Valparaiso University women’s soccer head coach John Marovich announced today that midfielder Michelle Mottonen will be transferring to join the reigning Horizon League champions from TCU and will be immediately eligible for the 2015 season, with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

“We are excited about Michelle joining our program,” said Marovich. “We knew Michelle from her youth club experience with the Eclipse ECNL team. My staff and I had the opportunity to spend time with her during this process and were very impressed with her character and her commitment to being a champion in competition, community and classroom. Valpo is a great fit for Michelle and she will fit into our team and style of play perfectly.”

Mottonen spent her first two collegiate seasons at TCU, appearing in 24 matches for the Horned Frogs and making seven starts. The 5’2” midfielder, who hails from South Barrington, Ill., gained experience playing against some of the nation’s best squads, as she appeared in six fixtures – including two starting assignments - against teams ranked in the top-25.

Mottonen played club soccer at a high level prior to the start of her collegiate career, taking to the field for the Eclipse Select Soccer Club. Mottonen helped lead Eclipse to first-place finishes in the U16 and U17 ECNL Challenge A Flight, and both squads went on to top-10 finishes at the national tournament, as the U16 squad finished sixth and the U17 team finished 10^th.  She also was a member of the U16 Illinois State Cup champions with Eclipse. Mottonen played two years of high school soccer as a freshman and sophomore for Fremd H.S., twice earning All-Conference accolades and picking up Second Team All-State recognition as a sophomore. She helped lead Fremd to a state semifinal appearance in the Illinois 3A state tournament.