Soccer player is one of only two college recruits

OGDEN — To compliment the defending Big Sky Conference Champions, Andre Luciano, Northern Arizona (NAU) head women’s soccer coach, has added Saint Joseph Catholic High School 2009 graduate Jennifer Beaudoin, to the NAU squad. The squad finished a 12-7-3 finish last fall, with the best record in school history.

Luciano only added two recruits to her squad this year, the other being Laura Johnson from Gilbert, Ariz. The NAU Lumberjacks from Flagstaff, earned a trip to the 2008 Women’s College Cup after winning the Big Sky Conference and the team’s recent success has largely been due to the recruiting of Luciano signing two top-rated classes over the past two offseasons.

Beaudoin excelled as a three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and track at Saint Joseph. In soccer and track, she was a three-time All-state and All-region player. She led the Jayhawks to a Utah State Soccer Championship during the 2008-2009 season. She totaled 54 goals and 65 assists as a four-year starter and a two-year captain under Alexis Salvo, Saint Joseph soccer coach..

"Jenny is quite a unique soccer player you don’t find everyday," said Salvo. "It is not only to have the skills, in any sport, but you have to understand the game. She has those qualities.

"In soccer, we say, she has the soccer brain," said Salvo. "Many players have the ability, but they don’t have the soccer brain, which you need along with the skills in order to be a super soccer player. That is what makes her a great soccer player and a champion."

Beaudoin and the Saint Joseph Jayhawks won the 2008 State Championship with 18 wins and one loss.

"We only lost to Bonneville, a 4A State Championship team," said Salvo. "Jenny usually played center half or forward. As center half, she was the heart of the team. She distributed the ball, and was in charge of making the moves and making things happen. That is a key position.

"She was also one of three team captains," said Salvo. "Jenny’s leadership was very important, and contributed to the overall success of this team. This was a very good team. I have coached her for the past four years. I am sad that she is going, but I am happy for her because she is ready to continue to contribute to NSU. She will be playing on such a solid team, which will be great for her. I think she will do well on that team because Luciano plays the same passing game we play here."

Beaudoin moved to Utah from Tulsa, Okla., the end of her eighth- grade year. She said she also played volleyball in Oklahoma.

"I started playing sports right away," said Beaudoin. "Saint Joseph Elementary School has a track team, so I started running there. But soccer is my favorite. I like to play sports because it is something to do and a way to make friends. We have always been close, and that is why I like it.

"I came from a different state, and I didn’t know anyone, and the best way to get to know people is through clubs," said Beaudoin. "That is how I met my friends who have been my friends for a long time, especially in soccer.

"All of the sports I play help keep me in shape for year round, and help me in soccer," said Beaudoin. "I run hurdles in track."

Beaudoin said she looked at the universities in the Ogden and Salt Lake City areas, but decided she wanted to go out of state.

"I met Coach Luciano at the Regis University Soccer Camp, in Denver, Colo., and he talked me at that time."

Luciano is quoted as saying Beaudoin is a player we identified as being more of a utility player in terms of playing either in the back, in the midfield, or as an outside midfielder.

"I went on an official visit and stayed with some other girls on the team, and looked and the campus, and I liked it," said Beaudoin.

"I actually play all over the field," said Beaudoin. "In high school I play center mid, but in competitive soccer I play forward and mid, and anywhere they need me to play.

"In a game I have made six goals, because in a hard-fought game you usually only make one or two goals," said Beaudoin. "Games that are not evenly matched the goals are typically higher. You have to make sure you are making the right decision versus the easiest decision."

Kathleen Beaudoin, Jenny’s mother said, "When we were transferred back to Utah from Oklahoma, we enrolled Jenny in Saint Joseph so she could be a second generation graduate. She went to Catholic schools in Tulsa. I basically grew up in Ogden.

"She has been recognized as a Standard Star in the Standard Examiner because she placed first three times in region last year in track. But NAU selected her for her academic excellence as well as for her athletic ability on the soccer field.

"Jenny wanted to go to college out of state, but not too far," said Kathleen. "So Flagstaff was perfect for her. She received the first Division 1 sports scholarship that a Saint Joseph student has received."

Beaudoin said she might want to be a lawyer, but may still be undecided.