It is five weeks into classes at Iowa State, but for Caitlin Graboski, former ISU soccer co-captain, has a slight change in scenery.

The sophomore midfielder left Iowa State when the fall semester ended and is currently a student at Minnesota State University-Mankato, where she will play soccer in the fall.

The new school is just two hours away from her hometown of Woodbury, Minn., and Graboski said she did not feel comfortable at Iowa State, beginning as a freshman in 2010.

“I thought it would get better my sophomore year, being older, wiser and knowing more,” she said. “But it didn’t, and I just wasn’t happy or comfortable at ISU. So after the fall 2011 season, I decided I needed to make a change.”

Teammate Emily Goldstein said she saw the departure coming from a distance, and it was clear Graboski was not enjoying Iowa State as much as her teammates.

“It was kind of obvious that it wasn’t a good fit for her here because she was kind of homesick all the time, and she told all of us after one of our postseason workouts in the locker room,” Goldstein said.

Once she decided to leave the team, Graboski said she went through the recruiting process again and said she felt most comfortable at Mankato.

Being from Minnesota and a former high school player of the year, MSU-Mankato coach Peter McGahey said she was always on their radar and will be able to make an impact early.

“She’s a highly talented player but more importantly, a talent of character, and she’s going to have the opportunity to come in and help contribute right away,” McGahey said.

Mankato’s soccer program has climbed to one of the best in NCAA Division II, including a trip to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last season and Graboski said that played a roll as well.

When a team loses a starter like Graboski, it sometimes creates a big spot to fill in the starting lineup, but Iowa State coach Wendy Dillinger said it will be a lot easier because of her position.

“We’re deep; we’ll just make some adjustments, shift some things around and plug in the hole,” Dillinger said. “It’s not something that’s going to be devastating by any means.”

The Cyclones recently announced four recruits that would be joining the program in the fall that Goldstein said would also help fill the gap.

“We have a couple girls coming in that control that spot, and we have a girls on the team also that have been really working hard to try and get that spot so now that she’s gone, these girls will have an opportunity to be able to step up and showcase their talent in that spot,” Dillinger said.

Graboski scored just three goals over her two seasons at Iowa State, which will not cause a big discrepancy in that area for the Cyclones.

Even despite not having the college experience she was looking for, Graboski said the decision to leave Ames and her teammates was still tough and wished the best for Dillinger and her teammates in the future.

“The hardest part was leaving my teammates,” she said. “I think a majority of the girls were happy for me and supported my decision but it was still very difficult.”