The leading scorer on last year’s Adel-Desoto-Minburn Tigers girls soccer team has chosen to continue playing the sport at an in-state institution. Senior Izzy LaFollette put pen to paper Wednesday, signing a letter of intent with the University of Northern Iowa women’s soccer program. LaFollette ranked second in the Raccoon River Conference last spring with 19 goals scored, assisting on eight others.

LaFollette told Raccoon Valley Radio after the signing that she decided her junior year that she wanted to play collegiate soccer and admitted the process of recruiting was mentally exhausting. She adds it took an out of state camp to get one of Iowa’s Division I schools to notice her. “It was crazy that I went to a Univerity of Minnesota (soccer) camp and coach (Bruce) Erickson happened to be there,” LaFollette said, “I wasn’t looking to be recruited by any of the schools there, but it happened how I wanted it.”

LaFollette’s high school soccer coach knows a thing or two about the Northern Iowa program. Fifth-year head coach Kelsey Gaffney was a four year player for the Panther soccer program from 2009-2012 under her maiden name, Kelsey Dolder. Gaffney adds it’s a special and well-deserved accomplishment. “Izzy (LaFollette) is such a hard-working athlete, always looking to see what she can do better.” Gaffney said, “She’s super coachable and always spending extra time outside of practice working on different things from shooting to dribbling to her speed.”

The Northern Iowa Panthers women’s soccer team posted a 14-5 record during their latest campaign this past fall. The Panthers made it all the way to the Missouri Valley Conference championship game, falling 1-0 versus Missouri State on November 5.