Crabtree, Blincow adjust to college game
Freshman fit into the team's aggressive system.
Published Sept. 15, 2008
It's always nice for a coach to have fresh talent to quickly infuse into his or her roster at the start of a season.
For soccer coach Brian Blitz, playing time is earned, and freshmen Kelsey Blincow and Jessie Crabtree are playing well enough to deserve theirs.
"They've earned it in practice," Blitz said. "Their work ethic is second to none."
As of Sept. 12, Blincow started two games and played a total of 224 minutes. Crabtree started once and has 157 minutes of playing time thus far. Blincow and Crabtree have slightly differing views about their minutes on the field.
"It's surprising," Blincow said after Friday's win against Vanderbilt. "But I worked for it, too."
Crabtree took an accepting stance with her playing time.
"I came in with an open mind," she said. "I was thankful if I did (play), and I was looking forward to the next three years if I didn't."
Despite Blincow and Crabtree's success in practice, both said there was a large difference from high school soccer to college.
"A total change," Blincow said. "It's a whole new atmosphere, a lot more intense and a higher level."
Blincow and Crabtree both acknowledged that the competition is much tougher from their days in high school. Blincow is from Lewisville, Texas, and was pivotal in Hebron High School's run to the Region 1-5A Championship in 2008. The Dallas Morning News named her the 2008 Dallas Area Girls Soccer Player of the Year and the District 6-5A MVP.
During her high school career, Blincow netted 98 goals, 21 in her senior year alone.
She has scored one goal thus far in college, against Eastern Washington.
Crabtree is from Marion, Ill., and is tenth all-time scorer in Illinois history with 142 goals. She also holds the Marion High School record for the most goals in a season with 44. Crabtree is a recipient of two-time all-state selections, and four-time all-sectional and all-conference honors.
But now both are taking time just to get used to the collegiate game.
"It's ten times as tough," Crabtree said.
Another encouraging aspect about Blincow and Crabtree is that they fit into Blitz's system. The Tigers play an aggressive 3-4-3 formation, making it crucial for the midfielders and forwards to be good defenders in the opponent's half of the field.
Blincow said she feels she has room for improvement in this department of her game.
It's one of the things I have to work on," Blincow said.
