Talented freshmen making an impact
If asked to name players on the Colorado women’s soccer team, most people would name junior Nikki Marshall and maybe seniors Michelle Wenino and Alex Cousins.
But the future of CU soccer is in the hands of nine freshmen, two of whom have made quite an impact already this season – Kelly Butler and Kate Russell.
“One of the things that I really like about those two kids is that they have an instinct for the game,” said Bill Hempen, head coach. “They’re trying to figure things out on their own, as opposed to ‘coach where do I go now, coach what do I do now, coach what do I do now?’, so they have a real feel for the game that makes it real enjoyable for me.”
However, the relationship between these two young women doesn’t end on the soccer field. Instead, it continues every night when they return to their dorm.
“She is one of my good friends – we’re roommates so we spend a lot of time together,” Butler said. “We have fun. It’s a lot of fun.”
Though these two girls live in the same room, they come from two different backgrounds, in two different parts of the country.
Russell, an open-option major, is a local girl from Longmont, while Butler, a psychology/pre-nursing major is from Naperville, Ill.
Butler admits that while it is tough to be away from her family, she is not entirely secluded with her 21-year-old sister Courtney just down the road at the University of Denver.
“With the rest of my family so far away, it feels good that she comes out to all my games, is there to cheer me on and at least it’s a little bit of comfort,” Butler said. “She’s there for me whenever I need her.”
Russell said she was not planning on staying in the state for college, but everything kept leading back to CU.
“I’m really happy with my decision, and it’s so nice to have my mom nearby,” Russell said.
In fact, parents from her old club team have even made the journey down to Prentup Field to watch Russell play.
However, one person who hasn’t made the journey yet is her father, Gordon, who is in Iraq as a Navy captain working on naval intelligence.
Russell keeps in contact with her dad often, just as he has been keeping a close eye on her progress with the team. It Russell’s father that broke the news to her that she was the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week two weeks ago.
“My dad called me from Iraq,” Russell said. “He was like, ‘Congratulations,’ and I was like, ‘For what dad,’ and he was like, ‘Well you’re Big-12 Newcomer of the Week, you didn’t know?’ and I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ So it was really exciting and really cool that I got to accomplish something like that, so soon. It’s a really great honor to have.”
Russell has two goals and one assist this season and was the first Buff to be named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week since Nikki Marshall was awarded the honor in October of 2006.
Butler has had her own success this season, nabbing two goals and two assists, including the game-winning goal against Memphis on Sunday, giving the Buffs their fifth straight win.
Butler attributes much of her early success to her club playing days back in Illinois, as well as coming out to Boulder early to do summer school.
“I think it helped a lot because [my club team] practiced up until I came out here,” Butler said. “I came out here for summer school too, so I got to train with the girls out here for a month just before preseason. So that helped a lot.”
Coach Hempen said Butler and Russell were made for each other, with Kelly being a left-footed service player and Kate being a right-footed service player.
“Bill always tells us that we’re two pieces in a pie,” Russell said. “He says, ‘you guys are your counterparts,’ because we’re on opposite sides of the field.”
With all the success these players have already had so early, what has been the best lesson they have learned since joining the squad?
“Never ever give up,” Butler said. “Even when it seems like everything is going to be really hard for a while, it’s going to get better, and it has, so never give up.”
Russell’s answer was a little more about team policy.
“To be on time for everything and always dress the mandatory dress code,” Russell said. “I was like two minutes late to dinner one time and it was not a good thing.”
The future of the soccer program is in the hands of these two girls and seven other freshmen, but with the huge contribution that these players have already made, it seems like the future is looking bright for CU soccer.
“Each team develops its own personality,” Hempen said. “And those two right there along with Caroline (Danneberg), another freshman, this is eventually going to be their team, and the sooner they understand that and accept that, the better for the leadership as we go forward with our program.”
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ron Knabenbauer at Ron.Knabenabauer@colorado.edu.
