Dec. 16, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS - Bemidji State junior defender Tegan Moehn (Ramsey, Minn.) has been invited to a W-League tryout for the newest addition to the 37-team league in Minneapolis, Minn. Moehn is one of 48 players invited to the tryout to be held on December 21-22, 2005 at the Soccer Blast Facility in Burnsville, Minn.

“Its nice to have a player of that caliber,” said BSU head coach Jim Stone, “It really shows our progress as a program to produce players at that level.”

Moehn, who plays the center back position on the defense, is coming off her most productive season at Bemidji State. After being named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate All-Conference First Team, she became one of just two players to be named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Central All-Region First Team alongside Kari Torgerson.

This season, Moehn started all 23 games for a defense that has allowed just 0.89 goals per game. On the offensive end, Moehn also contributed, providing two goals and three assists good for seven points.

The W-League franchise for Minnesota will play its inaugural season in 2006 as part of the Midwest Conference which consists of eight teams including the Chicago Gaels, Cincinnati Ladyhawks, Cleveland Internationals, Fort Wayne Fever, London Gryphons, Michigan Hawks, and the West Michigan Firewomen. The Minnesota franchise was purchased by the Minnesota Thunder, which is the men’s professional soccer team in Minneapolis.

“The W-League is great for women’s soccer with the amount of high profile soccer players that compete,” commented Stone. “It will also be great for women’s soccer in Minnesota providing interest and great role models for young female soccer players.”

The franchise, still in search of a team nickname, will be coached by Danny Storlien who is the current athletic coordinator and boys head soccer coach at Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minn. Storlien’s Jefferson High team won the state championship in 2004, and he was also named the Minnesota State high school coach of the year.

The W-League is part of the United Soccer Leagues which is made up of Division I and II, PDL, and a Super-Y league. The W-League is widely recognized as the North America’s best women’s soccer develpment organization. The league gives the nation’s best high scool and college players the opportunity to play alongside established international players while maintaining college eligibility.

--bsu--