NHS Soccer standouts Barkow and Stobbe sign to play in college

Madison Barkow

Niwot three-sport star Maddie Barkow knew she wanted to play soccer to the University of Northern Colorado since her sophomore year of high school. On Feb. 1, she made it official, signing a national letter of intent with UNC.

“The coach wanted me early on,” Barkow said in explaining her choice. “He believed in me after I tore my ACL during my sophomore year.”

Barkow gave veteran UNC coach Tim Barrera her verbal commitment while recovering from the injury two years ago, and never wavered.

“I looked at Portland early on,” Barkow said, noting that she also considered CSU during her freshman year.

She made an official visit to UNC this year and roomed with the current freshmen, which further solidified her choice. The Bears finished 10-8-2 last year, including a 5-4-1 conference record.

Barkow, who moved to Colorado in 2010 from Ohio, started playing soccer at age six.

At Niwot, Barkow excelled in soccer, starting on varsity as a freshman under Coach Rob Johnson, who attended her signing ceremony. Barkow had three goals and four assists and was eighth on the team in scoring. As a sophomore, she scored three goals and two assists in three games before her season came to an end. Last year she came back with a vengeance, scoring six goals, and leading the team with 10 assists.

Barkow is looking forward to her senior season, where she will play under new NHS Coach Stephen Dimmit, as Johnson now coaches Silver Creek. She also plays club soccer for the Broomfield Blast, where she has been coached by former NHS coach, Heather Solar, and Dave Castro.

While at Niwot, Barkow also made a significant contribution in gymnastics, and diving. She does not plan to continue with gymnastics, but is leaving the door open on possibly diving during her sophomore year. Her brother, Justin Barkow, graduated from NHS in 2016 and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention last fall at the South Dakota School of Mines.

Kailee Stobbe

When considering options for her post-high school soccer career, Niwot senior Kailee Stobbe had just one requirement.

“I’ve always wanted to go to school in Massachusetts,” she explained, signing a national letter of intent with Merrimack College on Feb. 1.

Stobbe became attached to the land of pilgrims and the Red Sox during summer visits with family, and has been determined to return to the commonwealth ever since.

“I’ve been looking at Massachusetts schools since freshman year,” she said.

Merrimack is located in North Andover, about 25 minutes north of Boston. An NCAA Division II school, its women’s soccer program competes in the Northeast-10 Conference, and finished 8-7-3 in 2016. Stobbe signed as a forward with the school, and looks forward to competing for a varsity roster spot as a freshman.

“It’s definitely a school where you have to earn your play time,” she explained. “I’m going to have to work for it.”

She is certainly no stranger to hard work. As a junior and starting striker, Stobbe led the Cougars to a 10-6 record last year, including a 6-1 conference mark. She scored 13 goals on the season, and ended with 31 points, the second highest in the Northern League.

Academically, Stobbe said she hopes to study either business or psychology at Merrimack, though she hasn’t committed to any field of study.

“I’ve thought about becoming a physical therapist,” she said. “I definitely want to give back to the community and help people.”

Stobbe said she fielded offers from other New England schools, and even some in Colorado, but ultimately chose Merrimack due to a combination of factors.

“I just really liked it there,” she said. “Gabe, the coach, is a good guy. The girls are amazing, and I love how they play their soccer.”