Stieber signs to play soccer at Saint Mary's

There is a saying about good things being worth waiting for. If that's the case, Erin Stieber should end up being very happy about her decision to sign a soccer national letter-of-intent with Saint Mary's College on Monday.

"It took me three, four months to decide what I was going to do," said Stieber, a 2002 Carson High graduate and standout defensive player last year for Lassen College in Susanville, Calif. "I kept going back and forth. One day, I'd be going to Saint Mary's and not South Carolina. Then the next, I'd be going to South Carolina and not Saint Mary's. Finally, I just said, 'I've got to make a decision.'"

There's every reason to believe Stieber will be happy with her decision to pass up an offer from Coastal Carolina University and play soccer for a Saint Mary's, a program that offers an opportunity to play against top-level Division I competition.

"I went and watched them play. Division I is much quicker, faster-paced, and the girls are stronger," Stieber said. "But I think I'm ready. I'm glad I went to Lassen. That was a good step for me."

Saint Mary's went 8-8-3 overall last season, and even though the Gaels missed an invitation to the postseason, they faced nine opponents who were ranked in the nation at one time or another - including a 1-0 loss to No. 2 ranked UCLA. Lassen coach Ben Wade believes Stieber has the tools to play at that level.

"I thought that was the best situation for her," Wade said. "She knows the competition at Saint Mary's will be tougher than it would be at Coastal Carolina, but there's no question about it, she's a great player who has the athleticism to be a Division I student-athlete. She's fast, strong, powerful and she's incredibly coachable. She's everything a coach looks for."

The school's location in Moraga, Calif., was a major factor for Stieber in her final decision.

"It's closer to home, closer to my mother and brothers, and that's important," said Stieber, who was in Carson City over the weekend to watch the Comstock Shootout girls soccer tournament. "I also want a good education and one thing I liked about Saint Mary's is that it's a smaller school. There's only about 3,000 students and the student to teacher ratio is about 17-to-1, and I liked that."

Also at Saint Mary's, Stieber will be reunited with former Carson High classmate Allison Kop.

Both were standouts for Carson's Northern 4A championship team as a senior in the fall of 2001. In fact, Stieber's goal in the 78th minute lifted the Senators to their 1-0 win over Douglas in the zone tournament finals - but going to Lassen was a brand new ball game. With a team already loaded with forwards and midfielders, Wade immediately told her that defense was the place to be.

Putting her athleticism and superior foot speed to good use, the 5-foot-9 Stieber developed into a blue chip defender last fall, helping the Cougars post a 23-1 season record and No. 3 national ranking. Lassen's only loss came 4-0 against four-time champion Long Beach City in the California Community College tournament finals in December. Stieber was one of the top defenders in the state, according to Wade.

"We play a straight marking system in the back and we always put Erin on the other team's best player," he said. "Nobody scored against her all season, even in the state semifinals and finals when we played Cypress and Long Beach. Long Beach beat us 4-0, but none of their scores came from her mark."

Stieber, a business and marketing major currently carrying a 3.5 grade point average, said she may play as either a midfielder or defender at Saint Mary's.

"We'll see how things go when I get there," Stieber said. "I miss playing midfield, so I'm excited about having a chance to play there again. But I also like defense. It kind of grew on me."

By the way, not only did Stieber find time to play basketball at Lassen, she felt basketball did a lot to complement her soccer skills.

"That was the best part about Lassen, I got to play both sports," she said. "I've always loved playing basketball, and I definitely think it helped my soccer. I think every soccer player should play basketball. I think it helps your defense, agility your awareness, your speed, your tactics. Coach Wade likes us to play close when we mark a player, and I always had a hand on the other player, just like I do in basketball."

Stieber has three years of eligibility remaining since she redshirted her freshman soccer season at Lassen due to an ACL injury. She would have been eligible to play one more soccer season at Lassen, but Wade is pleased to see her move on.

"We just wish we would have had her for two seasons instead of just one," Wade said. "We'll definitely miss her. Both on and off the field, she's a class act."

Dave Price is a sports writer for the Nevada Appeal