AASU Women's Soccer Announces 2008 Signing Class

SAVANNAH, Ga. (April 30) – Armstrong Atlantic State University head coach Eric Faulconer has announced his recruiting class for the 2008 season. A total of seven players have signed National Letters of Intent for the 2008-09 academic year.

This year's class includes five players from the state of Georgia, one Floridian and one international. "Over the past year and a half we have really focused our recruiting efforts on the state of Georgia and the Atlanta area in particular," Faulconer said. "Because of our early success at the regional and national level, we are now attracting a high level of interest from instate student-athletes."

The signees include: defender Jessy Flores (Grayson, Ga.); midfielder/forward Daviana Garcia (Alpharetta, Ga.); forward Erin Holt (Marietta, Ga.); midfielder/forward Kaleigh Jowers (Tallahassee, Fla.); defender/midfielder Jennifer Keehn (Columbus, Ga.); midfielder Bjorg Magnea Olafs (Reykjavik, Iceland) and midfielder Erin O'Rourke (Berkeley Lake, Ga.). The Lady Pirates return 10 of the starting 11 that took the field in the 2007 NCAA National Tournament, including 50 of the 56 goals scored last season. For an in-depth preview of the AASU signees, please click here: (2008 Soccer Signees) (.pdf) (2008 Summer Camp Brochure) (.pdf)

Thursday, February 7, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Beall, Sports Information Director

LADY SAINTS SOCCER SIGN NINE TO LETTERS OF INTENT


DAHLONEGA, Ga. –North Georgia College & State University head coach Chris Adams and his staff announced the signing of nine players to national letters of intent during national signing day Wednesday afternoon.

"I am very excited about this recruiting class," Chris Adams said Wednesday morning. "I feel like we have added some incredible talent which will help us get where we want to go."



Elizabeth “Danielle” Brannan, Forward, 5’2”, Loganville, GA, Loganville High School, College Experience

As a result of her tremendous speed and ability Danielle was named All-County in soccer from 2005-2007 and in cross country in 2005-2006. Along with her remarkable ability to get behind defenders, Brannan is a stellar performer in the classroom. Brannan has been awarded Principles List Honor Roll all four years at Loganville High School. Danielle played club soccer for Coach Mike Morgan, with his College Experience team.



Natalie Douglass, Midfielder, 5’6”, Lawrenceville, GA, Brookwood High School, Gwinnett Soccer Association

As a four year starter for Brookwood High School, Douglass was critical part in her team reaching the Final Four in 2007. Natalie was awarded Gwinnett All-County in 2005. Douglass played club soccer for GSA Phoenix Red ’90 and Coach Judson Hamby. Her team was state champions in 2004, and GYSA state runners up in 2005 and 2007. Her club also competed in the highly competitive R3PL East division. Along with numerous other tournament accomplishments, Douglass and GSA ’90 won the prestigious PDA Girls College Soccer Showcase in New Jersey in 2007.

Emily Hughes, Defender, 5’8”, Lawrenceville, GA, Brookwood High School, Gwinnett Soccer Association

Emily Hughes was a varsity letter winner at Brookwood High School for 4 years. Hughes helped the Broncos to the GHSA AAAAA quarter and semi-finals for the past 3 years. Emily was also a member of GSA Phoenix Red ’90 coached by Judson Hamby. Hughes helped lead GSA to Finalist and Semi-Finalist finishes in GYSA over the previous three years. Emily Hughes has also garnered numerous individual accomplishments. As a member of Georgia ’89 State Olympic Development Pool from 2003- 2006, Hughes capped these performances by being selected to Region 3 ODP Camp in 2005 and 2006.

Laura Lane, Midfielder, 5’1”, Gainesville, GA, North Hall High School, Atlanta Fire United

As the team captain, Lane led North Hall to back-to-back Region 7AAA Championships. From her left midfield position, Laura was awarded All-Area 1st Team in 2006 and All-Region 1st team in 2007. Lane is also accomplished in the classroom as a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. Along with her accomplishments in high school, Lane was a member of the GYSA Athena A Champions in 2004 and 2006. Laura now plays for Atlanta Fire United U18 Elite R3PL team. She was coached by Nathan Borror.

Rachel Peckham, Midfielder, 5’5”, Lawrenceville, GA, Brookwood High School, Gwinnett Soccer Association

Rachel played soccer for Brookwood High School and was a letter winner on a team that was a semi-finalist in the Georgia High School Association AAAAA state playoffs. Peckham was also a Scholar Athlete at BHS for 3 years, where she was an active member of the community service oriented Key Club. Rachel played club soccer for Coach Edgar Flores at the Gwinnett Soccer Association. She was a crucial part of the team which competed in the Orange Classic in Miami, FL, Germantown, and placed first in the Nike Cup, Aiken Cup, Atlanta Fire Cup, and Norcross Cup.

Kirsten Ross, Goalkeeper, 5’9”, Lilburn, GA, Parkview High School, Gwinnett Soccer Association

As a three year letter winner for Parkview High School, Kirsten Ross contributed to her team when they won the Women’s Soccer AAAAA State Championship in 2005, a Regional Championship in 2006, and the Women’s Soccer AAAAA State Championship in 2007. She was also a member of the Parkview High School basketball team from 2004-2006, the Honor Roll, and received honors for her stellar academic accomplishments in Chemistry. Ross played club soccer for Gwinnett Soccer Association where she was selected as her team’s tournament MVP at the Capital Area Soccer League Elite in Raleigh, NC in 2007.

Delana Thomas, Defender, 5’8”, Flowery Branch, GA, Flowery Branch High School, Hall County YMCA Stars

Delana Thomas attended Flowery Branch High School, where she was a four year starter and captain for the Lady Falcons. In 2005, she received the Coach’s Falcon Award and was given honorable mention to the All Area Team. Thomas was selected as Flowery Branch’s MVP in 2006 and 2007, and was also a member of the All Area 1st Team in both of those years. Along with her athletic achievements, Delana was an exceptional student and was a member of the National Honor Society from 2006-2008, and received the Georgia Certificate of Merit in 2007. Thomas played club soccer for Lanier Soccer Association from 2000-2004 and the Hall County YMCA Oneida/Stars from 2005-2007.

Tessa MacGregor, Midfielder, 5’9”, Tarpon Springs, FL, East Lake High School, Hillsborough County United

Tessa MacGregor was a crucial part of the East Lake High School Varsity Women’s Soccer Team, where she lettered all four years, and led her team to the state Final Four in 2008. She received the “Top 10 County Soccer Statistics” honor for Pinellas County in 2007, and broke her high school’s record for the 400M and 4x400M track events. Tessa played club soccer for Hillsborough County United, and was given the opportunity to train under former US National Team player, Danielle Fotopoulos. Her team won state championships in 2002, 2003, and 2005.

Ekaterina Tsitsikronis, Midfielder, 5’6”, Tampa, FL, Sickle High School, Hillsborough County United

Ekaterina played for Sickle High School in Tampa, FL where she lettered all four years and served as team captain her junior and senior years. Her team won the high school district in 2005, and she was placed on the All-American Western Conference Team in 2006-2007. Tsitsikronis was also a member of her high school’s volleyball and basketball teams, was given the Citizenship Award in 2003, and was placed on the Principal’s Honor Roll from 2004-2008. Ekaterina played club soccer for Hillsborough County United where her team won the State Championship in 2007.





"In the past, we have just tried to add the most talented players we could find regardless of the position they played," Head Coach Chris Adams said. "This group is not only has outstanding players, but they also will allow us to have virtually everyone playing in their most comfortable place on the field."

"We will also have tremendous depth throughout our team as well as terrific competition during practice to beat out fellow teammates for playing time."

"The 2008 Lady Saints will be the most talented team that I have had in my five years here at North Georgia, which is promising considering we will host last years NCAA Division II National Champions in mid September. "

Chris Adams and his staff will release the 2008 schedule in the coming weeks with what appears to be their toughest competition in recent history. North Georgia will host the defending National Champions, The University of Tampa Spartans, Sunday, September

Georgia College Ends Reserve Team Program

Thursday, May 5, 2008
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Citing the maturation of the varsity Georgia College & State University women’s soccer team, head coach Juan Pablo Favero and interim director of athletics Jimmy Wilson announced today (June 4) the termination of the Bobcat Women’s Soccer Reserve Team.

“We have spent the last three months evaluating the program,” said Favero. “In looking at where we are today and where we want to be in the next five years, it is clear that the JV program has outlived its benefit and we can now focus our efforts solely on building a varsity program that will compete for championships. We are excited about the strong foundation that has been set in place, and we have already begun the work to take the program to the next level.”

Created in the first varsity season for women’s soccer in 2004, the Reserve Team helped the growth of the program by seasoning players to compete at the NCAA Division II level. The squad played an abbreviated schedule, usually consisting of Division I club teams, junior college programs and the like.

With the recent breakthrough of the soccer program, including a 13-5 season advancing to the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) semifinals, recruits are entering Georgia College with the skill set to compete for playing time right away.

“When we started our soccer program in 2003, we used our junior varsity program as a vehicle to help develop players,” said Wilson. “We have reached a point in our program where the junior varsity program is no longer a necessity. We are excited about our program’s development through the first five years and are looking forward to continued growth and success under our new coach, Juan Pablo Favero.”

2007 was a breakthrough season for the Bobcats, the most successful in the program’s four-year history. The team shattered the school mark for wins (13) and junior forward Hayley Ferrell (Hampton, Ga.) set the individual season marks for goals (16) and points (34). Jamie Nevin (Grovetown, Ga.), Ferrell and Morgan Cobb (Cataula, Ga.) all earned All-PBC Team selections for their efforts. The team also scored the most goals (46) and gave up the fewest (17) in school history, while Cobb became the first all-region performer for the Bobcats.

The GCSU Department of Athletics sponsors 10 NCAA Division II athletic programs over three seasons. As a Division II program, GCSU prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats’ multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as documented academic success and community-service involvement. Follow the Bobcats and their positive impact on the Milledgeville community at www.gcsu.edu/bobcats.

What is the new coach going to do with such a large roster? They have not posted their 2008 recruiting class yet.

Roster is updated on their web site (27 players), but no comments about the new players yet.

April 30th and Feb 7th?

When will Columbus State post their 2008 class? Rumor has it they will have 7.

GCSU has not posted their 2008 recruiting class either. Do you think it is because they announced they are doing away with their reserve program?????

I heard GCSU will have 6 to 8 recruits

There are 5 recruits coming. All from Georgia except one who is coming in from Canada.

GCSU has their Fall roster posted, including freshmen. No bios, just position and hometown.

Megan McAlpin - Newnan, GA
Caitlin Smith - Evans, GA
Tawny Moffat - Peacthree City, GA
Leah Frazer - Mississauga, Ontario
Megan Drish - Conyers, GA

I hope that girl from Canada is in some kind of heat training or she will be in for a rude awakening!

Favero Signs Five Newcomers for Bobcat Soccer



MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College & State University soccer team and head coach Juan Pablo Favero have announced their five-member recruiting class for the upcoming season, adding four players from the Peach State and one from Canada.



“Although not a large class in terms of quantity, we are very excited in the quality of this class, which matters more,” said Favero. “All of these ladies have played at a very high level club and/or High school soccer and have benefited from good coaching to help prepare them for the challenges of college soccer. They are also very versatile which will only give us more depth in every area of the field.”



Megan Drish – 5-8 – MF/F – Conyers, Ga.

Competed for Heritage High in Conyers where she was coached by Chad Suddeth … A four-year varsity member, she scored 42 goals and assisted on 34 others … She was named the team’s top offensive player for both her junior and senior seasons, scoring 16 times with seven assists as a senior and putting in nine goals with 13 assists during her junior year … Also competed in track and field as a mid-distance runner … Played club ball with Concorde Fire South 90 Black U18 under Cedric Marshall and Brian Moore along with fellow recruits Megan McAlpin and Tawny Moffat … Her team was ranked fifth in the state and won the State Cup in 2007 … Plans to major in elementary education at Georgia College.



Leah Frazer – 5-5 – MF/D – Mississauga, Ontario

The first international recruit in program history, Frazer started for the Lorne Park Secondary School squad in her junior and senior seasons, coached by both Julie Hunt-Gibbons and Wesley MacNamara … Also competed in basketball, rugby, volleyball and track and field … Competed for both the North Mississauga and Erin Mills Soccer Clubs … Selected to OYSL All-Star Team in 2007 … Plans on majoring in business or pre-law at GCSU.



Megan McAlpin – 5-6 – MF/F – Newnan, Ga.

Competed for Newnan High under head coach Aaron Buck … Newnan also produced senior Bobcat goalkeeper Kristen Moore … Named to both the All-Region and All-County teams in 2008 … Selected to the Times-Herald All-Coweta County Team and the Atlanta Journal Constitution All-Fayette-Coweta County Team in 2006 … Named to GHSA Region 4-AAAAA Team in 2006 … Emassed 89 goals and 57 assists over her four seasons, including 30 goals and 17 helps in 2008 … Competed in club soccer for 2007 State Cup Champs Concorde Fire South under Cedric Marshall and Brian Moore with fellow Bobcat recruits Megan Drish and Tawny Moffat … Plans on majoring in education at Georgia College.



Tawny Moffat – 5-3 – D – Peachtree City, Ga.

Lettered for three seasons at McIntosh High in Peachtree City under head coach Marcia Clark … Named All-County twice and was selected for the Senior All-Star Game … Named team’s most valuable defensive player for her last three seasons … Played for the Concorde Fire South squad under Cedric Marshall and Brian Moore with fellow recruits Megan Drish and Megan McAlpin … Won the State Cup in 2007 … Plans to major in nursing at GCSU.



Caitlin Smith – 5-4 – MF – Augusta, Ga.

Four-year varsity starter for Aquinas High in Augusta under head coach Tommy Garcia … Squad was a three-time region champ, making it to the second round of the state championships three times as well … Scored over 60 goals with over 40 assists in her career … Also competed in swimming … Most recently played club ball with the GSA Phoenix Red under head coach Judson Hamby, reaching the State Cup Finals in the last two seasons … Plans to major in physical therapy and sports medicine at GCSU.



“As I have worked in the process with these five young ladies, it has been made clear to me that they are not only committed soccer players, but just as importantly they are committed to their academic performance as well,” added Favero.