Ruckman commits to SBU

In soccer, the sweeper is typically a fast, tough individual that is the last line of defense for the goal keeper. The sweeper dictates the game’s tempo, breaks up opponents’ breakaways and acts as a a coach in the backfield, directing teammates to attack or stay back through great vision on the field.

Halee Ruckman, a four-year letterman in soccer, has played that role to perfection for her tenure at Smith-Cotton High School. Ruckman’s quickness and leadership elevated the Lady Tigers to 17 shutouts last year, and her efforts and skills on the soccer field punched her ticket to play collegiate soccer.

On National Letter of Intent Day, Ruckman committed to play soccer for the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats, a renowned Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association school that typically boasts one of the top ten defenses in the nation.

The transition of adapting to collegiate soccer will be a tough road, but according to SBU coach Ben Wade, Ruckman will be relied on from the get-go to make an impact on next year’s team.

“First off, we did not sign anybody to sit on the bench. We had a small recruiting class but a very talented one,” Wade said. “But we were especially impressed with Halee first hand. She’s very feisty and extremely aggressive and those are the players we want.”

“She has that commitment to play hard, and that’s the type of player that can make an impact right away and is a treat to coach...She has the qualities of a great defender. It’s really hard to find a great defender out there with all the intangibles, but Halee provides that because she plays with heart.”

Ruckman’s commitment to play at SBU was not a difficult choice. The senior sweeper attended a three-day camp at SBU in July and she loved the campus and coaching staff.

“I went to visit the campus and loved it,” Ruckman said. “It was a three-day camp and I got to play in front of the coaches and it seemed like a great fit for me. They liked what they saw and on the spot, they gave me an offer to play for their team and it seemed like an easy choice.”

Ruckman will look to make an impact on a squad that finished 9-6-3 last year, and had the second lowest goals allowed in the MIAA.
Ruckman’s winning attitude and leadership should carry over to the Bearcats, and she’s excited to showcase her skills on a grander level. But with the excitement of her future collegiate soccer career now etched in stone, Ruckman still has some unfinished business left at Smith-Cotton with the spring soccer season looming.

“Back-to-back conference championships is first priority for me and this team,” Ruckman said. “To win districts would be next, especially after losing last year in the championship, 1-0. If we can just keep focused, we should be in great position to have postseason success.”