After position change, Willenbring ignites Bennies’ offense

Even with a 2-0 MIAC quarterfinal loss to Concordia Moorhead, the College of St. Ben’s soccer team recorded many successes with the end of their season. A key contributor to the Bennies’ success is Lino Lakes native Abby Willenbring.

Willenbring was named the St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week on Oct. 23. During the season, the senior forward registered six goals and three assists. This included five goals in the final six regular season games of the season.

As a senior, she prides herself on being a selfless teammate on and off the pitch.

“It has been a privilege to be a leader for such an amazing team. I could not ask for a better group of seniors who make it so enjoyable to show up to practice and work as a team,” Willenbring said.

Head coach Steve Kimble changed the lineup mid-season, moving Willenbring from defense to forward. She has enjoyed the offensive aspect of the new position.

“Switching positions was uncomfortable at first. I played wing-back for three seasons, and I got myself into that mindset. I thought of it as the same position, just farther up the field,” Willenbring said.

Before her senior season, Willenbring sprepared for the CSB season by playing in a collegiate summer league with Division I and Division II athletes.

“The women’s premier league was a great environment this summer; it challenged me. I played against some of the best college players in the state of Minnesota. It was a great experience to play against athletes all over the country,” Willenbring said.

Senior and teammate Caralyn Conners praised Willenbring’s leadership and hard-working attitude.

“Abby is one of the biggest assets to the St. Ben’s soccer team. She is an adjuster and adapts to new situations; she has brought the team up when we were down,” Conners said. “She always leads by example [and] stays focused with her busy schedule that [includes] accounting and soccer.”

Conners reminisced about memories she made with Willenbring during her final season of collegiate soccer at the College of St. Ben’s.

“I would like to say how lucky I was to play with them (Willenbring and sophomore Mary Blaska) because it was such good soccer with those two. We were always on. A team bonding trip this year was the Wisconsin Dells trip; everyone seemed to click and draw closer to one another,” Conners said.

Connors believed that the MIAC game against St. Olaf was good for the team because of its fast-paced, competitive environment. She talked about how Willenbring is very well liked on the team. She brings everyone together through silent leadership.

“She is amazing and will lift you up. Willenbring is the funniest person on the team but also keeps to herself a lot. She is a rock to this team even though she doesn’t have the captain role,” Conners said.

She said Willenbring brings grittiness and a tenacious desire to win.

“She loves this team more than anything. I could see the grit on her face and the desire to win the MIAC quarterfinal. It inspired me to keep working and keep pushing,” Conners said.

Kimble talked about moving Willenbring to the new position of forward.

“We were trying to get more offensive production. Our team has been sharp and not needed more of an attack in the opposing team’s zone. The decision is to utilize versatility in players that can adjust and do well,” Kimble said.

Kimble discussed how Willenbring has developed throughout her four years in the CSB soccer program.

“When I watched her in high school, I wanted to figure out how she would fit into our team. She was moved to wing-back as a junior. She thought it was a crazy idea,” Kimble said. “Three years later, she is a senior and one of the top players in the region. She has grown tremendously and improved on being a vocal leader. Abby Willenbring is what you hope all of your players to be. She is leaving big shoes to fill; hopefully someone can step up.”

Kimble was very happy with how his athletes overcomed obstacles this season.

“We went through adversity, and they never threw in the towel. Not every group can say that: to have a team go through setbacks and fall down the hill. This group picked themselves off and picked up third place in the conference. I will remember that about this group forever,” Kimble said.