Klammer weighing transfer options

It’s hard to believe that it was just about a month ago that junior forward Mia Klammer was putting together a brilliant offensive season that had the Saint Rose women’s soccer team on the verge of reaching the NCAA Final Four.

Klammer’s exploits on the field this past fall established her as arguably the best player in Division II women’s soccer. And after leading the nation in points (53) and tying for first in assists (17) as well as maintaining a career 3.47 grade-point average over the course of her career, she was named the Division II Player of the Year and Scholar Player of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches.

So, it comes as no surprise that many schools, both Division I and Division II, expressed interest when she entered the NCAA transfer portal on Dec. 4 after Saint Rose announced it was closing at the end of the academic year.

“As soon as I went into the portal there were about 20 messages almost instantly,” Klammer said. “It’s such an honor to have all these schools reach out to me and to have all these options to choose from. … I just need do what’s best for me.”

Though the incredible amount of interest from other schools is flattering to Klammer, it doesn’t change the fact that she’s only leaving Saint Rose because she’s being forced to. Klammer has been very vocal about her love for the school, her professors, her teammates and her coaches. And since the school’s announcement on Nov. 30 that it would close at the end of the academic year, she and her teammates have been reeling. From the emotions of hearing the news just hours before losing to Adelphi in the East Region Final on Dec. 1 to the stress of entering the transfer portal amid final exams, the month of December has been a challenge to say the least.

“It’s overwhelming,” Klammer said. “You have expectations from so many people telling you where you should go. And then, schools reaching out and trying to find the best place for you and trying to find a new home when you didn’t want to leave this one in the first place. So, it’s been extremely stressful.”

For assistant coach Morgan Farnan and other members of the Golden Knights’ coaching staff, their goal has been to try to help players like Klammer, who were so happy in their environment, deal with the reality that they must move on. “It’s kind of tragic,” Farnan said. “Because they don’t want to leave. So, we’re just trying to help them face this adversity

Thom Kendall/UMass Athletics