Feb. 6, 2008

BEMIDJI, Minn. - Bemidji State University soccer coach Jim Stone announced today the signing of 10 new additions to the BSU soccer program for the 2008 season. The incoming players have all signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Beaver program, and they include eight Minnesotans and two natives of North Dakota that will each begin their eligibility at BSU next fall.

Stone will look for his new recruits to help build on the nine-win season from a year ago, which included a berth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament for the fourth-consecutive year. The Beavers lost five seniors and three others from the team that fell to the University of Mary 1-0 in the first round of the conference championship.

The 2008 signing class includes one defender, one forward, three midfielders, one goalkeeper, and four others who could play multiple positions. This class marks Stone’s largest recruiting class since his first season with the program in 2002 when he brought 13 recruits to Bemidji State.

“We’ve tried to create a culture here of caring, taking care of each other and having a true family atmosphere,” Stone said. “I think these players were attracted to that when they visited here, so I think they are going to fit right in character-wise and personality-wise.

“The biggest strength of this class would be the athleticism. This group is really going to continue to make us more athletic. We’ve been trying to become more athletic and making it more of a focal point of our recruiting. We have also added a ton of depth to an already quality roster.”

• Kathryn Bjorge (D/M, Fr-HS); Prior Lake, Minn. (Prior Lake HS)

Named Prior Lake High School’s Defensive Player of the Year once...Was named the team’s MVP and was also named the Most Improved Player during her career with the Lakers...Earned all-conference honors as a junior and senior and was named honorable mention as a sophomore...Lettered all four years...Won the Missota Conference Championship once during her career...She also received honorable mention honors in track, while lettering one year...High school coach was David Graham.

Stone on Bjorge:
“We like the fact that she can play the ball with her left foot. She has good height, good length and she’s fast and strong. She’s not afraid to put her nose in there and have a physical battle with someone. She’s played at a very high level, which I really like a lot. She plays the way we like to play, she keeps possession of the ball. We’re very high on her.”

• Brianna Duff (M, Fr-HS); Ramsey, Minn. (Anoka HS)

Captain of Anoka High School her senior year...Was named all-conference twice...Named Miss Offense by her teammates her senior year...Lettered all four years...Her sophomore team advanced to the second round of the playoffs...Has the record for most letters ever won at Anoka High School with 18...Six in Nordic skiing, six in track, four in soccer and two in cross country...Most decorated athlete in AHS history...Was all-conference for four years in Nordic...Made all-state relay three years...Placed fifth at the Mesabi Open, which is the largest Nordic meet in North America...Captain for two years and team MVP...Was all-conference for five years in track, all-state four years, and was named MVP four times...Qualified for state in the 800-meter dash...Her 4x800 relay team placed second in state...Received an academic letter all four years...Senior Salute recipient...History Day state qualifier...High school coach was Paul Anderla.

Stone on Duff:
“She was a great player at Anoka. She has a lot of character as a person. She scored a lot of goals in her high school career and created a lot of assists. We’re excited to see what she’s all about on the field. We think she can give us a player that can be a really good outside mid or attacking player some day.”

• Kirsten Erickson (M/D, Fr-HS); Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS)

Played high school soccer for five years, and has played varsity for three years...Was on the 2005 team that qualified for state...Captain of the squad her junior and senior years...Named all-conference and earned the Maximum Effort Award...Also participated in track for four years...Currently on the highest honor roll...High school coach was Jeff Dejoy.

Stone on Erickson:
“Kirsten is extremely quick and fast, especially over her first five, 10 steps. She has great leg strength and can really crush a ball. She can use both feet. She’s very intelligent, very academic and has the ability to get up and down the flank for 90 minutes. We expect big things out of her.”

• Bethany Fluto (M/F, Fr-HS); Bemidji, Minn. (Bemidji HS)

Was the leading point scorer and tied for the team lead in goals her senior year at Bemidji High School...Named to the all-conference team...Played both hockey and track during her high school career...Awarded an academic letter and is on the honor roll...High school coach was Kelly Schoonover.

Stone on Fluto:
“In some ways Bethany reminds me of (former Beaver) Megan Wallner. We think Bethany has an incredible amount of potential. She is fast, strong and can strike the ball fairly well with both legs. She has spent a lot of time in our camps and clinics here and the more I was around her the more I liked her as a player and a person. We believe she is going to make great strides playing in a very competitive environment day in and day out. We are very excited about her future here.”

• Rachel Gustafson (M, Fr-HS); Ham Lake, Minn. (Blaine HS)

Lettered all four years at Blaine High School and was captain of the team in 2007...Won the team’s Varsity Bengal Award in 2007 for superb team dedication...Plays club soccer for the North Metro Fusion squad, which is a premier team that won the All-American Girls Tournament in 2007...Member of the 2003 State Tournament team...Earned one track letter at BHS...Won the student-athlete Distinguished Academic Achievement Award for three years...Maintained above a 3.6 GPA during high school...Lettered in soccer as an 8th grader at Meadow Creek Christian School...High school coaches were Johnn Schlichtmann and Tina Bross.

Stone on Gustafson:
“She’s played at a good level of soccer with her premier North Metro team. She was a captain at Blaine, which is a solid high school program. She has a good playing background, and she has good potential. She seems to be an all-around well-rounded player, and she will fit right into our program.”

• Abby Kjonaas (GK, Fr-HS); Fargo, N.D. (Fargo North HS)

Won the North Dakota Club Championship in 2003, ‘04, ‘05 and ‘07...Runners up in 2001, ‘02 and ‘06...Was part of the Fargo North High School team that won the state championship in 2006, and the second-place team in 2005...Was captain her senior year of both the soccer and swim team...Lettered in soccer, swimming and basketball...Was named to the Honor Roll and earned a letter in Delta Epsilon Chi...High school coach was Cordell Sinding.

Stone on Kjonaas:
“Abby comes from one of the best club teams in North Dakota. She’s played at a good level, and she’s won a state championship at Fargo North. She has good size, and she seems to have a mentality where she’s going to be willing to work and really improve as a goalkeeper. We expect her to push Sam (Samantha Ross) for playing time and make her a better goalkeeper.”

• Kari McAllen (M, Fr-HS); Fargo, N.D. (Fargo North HS)

Was part of the Fargo North High School team that won the state championship in 2006...Earned all-conference honors in 2007 while her team placed third in state...Earned letters in soccer, swimming and basketball...Was named to the Honor Roll while earning an academic letter...High school coach was Cordell Sinding.

Stone on McAllen:
“Kari is fast over a good chunk of ground, over 40-50 yards. She also has good size. The thing we liked about Kari is she really wanted to be here. Any time a player really wants to be here it’s a bonus. We think someday she could be a good player on the flank for us.”

• Kelly Pointon (D, Fr-HS); Woodbury, Minn. (Woodbury HS)

Played on the varsity soccer team at Woodbury High School that went 17-1-2 during the 2007 season...Earned a letter in her senior campaign...Named to the Academic Honor Roll in both 2005 and ‘06...Lettered in track her final three years...High school coaches were Pat Malicki and Bill Ebertz.

Stone on Pointon:
“Kelly is a very good player technically and is a very smart player. She played for probably the best high school program in Minnesota. She’s played at a very high level and she has experience playing with and against great players. We think that someday she can be a great player here, too. She’ll fit right into our program in terms of personality and how she interacts with everyone.”

• Briana Scanlan (M/F, Fr-HS); East Grand Forks, Minn. (East Grand Forks HS)
Scanlan’s East Grand Forks High School team went 16-3 her senior year and made it to the section finals, which was the furthest the team had ever gone...Holds the record for most points at EGFHS...Named team MVP her junior and senior years...Was all-conference her final three seasons...Named to the all-state team her junior and senior years...Lettered five years in soccer, six years in track and three years in basketball...Named Hardest Worker by her basketball teammates her sophomore and junior years...Earned all-conference honors her junior year and honorable mention her sophomore year...Made it to state in track her eighth grade, freshman and junior years...High school coach was Jessica Bina.

Stone on Scanlan:
“Bri was extremely successful in high school and had a lot of goals and assists. She helped East Grand Forks build a program from almost nothing all the way to the sectional championship this year. She’s been on varsity since eighth grade. She has a great work rate and we think she has the potential to be a good attacking player at this level and really add to our program. She’s one of the kids we are bringing in that we expect things from early. She’s also a lefty, which is a bonus.”

• Analey Skog (F, Fr-HS); St. Francis, Minn. (Meadow Creek Christian HS)

Played varsity soccer for five years...Named to the all-state team her senior year and was an honorable mention selection her junior year...Was all-conference her junior and senior years, and was honorable mention her sophomore year...Was a captain her junior and senior years...Her Meadow Creek Christian High School team won the conference championship all five years she played...Placed third in state her freshman year...Lettered in basketball and softball throughout her high school career...High school coaches were Karl Woerle and Todd Manske.

Stone on Skog:
“Analey has just an incredible work rate. She is very strong physically and is a good finisher. She was obviously an incredible goal scorer in high school. She has a lot of leadership capabilities. We really expect her to make a big impact on our program.”

-bsu-