BIEGALSKI SELECTED SECOND ROUND BY THE CHICAGO RED STARS, NWSL DRAFT

OAK BROOK (Jan. 23, 2020) – Lombard native, Camryn Biegalski, became the seventh Eclipse Select alumna drafted to play in the National Women’s Soccer League and the 12th alumna to be picked up by the Chicago Red Stars. Biegalski was selected in the second round, 16th overall in the 2020 NWSL draft on Jan. 16.

Camryn is ready for the opportunity to play in front of family and friends. “It gives me a chance to hopefully build a fan base with the people who coached me and watched me playing soccer growing up,” she said.

Biegalski joins fellow Eclipse alumnae Casey Short (2013, fifth pick – Boston Breakers), Vanessa DiBernardo (2014, 4th pick – Chicago Red Stars), Michele Dalton (2015, signed by Chicago Red Stars), Sarah Gorden (2017, 22nd pick – Chicago Red Stars), Kayla Sharples (2019, 26th pick – Chicago), and Hannah Davison (2019, 33rd pick – Chicago) as current members of Chicago Red Stars.

The defender began playing with the Eclipse Select Soccer Club back in 2010 and stayed with the club until she graduated high school and went on to be a four-year starter at Wisconsin in 2016.

When asked about joining the youth club a decade ago, Biegalski explained “I joined because I knew that in order for me to play at the next level, I needed to surround myself with the best coaches in the Chicagoland area and play with the best girls in my age group. I looked no further than Eclipse Select.” She went on to say “Eclipse taught me how to compete. They taught me to never be complacent and train hard everyday, but I shouldn’t be afraid of the competition, instead use it as motivation to keep getting better.”

Biegalski will reunite with Rory Dames, Red Stars’ head coach, for the first time since playing for him at the youth club level. “I am very happy to have Biegalski in Chicago,” Dames claimed. “I was very familiar with her as she grew up before our very eyes at the club. She accomplished a lot in her time as a youth player and continued that work ethic and success in college. Watching her develop as a player from her time with Eclipse and following her success through college has been a gratifying experience. She is a player that comes into the club with much to offer for our backline and I look forward to seeing how her career unfolds in the NWSL and for the Chicago Red Stars.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to be playing in my hometown with Rory as my coach,” Biegalski explained. “It gives me the chance to show (him) the player I have developed into. I know growing up, Rory saw the player I could be, but I wasn’t able to consistently be that player day-in and day-out. Now with him as my head coach, I will earn that trust and continue to develop.”

Camryn leaves Wisconsin as one of the most decorated players in a single season in program history. Second Team All-American (2019), First Team All-North Region (2019), Big Ten Conference Defender of the Year (2019), All-Big Ten First Team (2019), TopDrawer Soccer Team of the Week (2019), Big Ten Conference Regular Season Title (2019), NCAA Sweet 16 (2019), and Four Consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (2016-2019). She finished her career with two goals and six assists. As a youth player, Biegalski was in the ECNL Player Development Program for three years. She was an ECNL National Championship Qualifier in 2013 and NSR Gold Cup champion in 2012.