Greetings Johnnies!
Well, we are almost two months into the new era & things have been rather busy! In the best way possible.
Recruiting:
From a recruiting perspective we are flying… Since early January, I have watched more than 100 club soccer games. Events including ECNL Florida, Shattuck St Mary’s College showcase, Minnesota Utd Winter Showcase, Colorado Rapids ID Weekend, Minnesota Thunder Academy College Showcase, ECNL Las Vegas, Gretna Elite ID Camp, Sporting Nebraska College Search, numerous club friendlies, & the opening weekend of the Midwest ECNL Conference.
It's all paying off & we are close to finished with our blue-chip recruits for the 2025 class! We won’t release names yet, as we will do a full class release in mid-April. However, what I can share is that we currently have double digit commitments, with the majority of them coming from very strong Elite Club National League teams like Saint Croix Academy, Minnesota Thunder Academy, FC Dallas, & Sporting Iowa. Others are coming in with academy experience in Sweden, Spain, Barcelona Residential Academy AZ, & MNUFC. As well as one of the best players in Alaska & a few of the top EA players in Minnesota.
The 2025 team will have a youthful feel to it, with 50% of the squad being rookies… but the rebuild is well on the way & I am excited about the incoming group.
Thank you to the alum who helped with this & spent time connecting about the Johnnie network & career prospects. Your willingness to help future Johnnies continues to make this place truly different. For live updates on recruiting, etc. simply follow our Instagram @Johnnie_Soccer.
The current squad:
The landscape of NCAA DIII soccer has changed significantly since our playing days. Gone are the days of the Spring being essentially a non-soccer semester. There are less restrictions & we actually started our spring training segments on January 20th. We are extremely lucky to have the domed turf where we can play 11v11 & structure full training sessions. Nobody else in the MIAC has this with our level of access! So, currently the guys are getting after it with team lifts, morning conditioning, & then a few staff led training sessions per week. Overall, the group is adjusting well. As expected, it’s not for everyone… some are a little resistive & the environment might be too much for them. But most are competing & pushing standards that will move the program forward.
We will keep practicing, lifting, playing all the way through to the end of April. Mark your Calanders! April 23rd is our final Spring date where we will play Saint Cloud State in an exhibition. The game will be played at the St. Ben’s soccer stadium with a 4:30pm KO.
Prior to that, April 12th is our alumni game! KO is set for 11am in Collegeville. You are more than welcome to come check out the 2025 Johnnie squad!... cheer from the sidelines or see if you’ve still got it. But please sign up using the link below so we can get organized. We’ll plan on a happy hour after the game in St. Joe.
Staff update:
We are very close to finalizing our full staff. The hope would be that by the end of the month, we will have hired and announced our new full-time assistant. We also recently came to an agreement with Evan Siefken ’25 who will be joining the coaching staff as the Head Goalkeeper Coach. He’ll be a massive addition as he looks to pass the baton on to a young talented GK. Evan has been one of the best keepers in NCAA DIII & USL2. We know he has a lot of experience & knowledge to pass on.
Jason Anhorn has also proven to be a great asset to the staff & team. He will be staying on as Assistant coach where he will primarily support the first team training & game day squad. I feel extremely positive about the staff we are building.
Thank you again for your support of the program. I look forward to connecting with you soon at the alum game, a happy hour in the Twin-Cities, or a game this Fall.
More messages to come, but as always if you want more live updates on what is happing with Johnnie soccer… follow us on Instagram or X / Twitter
Go Johnnies!
Tudor Flintham
Director of Soccer - Head Soccer Coach
Saint John's University
PHONE: (503) 686-3638
EMAIL: tflintham@csbsju.edu
INSTAGRAM: @johnnie_Soccer
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