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March 5, 2008
DeKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois women's soccer head coach Carrie Barker announced the completion of her coaching staff Wednesday. The first-year Huskie coach will be joined by new hire Jason Burr and previous assistant Merit Stloukal, who has been on the NIU staff each of the past two seasons. "I am excited to have my staff completed," said Barker. "Jason has many years of college coaching and recruiting experience. He knows Region II very well and is also very familiar with other recruiting areas. I have known Merit for many years both personally and professionally," said Barker. "She is a great teacher of the game and was a great player. I am extremely lucky to have her on staff." Burr comes to DeKalb after one year as women's assistant coach at Arkansas State where he helped the Indians improve 42 spots in the NCAA RPI rankings. Prior to his time at Arkansas State, Burr, who has a United States Soccer Federation "C" License, served as an assistant at Illinois State and was part of a staff that led the Redbirds to the Missouri Valley Tournament while eight players earned All-MVC honors. In addition to his responsibilities at ISU, Burr also worked as an assistant director of coaching for the Central Illinois Select Soccer Club in Bloomington, where he oversaw the boys soccer club with age groups from 8-16. Burr, a graduate of Austin Peay, began his career in 2001 as an assistant for the Western Kentucky University men's program. While there, the Hilltoppers earned Academic All-America Team honors as well as National Soccer Coaches Association of America "College Team Academic Award."
Following his stint at WKU, he served as the Head Soccer Coach for the Cincinnati United Premier Red (1989 Girls) team for two years. There, he took his squad to the State Cup Quarterfinals of the Ohio South Youth Soccer Association in 2005 and 2006. He also worked as a staff coach for the Ohio South Olympic Development Program in Cincinnati during that span and as the head coach for the Boys State Team and an assistant for the Girls State Team.
Burr spent three seasons as the women's and men's head coach at Thomas More College in Kentucky where he led the women's team to a 42-9-6 record during that time. In 2005, his squad advanced to the President's Athletic Conference Championship and guided the program to its first NCAA Division III Tournament appearance. During his tenure, Burr coached an Academic All-Region performer, six All-PAC players and four All-Independent honorees. Stloukal joins Barker and Burr after having spent the past two seasons coaching the Huskie goalkeepers. Over the past two seasons, Stloukal has mentored Lindsey Curnock, who shattered the school record for career shutouts with 16. In 2007, Curnock posted a goals against average of 0.53 while NIU goalies combined for a mark of 0.70.
Under Stloukal's guidance in 2006, Curnock, then a freshman, recorded seven shutouts, including a stretch of three consecutive shutout victories to help lead the Huskies to a berth in the MAC Championship Game. A St. Charles native and former Parade Magazine All-American, Stloukal led her prep team to state championships in 1992 and 1994 and a third-place finish in 1993 while posting a four-year record of 91-8-9 (.884) for the Saints. Following a decorated high school career, Stloukal went on to earn a pair of All-Big Ten honors at Indiana University. In addition to gaining a pair of All-Great Lakes Region accolades, she established school records for saves and victories while ranking second in shutouts. In 1996, Stloukal led the Hoosiers to the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. After completing her college career at Indiana, Stloukal protected the nets for the Chicago Cobras from 1996-2001 and was part of a team that was national runner-up in 1997 and national champion in 2000. Stloukal began her coaching career as a varsity volunteer and goalkeeper trainer for St. Charles East High School from 1999-2001. During the fall of 2002, she served as co-coach of the St. Charles Strikers' Under-13 Club squad, which accumulated a number of tourney titles and runner-up finishes. Her youth soccer resume includes working as the goalkeeper and team trainer for the Tri-Cities Soccer Club at various levels from fall of 2003 to the spring of 2004. From spring 2002 through 2006, Stloukal was the varsity assistant and goalie coach for the St. Charles North High School program which claimed IHSA regional titles in four consecutive campaigns with a second-place Class AA finish in 2004. -NIU- |
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