Women's Soccer

AS A REDSHIRT SENIOR IN 2005: Spent much of the year rehabbing from a leg injury suffered in 2004 ... returned to the pitch in the NCAA Quarterfinals against Penn State.  

AS A SENIOR IN 2004: Team captain... started at center back in season opener at Cal Poly... took one shot on goal... fractured right leg in the 88th minute... injury required surgery and forced her to miss the remainder of the season.  

AS A JUNIOR IN 2003: Named to the Soccer Buzz West Region second team... a second-team All-West Coast Conference honoree... named to the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic and SCU adidas Classic All-Tournament Teams... honored by Union County (N.J.) as the Best Woman Athlete of the Year with the Joseph R. Lombardi Memorial Award... one of three players that started all 24 contests... played mostly in defense but saw time as the holding midfielder... has two assists on the season ... assisted on the team's fourth goal at San Jose State... assisted on breakaway goal at Virginia... anchored a defense that allowed only four goals during the WCC season.  

AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2002: Earned All-Tournament Team honors at the College Cup while being named the final four's most valuable defensive player... missed the match against Stanford while with the U.S. U19 National Team, winning the first-ever FIFA U19 World Championship in Canada... started 20 matches since returning and saw action in 22... sat out three matches (Cal, Florida, Oklahoma) due to fatigue and a left knee sprain... scored first goal of the season against San Francisco, knocking in the game-winner... moved to center back for last three games of regular season and remained there through the NCAA Tournament.  

AS A FRESHMAN IN 2001: Named to Soccer America's All-Freshmen team and earned third team rookie honors from Soccer Buzz... was also recognized as an honorable mention selection on the All-WCC team... named to the College Cup All-Tournament Team... scored from 30 yards out in the first half to lead Santa Clara to a 1-0 victory over No. 20 Wake Forest for her first collegiate goal... named to Soccer America's elite team of the week for her performance... added another long-distance score, this one from 40 yards out to even the contest at Stanford in the first half... scored first close-range goal against Portland in the 10th minute... added fourth goal of the season in the NCAA Third Round against Dartmouth... assisted on the game-winners in the NCAA quarterfinal, semifinal and championship contests... was one of two freshmen that started all 25 contests... finished with four goals and six assists for 14 points... was part of a defense that only allowed seven goals all season in the run of play with 14 shutouts.

NATIONAL TEAM EXPERIENCE: A member of the U21 U.S. National Team... has been a part of the National Team programs for the last four years... helped the United States capture the first-ever FIFA U19 Women's World Championship as a starter, as the squad went undefeated in six matches, culminating with a 1-0 win over Canada in front of more than 45,000 fans in Edmonton, Alberta... started as a defender at the 2002 CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament in Tobago, with wins over Suriname, Haiti and Costa Rica... was a member of the team that traveled to the Albena Cup in Varna, Bulgaria, with former Bronco Veronica Zepeda... started for the U19 team for two matches vs. Canada during the 2001 summer... competed with the U18 U.S. National Team at the 2001 adidas Cup in Houston... receives a teddy bear from mother on every NT trip.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played for head coach James Revel at Union Catholic Regional High School in Scotch Plains, N.J... Parade Magazine's 2001 High School Defender of the Year and All-American... also a two-time NSCAA All-American... also named the NSCAA, Star Ledger and Gatorade 2000 New Jersey Player of the Year...led Union Catholic Regional to two conference and three county championships as well as three appearances in the state sectional finals... scored 83 goals and registered 91 assists in her career, including 24 goals and 20 assists her senior season... club team, the PDA Dynamo, won the N.J. State Cup Championship four times... also played at guard on Union Catholic Regional's two-time county championship basketball team.

PERSONAL: Full name is Jessica Leigh Ballweg... born in Perth Amboy, N.J... daughter of Robert and Joan Ballweg... father played baseball at Colgate University... older brother Robert played soccer at Loyola College and James Madison University... majoring in English... earned D and E level coaching licenses during 2004-05 season.

Ballweg's Career Statistics