Laughlin joins MSSU soccer from Missouri State

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August 4, 2012

Laughlin joins MSSU soccer from Missouri State

By Jim Fryar Globe Sports Writer The Joplin Globe Sat Aug 04, 2012, 12:18 AM CDT

Tiffany Laughlin, a junior midfielder, will join the Missouri Southern women’s soccer team this fall as a transfer from Missouri State.

Laughlin scored 17 points in two seasons with the Lady Bears.

The roster addition was announced by Alese Woolard, Southern women’s head coach.

Laughlin scored four goals during her freshman season at Missouri State. Last season, she had three goals and three assists, starting 15 of the Lady Bears’ 19 games.

An overtime header by Laughlin gave Missouri State a 2-1 overtime victory against Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal round. Missouri State finished the season with a 12-5-2 record.

“It just wasn’t the right fit for her,” Woolard said of Laughlin’s decision to transfer. “We had been interested in her out of high school ... a lot of people were.”

The 5-foot-8 Laughlin attended Pattonville High School in suburban St. Louis, twice earning first team all-state honors.

Laughlin was the Suburban North Conference rookie of the year as a high school freshman, when she had eight goals and 22 assists, earning all-state honorable mention. She had six goals and 23 assists as a sophomore, then 11 goals and 18 assists as a junior, when Pattonville finished third in the state tournament.

She led the Pirates to a state runnerup finish as a prep senior.

Laughlin will find familar faces on the Southern campus, including former Pattonville teammates Candis Clark, Samantha Zoltanski and twins Kelsey and Kacie Hulse.

Missouri Southern is returning 14 players from a team which finished last season strong. The Lions started 0-7-1, then recovered for a final 9-10-1 mark.

Southern was 6-2 in the MIAA and reached the championship game of the conference postseason tournament before falling to Central Missouri.

The Lions open the 2012 season on Friday, Aug. 31 at Missouri-St. Louis. Their home opener is on Friday, Sept. 7 against Southern Nazarene.

Woolard said Michelle Dimza, who completed her playing eligibility last season, will serve as the the soccer team assistant coach this season. Dimza, a three-year team captain, has been playing on a Premier League team based out of Seattle this summer.

Dimza was named the outstanding Missouri Southern graduate in the class of 2012. She received a bachelor’s degree in biology/pre-med with a 4.0 grade-point average.