Colorado State University Athletics
New Faces Help Fuel Offense
10/3/2019 5:44:00 PM | Women's Soccer
FORT COLLINS, Colo. -Â As the Rams continue Mountain West play having already tied their best season win total (6-3-1, 1-1 MW), this team is showing a spark in its offensive performance thanks to the addition of some key new players joining the team.
Â
After finishing last season tied for the lowest output of goals and assists since 2014 (10 and seven), there was one key for coach Bill Hempen and his staff when looking for players to add to this team's roster.
Â
"We needed players with maturity," Hempen said. "It was late and coming when we got Kristin [Noonan] and Gracie [Armstrong] on board, but those two in particular have added a different kind of mentality and maturity to this team and have helped us take a step forward offensively."
Â
Senior Caeley Lordemann is carrying the load for the Rams this season with six goals and four game-winners – both standing as single-season records -- but sophomore transfers Kristin Noonan and Gracie Armstrong are helping add another element to the Rams offense with a combined six goals and six assists.
Â
"These two bring a different dynamic to our offense when we're in front of the goal," Hempen said. "Kristin is an athletic 5-foot-11 player with two head-shot goals, so that's something we haven't seen from our offense in awhile. Gracie came in with exceptional passing skills, and she has five assists, so being able to integrate these two has helped push our performance to the next level."
Â
Their addition has helped lead the Rams to 14 goals with 14 assists in 2019. Those are outside the norm for a CSU season, with 2017's figures of 26 goals and 21 assists, and this group has nine more regular-season games to chase them down. With the change in this year's offensive approach, the Rams are looking to turn up the heat and have their most successful season in program history.
Â
It's a tough role to transfer programs and try and make an immediate impact on a team, but Noonan saw this as an opportunity to make a name for herself and to shift the culture of this team onto a better course.
Â
"Having the opportunity to come onto this team and make an impact from the start is something special to me," Noonan said. "Everyone has been encouraging since I got here, and they believe in each other, so we've really come a long way and have tried to create a family environment."
Â
Noonan is right behind the Rams' leading scorer with five goals, but Lordemann -- whose single-season record of 13 points extends her career mark in the category (29) -- doesn't see it as a competition with her fellow teammates. Instead, the addition of these players has only helped take some of the pressure off of her and has even opened up more opportunities for the team to score.
Â
"I think the addition of our transfers has only made us more lethal and its changed our attack for the better," Lordemann said. "We've become a lot more dynamic on offense, and it's been a big improvement to our team by adding all these great players. I push them and they push me to play better so the competitive spirit out here is a different feeling and it's been nothing but great."
Â
The offense is surging this year, and the group is proving to be one of the best teams CSU has fielded. The addition of Noonan, Armstrong and freshmen Kaitlyn Abrams and Caroline Lucas has opened up more options to the scheme offensively, and this team is only looking to build upon that as they get ready to continue conference play on Friday with a road game at Colorado College.Â
Â
Â
After finishing last season tied for the lowest output of goals and assists since 2014 (10 and seven), there was one key for coach Bill Hempen and his staff when looking for players to add to this team's roster.
Â
"We needed players with maturity," Hempen said. "It was late and coming when we got Kristin [Noonan] and Gracie [Armstrong] on board, but those two in particular have added a different kind of mentality and maturity to this team and have helped us take a step forward offensively."
Â
Senior Caeley Lordemann is carrying the load for the Rams this season with six goals and four game-winners – both standing as single-season records -- but sophomore transfers Kristin Noonan and Gracie Armstrong are helping add another element to the Rams offense with a combined six goals and six assists.
Â
"These two bring a different dynamic to our offense when we're in front of the goal," Hempen said. "Kristin is an athletic 5-foot-11 player with two head-shot goals, so that's something we haven't seen from our offense in awhile. Gracie came in with exceptional passing skills, and she has five assists, so being able to integrate these two has helped push our performance to the next level."
Â
Their addition has helped lead the Rams to 14 goals with 14 assists in 2019. Those are outside the norm for a CSU season, with 2017's figures of 26 goals and 21 assists, and this group has nine more regular-season games to chase them down. With the change in this year's offensive approach, the Rams are looking to turn up the heat and have their most successful season in program history.
Â
It's a tough role to transfer programs and try and make an immediate impact on a team, but Noonan saw this as an opportunity to make a name for herself and to shift the culture of this team onto a better course.
Â
"Having the opportunity to come onto this team and make an impact from the start is something special to me," Noonan said. "Everyone has been encouraging since I got here, and they believe in each other, so we've really come a long way and have tried to create a family environment."
Â
Noonan is right behind the Rams' leading scorer with five goals, but Lordemann -- whose single-season record of 13 points extends her career mark in the category (29) -- doesn't see it as a competition with her fellow teammates. Instead, the addition of these players has only helped take some of the pressure off of her and has even opened up more opportunities for the team to score.
Â
"I think the addition of our transfers has only made us more lethal and its changed our attack for the better," Lordemann said. "We've become a lot more dynamic on offense, and it's been a big improvement to our team by adding all these great players. I push them and they push me to play better so the competitive spirit out here is a different feeling and it's been nothing but great."
Â
The offense is surging this year, and the group is proving to be one of the best teams CSU has fielded. The addition of Noonan, Armstrong and freshmen Kaitlyn Abrams and Caroline Lucas has opened up more options to the scheme offensively, and this team is only looking to build upon that as they get ready to continue conference play on Friday with a road game at Colorado College.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer2025 Soccer Experience
Thursday, October 09
Colorado State Soccer: Fout (L), Hagen (M), McGowan (R) (9/1/25)
Monday, September 01
Colorado State Soccer: Mia Casey (L) & Kate Dunne (R) (8/6/25)
Wednesday, August 06
Colorado State Soccer: Keeley Hagen Media (8/6/25)
Wednesday, August 06