Ella Masar

Classroom

Ella Masar majors in Community Health: Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. She currently maintains a 3.17 GPA and is expected to graduate in Summer 2008. She was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2005 and 2006. She received the George Huff award in 2006, given to student-athletes who have earned a varsity letter and maintained at least a 3.0 GPA in consecutive semesters.

Character

Masar’s leadership and determination shines through her compassionate and competitive spirit. As captain of the team, she scores goals with confidence, not arrogance, and dominates with humility, not power. She was unable to compete her senior year in high school due to severe shin splints, but, less than one year later, she came to Illinois with a determination to establish herself as a top college soccer player. In an effort to reach her dreams, she realized she would be conquering goals not just for herself, but for her team, her program, and her family. Her loyalty is unprecedented. She has an unselfish and generous nature which cause her to put her family and team before herself.

Community

A product of the Illinois community, Masar dedicated time and effort to organizations in the area. She worked with the Urbana Youth Soccer and spent time with senior citizens at Inman Plaza. She volunteered service for two area schools and attended a holiday party for kids on the waiting list for Big Brothers, Big Sisters Angel Tree Project. She also spent time with the Crisis Nursery Holiday Shop and served as a celebrity judge at a women’s gymnastics mixed pairs event.

Competition

Coming off a season that earned her a plethora of awards, including the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Masar will bring even more of a competitive fire into her senior season. Masar has already earned national recognition for the 2007 season, being named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List. The senior forward also made a splash on the international level during the summer, playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the W-League and helping the U.S. U-21 to a Nordic Cup Championship in Finland. During the 2006 season, Masar led the Illini with nine goals and 27 points. In addition to being named the 2006 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, Masar was a second-team NSCAA All-American, named to the All-Big Ten Tournament Team, All-Great Lakes Region first teams by the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz and Top Drawer Soccer’s Team of the Season fifth team. In Illinois’ opening weekend of play this season, she picked up right where she left off, netting two goals to earn Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors. She is currently tied for sixth in school history with 20 career goals, fifth with 59 points and tied for second with 19 career assists.