”
The girl’s listen. Time to get serious.
“I’m definitely gonna miss the seniors,” junior Stephanie Blanchard said. “They’re a fun bunch, I’ll miss them a lot, but I know they’ll all do great.”
