The desire for her parents to see her play overcame Annie Steinlage’s dislike of cold and snow, and that worked out very well for Tom Saxton’s Michigan State Spartans.

Steinlage, a top-class defender for Michigan Hawks, decided to keep her college plans close to home and play for the Big Ten program. Her brother Avery is already a goalkeeper with the Michigan State men’s program.

“I try to work on my game as much as I can, when it’s not snowing,” Steinlage said. “The weather is one thing I hate about living in Michigan, but it was really important to me for my family to come watch me play. That was a huge thing with MSU; my mom went there and my siblings.”

“Now, that’s also a reason I wanted to do my own thing, but Tom (Saxton) and Tammy (Farnum) are great coaches. Another big reason I went there is they have so many good young players, like (TopDrawerSoccer.com Rookie of the Year) Laura Heyboer. The program has great potential. I just hope I can make a difference as a player.”

While being close to home made a difference in Steinlage’s college choice, the home games in college will actually be closer to home than her club games, as Steinlage drives 2 ½ hours one way for training from her home on the shores of Lake Michigan to the Hawks’ training ground. It’s a sign of the 2010 graduate’s dedication and ambition, but she allows that it also forces her to take a break from time to time.

“Sometimes I don’t get home until 12:30 or 1 in the a.m. It’s a big commitment for me,” she said. “Sometimes it’s a little frustrating and feel like I’m getting a little burnt out, so that’s the only thing where I might want to take a week off, if I feel like I’m too tired and have to keep going and going. But don’t get me wrong, I love it. I wish Hawks was in my backyard.”

Talking with Steinlage leaves little doubt about just how passionate she is for the game.

“My mom tells me I used to beg to play. I think I started when I was 7 and I’ve loved it ever since I’ve been playing,” she said. “I don’t’ know what I’d do without it. If there are periods where I don’t play for a couple of weeks, if I watch a game I’m just itching to get out there. It’s more a need for me than a like, but I love playing.”

Steinlage has played in the back line with youth national teams and for U.S. Youth Soccer’s Region II ODP team alongside other standouts such as Anna Sieloff, Kelsey Mullen, Catherine Sessions, Kelsey Smigel and Katie Nasenbenny. She often plays in midfield for her club team, but plays with the same style for both. She’s not a hoof-it-up-the-field type of defender, but settles the ball and manages to distribute with accuracy, even under pressure. She credits Hawks coach Jim Kimble and ODP coach Glen Tourville for helping hone her style, along with a broader collection of coaches over the years with refining her technique.

Steinlage, who is interested in architecture and interior design as possible fields of study, also plays high school basketball, more for fun and conditioning than anything. You can still find her most weeks doing some kind of individual work on her soccer game however, and that’s the sport where she will be making her mark in college and possibly beyond.