On September 10, 2010, Cal Poly women’s soccer hosted the North Carolina Tar Heels on a clear, late-summer night.
 
Observing closely from the sidelines was then high school junior Elise Krieghoff who watched the Mustangs battle the No. 1 team in the nation at the time.
 
Who would have guessed that night that the high school standout scouting from the sidelines would become one of the greatest offensive threats in the nation three years down the line on the exact same field?

Coach Alex Crozier did guess, and he guessed right.

GETTING TO KNOW ELISE KRIEGHOFF Sibling Sports Involvement Elise’s older sister Emily played basketball all four years in high school and her younger brother Ross plays soccer at the local community college. Parents’ Athletic History Coming from an athletic family helped shape Elise’s competitive nature.  Her father played basketball in high school and both parents stressed the importance of athletics. Best Move On The Field Delivering the ball to the outside with her back to the opposing team’s goal. Best Kept Secret About Soccer • Creativity! “A lot of my creative juice has been used up in soccer and I try to keep some for school, but soccer’s just such a good sport where you can really do whatever with it.  There’s no plays, no tricks unless it’s a kick or something but soccer is a sport where you get to see what you can do and what you can do with the ball or without it.  That holds a great deal of creativity on the field.  That’s where I find a lot of my creativeness.” Favorite Moment at Cal Poly Comeback win versus Long Beach State  “There’s one game in general that I’d love to relive just because it was a great game against Long Beach last year when we were down 2-0 at halftime and came back to win 4-3.  That was such an exciting moment for my team last year.  That’s something that you don’t really get unless it’s against a big opponent or a Big West Conference game.  It’s kind of hit or miss with those.  The feeling of knowing that I did everything possible to help my team win that game and help in any way I could, I just felt like there was such a great sense of pride in that moment.  I wish I could relive that.  I wish that happened every game."

 
Now in her sophomore season as a Mustang, Krieghoff currently ranks fourth in the nation in goals scored per game with a 1.10 average – and ranks seventh in the nation in points per game with a 2.30 average with 11 goals scored in 2013.  On pace to break the Cal Poly record for goals scored in a single season that stands at 15 and potentially the Big West Record (25), one of the nation’s most potent weapons hopes to use the momentum to vault Cal Poly’s soccer program onto the national scene.
 
It all began on that night in 2010, the night that would heavily influence Krieghoff’s decision to become a Mustang and to join Crozier’s program.
 
After the UNC game, coach Crozier told Krieghoff that he was ready – he was ready to have the left-footed phenom play for his Mustangs.
 
“[Crozier] said, ‘Whenever you’re ready just call me and let me know you want to come.”
 
Just a few weeks after Krieghoff watched Cal Poly put up a fight against the Tar Heels at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, she too was ready.
 
The weekend before Thanksgiving break Krieghoff had gathered with her family and a group of friends for dinner at the Held residence – the party included former high school teammate, Kacey Held, who just so happened to be in her freshman year at Cal Poly.
 
While Held says that she knew Cal Poly was Krieghoff’s favorite from the beginning, the elite club soccer player was planning to wait to make her official decision until after the Surf Cup tournament in San Diego, a platform for collegiate recruitment, in order to see if any additional schools would express interest after another opportunity to see her play.
 
“During the dinner, we discussed the pros and cons of each of her options and obviously my family and I were hoping she would take the Cal Poly route,” said Held.  “After a while [that night], Elise [Krieghoff] kind of just decided that Cal Poly was the school for her and there was really no reason to wait. Right then and there she called Alex [Crozier] on speaker phone and committed.”
 
“That moment was kind of just a relief for me but, at the same time a big celebration – knowing that I [was] going to continue my career and that I [was] going to continue it at a great place,” said Krieghoff.
 
Fast forward two years and the Big West Conference named Krieghoff Freshman of the Year in 2012 for her efforts in her first collegiate campaign.  The forward led the league with 11 goals and in points per match with a 1.47 average.
 
“We’re just getting better and better everyday and connecting more and building more chemistry on the field where team goals can happen.  I’m really just honored and blessed to be on such a team that allows me to do that.”
 
The chemistry Krieghoff mentions, is chemistry unique to Cal Poly.
 
As a freshman in high school Krieghoff began receiving looks from schools all over the country including UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, West Virginia, Vanderbilt, and USC.  Knowing she wanted to remain in California eliminated the out-of-state schools, and her desire to make a significant impact on a program led her to the Big West Conference.
 
Krieghoff initially believed she would be a UC Irvine Anteater.  However, after that plan did not pan out, Krieghoff began to focus on the opportunity that Cal Poly’s program presented to have an intimate relationship with “the players, the coaches and the environment that surrounds the school.”
 
“When I committed to Cal Poly I knew exactly what was in store for me.  Having Kacey [Held] as one of my key resources really helped me be successful.  I’ve never been so happy being in San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly because of it.”
 
Held, two years Krieghoff’s senior, presented a unique opportunity to the Fresno native by offering her hospitality: whenever Krieghoff could visit San Luis Obispo, Held’s door was always open.
 
“I’ve known [Held] almost my entire life, and seeing her come to Cal Poly and have such success academically, and socially and on the field, I felt like, ‘Wow I could really do that at Cal Poly as well.’”
 
Held has owned her own success as a Mustang totaling five career goals, nine assists and 19 points.
 
“I was proud that I was the avenue to help Elise commit to Cal Poly,” said Held, “but in all honestly, the school [and the program] sells itself.”
 
“Crozier does a really good job of picking players that will build chemistry on and off the field together.  This team is a really close-knit team and I can’t really say that about other programs,” said Krieghoff.
 
So aside from Cal Poly’s chemistry, and Held’s unwavering support, what sets a player apart and catapults them to one of the best in the nation?
 
There’s the fact that Krieghoff was a two-sport varsity athlete all throughout high school playing both soccer and basketball; two sports in which she excelled enough to receive offers from schools that would allow the multi-talented athlete to pursue basketball while some promised collegiate careers on the field.  Krieghoff names the fitness and cross training from her days on the court as tools that allowed her to improve as a player on the pitch.
 
There’s the fact that she has the skills to deliver the ball to the midfield as her back faces the opposing goal, a skill that Krieghoff names as one of her greatest strengths.
 
There’s the fact that Krieghoff wants to pursue soccer more than anything else.
 
“I never get tired of it.  I found a true love for soccer and it never goes away.  Being a part of such great programs in high school and now in college, I feel like I’ve had great coaches that make it fun and that make it why I love it so much.”
 
There are also Krieghoff’s signature, lucky, navy blue Crocs decked out in Disney gibbets to consider that she wears before every game.  After randomly finding the Crocs in her parent’s garage Krieghoff has worn them to the field before every match.  Despite her teammates commenting on their less-than-fashionable statement, Krieghoff continues to don her lucky footwear.
 
Beyond Krieghoff’s ability to see the field, to be in the right place at the right time and to finish, Krieghoff stands out among the rest in another category: her genuine love for the program allowing her the opportunity to play.
 
Krieghoff, like most athletes that demand attention for their artistry and power in his or her given sport, was born to play.
 
But Krieghoff was also born to do something that most people cannot say; she was born to play at Cal Poly.
 
“I am meant to be here at Cal Poly for some reason, I know that it didn’t just happen for any reason and I feel like being here, is where I’m supposed to be.  Cal Poly is where I’m supposed to be.”
 
While Krieghoff discovers why she was meant to choose Cal Poly, the soccer world watches as she writes her name in the record books – her name, and the team’s name that she watched battle North Carolina some three years ago.  Cal Poly represents more than a team stat line to Krieghoff – it represents the place she gets to call home.