She may only be a freshman, and this may only be her first year of playing collegiate soccer, but many have described Andrea Barklage as a leader on the women’s soccer team.

Barklage said she is “still kind of nervous” when asked how she feels about being a freshman on a starting line-up of experienced upperclassmen. However, she also said that she is adjusting to the competitiveness of collegiate soccer, which she described as “totally different” than the level of play at Incarnate Word High School.

At Incarnate Word, Barklage racked up numerous accolades. She was a first-team All-State selection all four years and was named the 2008 Class 2 Player of the Year and 2007 Missouri Defensive Player of the Year.

“I’ve played [soccer] all my life,” Barklage said, describing her reason for playing collegiate soccer. “I wouldn’t know what to do without it.”

Barklage chose Saint Louis University over Indiana, Tennessee, Purdue and Dayton, and, in doing so, made it a family affair. Her older brother, Brandon Barklage, plays for SLU’s men’s soccer team.

“It’s awesome,” Brandon Barklage said about his sister playing Division-I soccer at SLU. “Drea and I have been very close since we were very little. She’s done well with soccer over the years, especially in high school, but it’s great to be able to hear about and witness her success on the collegiate level.”

Barklage said she has played defense all her life, but head coach Tim Champion switched her to midfielder at the beginning of the 2008 season. Champion said she “filled the spot well,” but the freshman has since returned to defense. “She is the perfect center [defender] with the skill of a midfielder,” Champion said.

Senior teammate Lauren Olson described Barklage as confident, active and full of energy.

“As a player, she is very aggressive; she works hard, and that is what we value,” Olson said. “Every head ball is hers . whenever she goes up for a ball, you know she is going to come out on top.”

Barklage scored her first collegiate goal against Army on Sept. 5, and was named to the All-Tournament team. Barklage said the recognition was “a big surprise,” but Champion said he is sure that she is in for “bigger and better things” in the future.

“She brings a toughness and awareness to the field that you don’t see in most young players,” Champion said. “She is the player who hates to lose, and she will push through injury and fatigue.”