After a tumultuous offseason, the ISU women’s soccer

team is now without three of their top players.

All-Big12 goalie Joanna Haig, midfielder Renee de St. Aubin and forward Meghan Smith transferred to different Division I programs, all for “personal reasons,” said coach Rebecca Hornbacher.

Haig, who set the school record for shutouts in a season last year, joined the Louisville soccer program. St. Aubin scored six goals last season, second-best on the team and is now a Minnesota Golden Gopher at the University of Minnesota.

Smith saw extensive time during her freshman year, scoring three goals before suffering an injury midway through the year.

Senior Kate Kirwan said the only thing to do now is move on.

“Every team loses people either to transfers or to graduating seniors, so it’s just something you just have to accept,” Kirwan said.

Haig’s transfer hurt the most. In her two years as a Cyclone, she established herself as a vocal team leader and led the Big 12 in minutes (1763:06) and save percentage (.836). She had a goals against average of .97 and is currently competing with the U.S. Under-20 National team.

“It hurts a lot to lose her because she was a great player on the field,” said junior Erin Witte. “She knew how to direct people, and I mean she was an amazing goalie. But we wish nothing but the best for her and hopefully she does really well at her new school.”

The Cyclones now turn to true freshman Ann Gleason, one of the 75 best recruits in the nation, according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. Hornbacher has worked with Gleason, a Stillwater, Minn., native, as a coach for the Olympic Development Program, a training program for elite youth soccer players.

“Ann [Gleason]’s potential here as a Cyclone is just so high,” Hornbacher said. “She is an outstanding very athletic, dynamic, driven competitive young lady . She is right now playing at a very high level as a freshman, but school to college level would take an adjustment for Gleason.

“I am expecting a little learning curve from her, because, I mean, I expect that out of any freshman coming in – it’s just a different style of play,” Witte said. “I know Ann Gleason is going to show up and play her heart out, and we all have her back . She looks really good. She is definitely nervous in practice, which any freshman would be coming in with a bunch of girls, but she looks really well.”

Gleason embraced her role.

“I mean, it was really unexpected, but I’m really excited for it,” Gleason said. “The team did so well last year and to be able to come into a program that did that well and hopefully help it build even more, this year is really exciting for me.”

After the best season in the history of the program in 2005, the soccer program has been marked by controversy since then. Hornbacher was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in December and convicted during the spring.

All three transfers were unavailable for comment before press.

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