A Sunni Day

Published 5:09 am Thursday, May 6, 2010

DAYTON — Just one look, that’s all it took.

One visit to a camp at the University of Dayton was enough to convince the coaching staff that St. Joseph Flyers’ senior Sunni Clyse had the talent to play college soccer.

“I went to their camp last year where the coaches saw me and I got invited to come and be part of the team,” said Clyse who signed a letter-of-intent Wednesday.

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Clyse enjoyed a stellar career with the St. Joseph as she was named to the Southeast District Coaches All-District first team all four years.

Although she played midfield in high school, she is expected to move to a wing at the college level.

“They told me I’d be a winger because I’m not tall enough to play in the middle. I’ve played it, I’m just not used to it,” said Clyse. “I like midfield because I’m used to playing it.”

Clyse considered other schools including Ohio Wesleyan, Capital and Miami, Oh.

“I’m excited, but I’m nervous, too,” said Clyse. “I know there will be some of the best players in the country there.”

Dayton is a Division I program that went unbeaten in the Atlantic 10 Conference this past season for the first time and won the league title. The 14-0-5 record marked the first unbeaten regular season in school history.

Dayton earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and was one win away from qualifying for the Sweet 16.

While Clyse will be playing with a talented team at Dayton, her club coach Peter Underwood said she should fit in nicely.

“She’s right up there athletically with the best of them,” said Underwood who was a graduate assistant coach at Marshall and is currently an assistant at Montana.

“She’s got some work to do, mainly with her technique, but the one thing Sunni has always been able to do is learn quickly.”

Clyse plans to major in Biology.

“I’m not completely sure what I want to do, but with Biology I can go anywhere I want with it,” said Clyse.

Sunni is the daughter of Bobby and Sissy Clyse.