SWIC signs 6 players to roster

Looking to reload after a 12-6 season and a berth in the NJCAA Region 24 semifinals, Southwestern Illinois College women’s soccer coach Juergen Huettner announced Tuesday that six players have signed scholarship offers and will join the Blue Storm beginning in the 2016 fall season.

The 2016 season will be the third at SWIC for Huettner, who has once again landed several of the top high school players in the metro-east for the Blue Storm’s successful program.

“I wouldn’t say we have any superstars in this class but we have a nice mix of very good soccer players we feel will be able to come in and contribute to the continued success of this program,” Huettner said. “Added with the players that we have coming back from last year’s team we have a good group. I’m looking forward to the upcoming season.”

Among the Blue Storm’s needs were finding replacements for high scoring Alyssa Houck and one of the top defenders in Region 24 in Claire Stark.

In current Freeburg standouts Emilie Blomenkamp and Hannah Lehmann, Huettner hopes to have found those players.

Blomenkamp finished the 2015 season as one of the top scorers in the St. Louis area as she led the Midgets offense. Speedy and quick with the ability to put the ball in the back of the net, Blomenkamp finished the season with 25 goals and eight assists, good enough for 58 points.

“Alyssa (Houck) had an excellent two years here at SWIC and she’s moving on to play at Lindenwood University at St. Charles and they are obviously thrilled to be getting a player of Alyssa’s caliber. I think it’s kind of ironic that Alyssa played at Freeburg and now we’re getting another good player from Freeburg in Emilie,” Huettner said. “We’re looking for Emilie to be able to play on top for us. Whereas Alyssa was maybe perhaps more of a player who asissted more then scoring goals, I think maybe Emilie is more of a player who looks to to score more goals. She has the ability to put the ball in the back of the net.’’

While Blomenkamp will fill a need on the offensive side, Lehmann will be a key on defense as SWIC looks to replace Stark, who will play next season at the University of Missouri at St. Louis.

Lehmann is quality defender who can also add offense as she scored three goals and added four asssts for Freeburg a year ago.

Also signing with the Blue Storm are Andrea Dauphin and Emma Gregowicz, both from Belleville West; McKenzie Dixon from Civic Memorial High School in nearby Bethalto and Alana Giacoletto from Father McGivney.

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 4:17 PM with the headline "SWIC signs 6 players to roster."