By Keighla Schmidt
UWRF Sports Information

When it comes to professional athletics and defensive strategies the NBA has the "Hack-a-Shaq", the NFL has the "Randy Ratio", and the MLB has the intentional walking of Barry Bonds.

The WIAC women's soccer teams have their own defensive strategy when facing the Falcons, "Eliminate Eight." They're referring to No. 8, senior forward Sarah Carlson.

Not a bad strategy on their part when you look at her stats. Last season Carlson scored four goals and six assists in a 14-0 win. Those achievements make Carlson No. 1 in the country for NCAA Div. III for most goals scored in a single game, and most assists in a game.

"I try not to think about it," Carlson said about knowing the opponent's top defenders will be trying to stop her. "I just go out and play my game."

Carlson's "game" includes being the nation's No. 10 overall assist giver despite often times having three defenders on her.  

"All teams that do any type of research at all know they must find No. 8 at all times," said Sean McKuras, Falcon soccer coach. "She's crafty, now she gets as many assists as she does goals."

On the field Carlson's skills are sure to impress anyone. She's impressed her teammates, which was evident when the team won the WIAC title in 2003 and they awarded her the team's Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year award. It was Carlson's first year wearing a Falcon jersey. Again, as a junior in 2004, she was the team's Most Valuable Offensive player. Three times each season she was their offensive Player of the Week. They voted her as a co-captain for her final season.

"She's a very good leader on and off the field," teammate Jessie Olsen said. "She's easy to approach."

Teammate Hannah Tvedt and team manager Melissa Sills agreed with Olsen and said Carlson is a team player and looks to help the team rather than score goals to make herself look better.

Olsen said she is "definitely a play maker on the field."

Her team isn't the only one noticing. When in 2003 she was the team's Most Valuable Offensive player, she was the Co-Most Valuable Player in the WIAC.. Carlson was the WIAC's Player of the Week two times in 2003 and once in 2004. Carlson was named to the first All-WIAC squad in 2003. Again in 2004, for the second straight year in a row she was on the All-WIAC team.

People from out of state are even noticing her. A Twin Cities newspaper featured Carlson with a photo as a player to watch out for. At a University when the biggest and most prominent athletic news is often the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, this is something for her and the University to be proud of.

One person who also is definitely proud is McKuras. He said Carlson unselfishly finds a way to take control of the situation and win it all herself.  

"She has a great blend of tenacity and skill," he said.

Tenacity is one way to describe scoring the winning goal with 14.2 seconds left in the second over time in the game that eventually declared the 2003 Falcons as WIAC's champions.

The field is not the only place Carlson has tenacity.

When she graduated from Armstrong High School in Plymouth, Minn., in 2002 she was the class salutatorian. She has been named to the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll, which requires a 3.0 GPA, in both 2003 and 2004. In fall 2003, spring 2004, fall 2004, and spring 2005, every semester that she has been at UW-RF, she was named to the Dean's List, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.5.

Many people would guess that the most challenging part of trying to balance collegiate athletics and academics would be simply trying to keep up with both. Carlson doesn't see it that way.

She said the hardest part is missing classes; and going on away games when all the time spent on the bus makes it hard to concentrate and do work.

Typically college students are notorious for doing anything they can to sleep and get out of going class, so soccer would be a good excuse not to go to class. Carlson is not one of those typical college students. Being a student-athlete requires free time to be spent very wisely; she works to see the positive aspect.

"It's fun," she said. "It keeps me on a strict schedule. Plus it makes me work out."

"She's driven," McKuras said. "[Carlson is] one of the first at practice and one of the last to leave." She simply knows what it is she needs to get done when it comes to work and school and does it. She sees no other option, he said.

She does admit that sometimes it is hard to miss social events, but it is easier now in college than it was in high school. Also, at one point it was hard to make the decision to give up other sports to focus on soccer. However, she doesn't regret ever choosing soccer.

Through being involved in soccer she has learned more than just athletic skills. Carlson has learned things that she can apply to her future professional life working with young children using her communicative disorders major.

"I understand that everyone learns differently," she said. "You have to take a different approach with each person."

She plans on working in elementary schools as a speech therapist.

Being co-captain has also given her leadership skills. Carlson is responsible to help organize activities and, more importantly she adds, keep spirits up and get everyone going before games and practices.

McKuras describes her as the type of person who leads by example more than anything else. "She doesn't need to say or have anyone else say that she is a leader, she just is."

"Sarah's not a vocal leader, she leads by action and example" co-captain Gina Hawkins said. "So when she does say something you can take it to heart."

"She's a really good role model," teammate Olsen said. "She's just so positive."

McKuras said he can see that she is the type of player that her teammates want to emulate, and agrees with Olsen that she is a role model. Yet at the same time she's "one of the most humble athletes" he has coached.

As her final season begins Carlson is rumored to be named the WIAC MVP. Parallel to McKuras' description of humility she simply responded to the rumor with a bashful smile and quiet "oh, I'm surprised, I didn't know that, crazy."

That should come to no surprise to Hawkins who said even though Carlson gets a lot of the attention for scoring, she never brings it up, "she's humble, she realizes it's a team thing."

Since this is her last season, the team will miss Carlson in more than one way.

"Sarah is fun, she has spunk on and off the field," Olsen said.

"She's a fun player to watch," Sills added.

Teammates also said that Carlson's ability to handle constructive criticism and change how she plays to make the team better makes her very coach able and easy to play with.

When she admittedly expects no more from her team than she expects from herself, it's easy to see her teammate's point.

"Play their hardest, be committed and support each other," Carlson said.

Her teammates have the same expectations of her. Hawkins said that Carlson's leadership method of example, when she does say something to a teammate, they know that she wouldn't suggest it if she couldn't do the same thing.

"She's giving her all out there," Hawkins said. "Always 100 percent really focused and keeps going."

Hawkins said that Carlson somehow manages to manipulate her small 5-foot, 3-inch body, and do what she wants the ball to do. She said she wasn't a flashy or forceful player, but can use light touches to tap the ball just around the goalie.

"She always ends up with the ball at the end," Hawkins said. "I'm comfortable with her up there."

Hawkins described Carlson as consistent, and that she knows the team will miss that next year. McKuras agrees. "She's the complete package when it comes to a player," he said. "You can't replace it, fill it in, maybe, but not replace."

He was only partially kidding when he said he is "going to cry like a baby when the season ends."

The goal scoring and assists he'll miss for sure, but it's more than that he said. She's just a fantastic person who gives herself to other people anyway she can, McKuras said.

With the skills, the brains, and the drive what next in store for Carlson?

She wants to travel to Europe before getting a full time job. Either that or go on to graduate school and get her Masters degree to later teach in an elementary school. She said she's not exactly sure what's going to be next academically.

But there is one thing Carlson knows she wants to do.

"Win the WIAC again."

Sarah Carlson