Maria Goheen completes 2019 women’s tennis signing class
12/26/2018 1:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Heading into the summer of 2018, Maria Goheen was set to follow in her older brother and sister's footsteps and serve our nation by committing to play tennis as a four-star prospect at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
Carrying a 4.4 GPA, Goheen had the academic chops to excel at West Point, and as a 2-A Illinois doubles state champion, a singles state runner-up with a 35-1 record, and a two-time all-state selection, she had the tennis resume to match.
But when a partial hearing loss in her left ear prevented her from entering the academy, she began to look elsewhere for college opportunities. That's when she first heard about Montana from fellow Chicagoland Grizzly commit Olivia Oosterbaan.
"Originally, I didn't think (the hearing loss) was going to be a problem, but at the end of the day it did become a problem, so I started the recruiting process again, and I found a new home in Missoula," said Goheen. "I was excited to be pushed and do things out of my comfort zone, but that's something I'll be able to do in Montana as well."
"She (Oosterbaan) had committed before me so she said oh you should talk to (Grizzly head coach) Steve (Ascher). So I started talking to Coach Ascher, and she was very excited," said Goheen, who took a visit to Missoula in the fall.
"When I came out there, I just loved the atmosphere. The mountains were beautiful. You can't beat that environment. It will be a change. I'm really looking forward to that, and everyone I met there was very inviting and nice," Goheen added.
Ascher has completed his incoming class of 2019 with the addition of Goheen, who comes to UM as the No. 6 player in Illinois, the No. 16 ranked player in the Great Lakes region, and a two-time first-team all-state honoree.
The two-sport letterman (tennis and track) won a pair of conference championships for West Aurora High School on the tennis court and turned enough heads to earn a 2107 Mayoral Commendation at the IHSA State Girls Championship.
While her on-court accolades are impressive, that's only one reason why Ascher wanted to bring Goheen to Missoula to help lead the Griz back to the Big Sky tournament.
"Maria is a person of character. Here's a kid that wants to pursue excellence. And that's what we're looking for. She's inquisitive, she is mature for her age, and she wants it on a lot of different fronts: academically and athletically," Ascher says.
But the on-court honors don't hurt, and for Ascher, speak volumes about the kind of athlete she is.
As a three-year varsity tennis letterman, she earned third-team all-state singles honors following her freshman season and was named to the first-team in 2017 and '18. She was even named the Kane County High School Athlete of the Month in 2018. And in track, she took third place at state on her 4 x 800 relay team after winning sectionals her freshman year.
"I think she can run for hours and really grind. She's learning to be more aggressive with the points, but I love that she brings a lot of heart to the court and is going to force her opponent to beat her every time she goes out there. The grittiness is what I like, and I think she's a physical player," Ascher says.
Goheen carries a Universal Tennis Rating of nine and was ranked as high as No. 117 in the nation this season by tennisrecruiting.net. She trains year-round at the Naperville Tennis Club and posted an overall singles record of 75-3 from 2017-18.
Goheen and Oosterbaan will make the trip to Missoula from Chicago ahead of the 2019 school year in late August.
The Grizzlies embark on the most difficult schedule in program history on January 18 with a double-header against nationally ranked Washington State, and a nonconference battle with the Big 10's Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 20 in Missoula.
Carrying a 4.4 GPA, Goheen had the academic chops to excel at West Point, and as a 2-A Illinois doubles state champion, a singles state runner-up with a 35-1 record, and a two-time all-state selection, she had the tennis resume to match.
But when a partial hearing loss in her left ear prevented her from entering the academy, she began to look elsewhere for college opportunities. That's when she first heard about Montana from fellow Chicagoland Grizzly commit Olivia Oosterbaan.
"Originally, I didn't think (the hearing loss) was going to be a problem, but at the end of the day it did become a problem, so I started the recruiting process again, and I found a new home in Missoula," said Goheen. "I was excited to be pushed and do things out of my comfort zone, but that's something I'll be able to do in Montana as well."
"She (Oosterbaan) had committed before me so she said oh you should talk to (Grizzly head coach) Steve (Ascher). So I started talking to Coach Ascher, and she was very excited," said Goheen, who took a visit to Missoula in the fall.
"When I came out there, I just loved the atmosphere. The mountains were beautiful. You can't beat that environment. It will be a change. I'm really looking forward to that, and everyone I met there was very inviting and nice," Goheen added.
Ascher has completed his incoming class of 2019 with the addition of Goheen, who comes to UM as the No. 6 player in Illinois, the No. 16 ranked player in the Great Lakes region, and a two-time first-team all-state honoree.
The two-sport letterman (tennis and track) won a pair of conference championships for West Aurora High School on the tennis court and turned enough heads to earn a 2107 Mayoral Commendation at the IHSA State Girls Championship.
While her on-court accolades are impressive, that's only one reason why Ascher wanted to bring Goheen to Missoula to help lead the Griz back to the Big Sky tournament.
"Maria is a person of character. Here's a kid that wants to pursue excellence. And that's what we're looking for. She's inquisitive, she is mature for her age, and she wants it on a lot of different fronts: academically and athletically," Ascher says.
But the on-court honors don't hurt, and for Ascher, speak volumes about the kind of athlete she is.
As a three-year varsity tennis letterman, she earned third-team all-state singles honors following her freshman season and was named to the first-team in 2017 and '18. She was even named the Kane County High School Athlete of the Month in 2018. And in track, she took third place at state on her 4 x 800 relay team after winning sectionals her freshman year.
"I think she can run for hours and really grind. She's learning to be more aggressive with the points, but I love that she brings a lot of heart to the court and is going to force her opponent to beat her every time she goes out there. The grittiness is what I like, and I think she's a physical player," Ascher says.
Goheen carries a Universal Tennis Rating of nine and was ranked as high as No. 117 in the nation this season by tennisrecruiting.net. She trains year-round at the Naperville Tennis Club and posted an overall singles record of 75-3 from 2017-18.
Goheen and Oosterbaan will make the trip to Missoula from Chicago ahead of the 2019 school year in late August.
The Grizzlies embark on the most difficult schedule in program history on January 18 with a double-header against nationally ranked Washington State, and a nonconference battle with the Big 10's Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 20 in Missoula.
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