Edwardsville soccer player Hoelting signs with Millikin University

EDWARDSVILLE – Michael Hoelting has played a key role the last four years for Edwardsville's boys soccer team.

Hoelting, a goalkeeper, had an outstanding year for the Tigers in 2017, going 9-0-2 in goal with a goals-against average of 0.19 with 26 saves, nine shutouts (seven solo) and only two goals allowed on a team that finished the season 16-2-3.

Hoelting will now get the opportunity to continue his career as he signed a letter of intent to enroll at Millikin University in Decatur this fall; the Big Blue is a NCAA Division-III program and a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, a league that has Augustana College of Rock Island, Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Wheaton College in Wheaton and North Central College of Naperville among its membership.

“Just the atmosphere, a small-school feel – I really enjoy that kind of stuff,” Hoelting said of why he chose Millikin to continue his education. “There's good academics and the soccer will be fantastic.”

That Decatur is a short drive from Edwardsville also played a role in his decision. “That's kind of good for me so I can get back home and hopefully get to watch some Edwardsville games too,” Hoelting said.

Hoelting first came to the game thanks to his dad Ray. “My dad really first introduced it (soccer) to me,” Hoelting said. “I started to play and it was just enjoyable for me; naturally, I continued to play and that's where I am today.”

“It's fantastic,” said Tiger coach Mark Heiderscheid. “It's always neat when you can send a kid to play a sport in college and Michael's just been a great kid for our program here for four years, not only a good goalkeeper, but he's always continued to always be an outstanding citizen for us the whole time.

“He's been very loyal to the program and he's certainly made his mark; I think that if you look each year, he's had such progression. He's done a great job; I knew him as an eighth-grader coming in what he was going to mean to our program coming in the next year (the fall of 2014). Certainly he was fortunate to have a number of quality individuals that were older that he could use as role models for him, and in return, there's no question with him being a couple of seniors along with Alex Kehrer this year that I think they provided role models for our goalkeepers.”

Going to Millikin will be a great opportunity for Hoelting, both on and off the field, Heiderscheid believes. “It's really a quality school,” Heiderscheid said. “Michael's a good kid, a smart kid and you know, I think, for him, he certainly looks at it as a great opportunity in terms of his education, and I think it's a case here where kids have to look at the complete package.”

Hoelting plans to obtain a mathematics degree from Millikin before pursuing an engineering degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

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