Your future, our focus
By Dan Chesnet
Belgrade News Sports Editor
When it comes to starting over, it won't get any newer than the road Sydney Heckel is taking.
The Belgrade High School senior recently signed a national letter of intent to play soccer at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo. this fall. The program is beginning its first season, and Heckel was one of the team's initial recruits.
"I'm really excited to start fresh," she said. "I'm really excited to start over and see what I can do there."
Heckel, 17, was a two-year starter and four-year varsity player at Belgrade, where she helped the Panthers reach the State Class A playoffs four times and win the state title as a sophomore. The 2007 squad went unbeaten at 14-0-1 en route to its second championship in three years.
This past season Belgrade finished with a 7-4-1 record and lost in the first round of the postseason.
Initially, Heckel wasn't having much luck finding a college program that was interested in her talents. But in late February Northwest coach Rob Hill contacted Heckel after viewing (online) the stats she had compiled as a member of the Belgrade Rage club soccer team.
"I was planning on going to MSU until Rob called me," said Heckel. "He just looked on there (the website) and emailed me. Then I went down there and got a try out.
"I was like the very first person to sign with them. This is their first year with soccer."
Following a weekend visit, Heckel signed with the Trappers on March 1.
Hill could not be reached before deadline for this story, but according to the school's website he will coach both the men's and women's teams this fall.
Hill most recently coached Cody High School's boys, which fielded six state championship teams during his nine year tenure. The Broncs lost just one match over the past two seasons, compiling a 33-1-1 record in that span.
Northwest is a two-year community college that will compete in Region IX along with Laramie County Community College (Cheyenne, Wyo.), Western Wyoming College (Rock Springs, Wyo.), Western Nebraska Community College (Scottsbluff, Neb.), and Otero Junior College (LaJunta, Colo.). The top four teams earn a place at the regional tournament, meaning the Trappers are already guaranteed a berth.
Heckel was recruited as a striker, a position she has shined at during the spring club season as one of the Rage's top scorers. But she was primarily a defensive player for Belgrade High.
"Her real value to her team in Belgrade was as a defender, outside defender, because she likes to attack. So she had the freedom to go," Belgrade coach Rich Brauss explained. "And another value that she has, because she's always fit, is as a defensive midfielder. But she's had a lot of practices playing as a striker in the spring."
Brauss added that Heckel is a "soccer player," meaning her versatility to play anywhere on the field will be a great asset at the college level.
"That's one of the values I think just about all the kids that play for me have," said Brauss. "Most of them, you can slide them in anywhere."
Heckel finished her prep career at Belgrade with three goals and five assists, including a goal and two assists this past season. She helped the Panthers post six shutouts and allow 17 goals in '09 after starting the season at striker then moving to midfield then defense.
Brauss noted Heckel's tenacity and desire to do well on the playing field.
"She has an extremely high work rate. You never have to worry about her being in condition," he said. "In a game, she plays with a lot of tenacity. She just goes after it."
Northwest is a 124-acre campus with five residence halls and nearly 900 students, while the city of Powell is similar in size to that of Belgrade. Heckel felt that the smaller school was a perfect fit athletically and academically.
"It looks great. It's a smaller school, a two-year community college," she said. "The teachers really work with you one-on-one, so then I'll get my education done really good too. I'm excited."
Heckel plans on studying elementary education and physical education. Then she hopes to move on to a bigger school, possibly in southern California. And she hasn't ruled out continuing soccer once her time at Northwest is over.
"He (Hill) thinks that I can play more soccer. So I'm going to pursue it as much as I can and go as far as I can with it," said Heckel.
Brauss has no doubt that Heckel will excel where ever she plays.
"I think Sydney will do just fine because you don't have to worry about her conditioning or her want for the ball," he said. "She's a tough kid."
Heckel becomes the second Panther from the 2009 squad to sign with a college program. Teammate Hannah Holland made her commitment to play for the University of Great Falls, an NAIA school, in late February.