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Gainesville, FL University of Florida head coach Becky Burleigh announced Monday that 15 players will join the Gator soccer program for the 2008 fall season. It is the largest class for Florida since the premiere class for the 1995 season.
Midfielder Tahnai Annis (Zanesville, Ohio) is a 2007 and 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas High School All-America selection. She also was Ohio's 2007-08 Gatorade Girls' Soccer Player of the Year. Five other newcomers have experience either with their national team or with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) national team. Sarah Chapman, a midfielder from Silver Spring, Md., attended the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team camp earlier this month in Carson, Calif. She has also been a part of the U.S. U-17 and U-16 national teams. Defender Jazmyne Avant (Coppell, Texas) was a part of the U.S. national teams in 2006 and 2005. Midfielder Brooke Patterson (Glenview, Ill.) and defender Kathryn Williamson (McKinney, Texas) have both been a part of U.S. Youth Soccer Association ODP national teams. Forward Claudia Henriquez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) played two years with the Dominican Republic National Team and was part of the Caribbean Football Union championship team that advanced the Dominican Republic to 2004 CONCACAF U-19 Women's World Cup qualifying play in Canada.
Florida's class contains several players with considerable Olympic Development Program (ODP) experience. Midfielder McKenzie Barney of Sammamish, Wash., participated in the 2006 National Development Camp in Stockton, Calif., and was part of the 2005 Region IV camp and the state team in her only year of participating in ODP. Marsha Harper, a forward from Denver, Colo., was part of the state ODP pool in 2006. She also was a part of the Real Colorado National team that claimed the 2006 US Youth Soccer U-16 national championship. Three have experience with the Florida ODP team - forward Katie Kadera (Boca Raton), midfielder Lindsay Thompson (Bradenton) and forward Lindsay Williams (Pensacola). Thompson also is a two-time selection to the Region III ODP team.
Allison Bullard is the third player from Gainesville to sign with the Gators. The midfielder is a four-year member of the Buchholz High School team that reached the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 6A regional semifinals in 2007 and made four consecutive regional quarterfinal appearances. Brooke Chancey (Middlesburg) was in goal when St. John's Country Day School won the 2007 and 2005 FHSAA Class 2A title, picking up the 2007 Florida Sports Writers Class 2A state tournament's most valuable player honor. She owns St. John's Country Day's career record with 38 shutouts. Forward Danielle DeLuca was a four-time All-Metro selection for Lake Mary High School. Lake Mary H.S. advanced to the FHSAA Class 6A semifinals in 2007 and 2006, finishing as runner-up in 2006. Forward Laura Ray (St. Augustine) has already enrolled at UF for the spring, 2008 semester. In 2006, she was runner-up for the Florida Dairy Farmers Girls Soccer Player of the Year after turning in 55 goals as a sophomore. She finished her career with a county record 148 goals and was a 2007 All-First Coast first-team selection by the Florida Times Union.
"We are very pleased with this year's recruiting class. This class is very talented and deep," Burleigh said. "Eight finished their Florida careers last fall, so we knew there would be spots to fill. This class helps address those needs. I expect that several will make an impact next fall."
During the 2007 season, Florida turned in a record of 17-5-3, advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, won its second consecutive and eighth overall Southeastern Conference title and also claimed the program’s eighth SEC Tournament crown. The Gators ranked No. 17 on the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.
http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=13459&html=soccer/news/20080225085600.html&sport=socce
Read the link for bios and more information.
Go Gators!
Midfielder Tahnai Annis (Zanesville, Ohio) is a 2007 and 2006 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/adidas High School All-America selection. She also was Ohio's 2007-08 Gatorade Girls' Soccer Player of the Year. Five other newcomers have experience either with their national team or with the Olympic Development Program (ODP) national team. Sarah Chapman, a midfielder from Silver Spring, Md., attended the U.S. Under-18 Women's National Team camp earlier this month in Carson, Calif. She has also been a part of the U.S. U-17 and U-16 national teams. Defender Jazmyne Avant (Coppell, Texas) was a part of the U.S. national teams in 2006 and 2005. Midfielder Brooke Patterson (Glenview, Ill.) and defender Kathryn Williamson (McKinney, Texas) have both been a part of U.S. Youth Soccer Association ODP national teams. Forward Claudia Henriquez (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) played two years with the Dominican Republic National Team and was part of the Caribbean Football Union championship team that advanced the Dominican Republic to 2004 CONCACAF U-19 Women's World Cup qualifying play in Canada.
Florida's class contains several players with considerable Olympic Development Program (ODP) experience. Midfielder McKenzie Barney of Sammamish, Wash., participated in the 2006 National Development Camp in Stockton, Calif., and was part of the 2005 Region IV camp and the state team in her only year of participating in ODP. Marsha Harper, a forward from Denver, Colo., was part of the state ODP pool in 2006. She also was a part of the Real Colorado National team that claimed the 2006 US Youth Soccer U-16 national championship. Three have experience with the Florida ODP team - forward Katie Kadera (Boca Raton), midfielder Lindsay Thompson (Bradenton) and forward Lindsay Williams (Pensacola). Thompson also is a two-time selection to the Region III ODP team.
Allison Bullard is the third player from Gainesville to sign with the Gators. The midfielder is a four-year member of the Buchholz High School team that reached the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 6A regional semifinals in 2007 and made four consecutive regional quarterfinal appearances. Brooke Chancey (Middlesburg) was in goal when St. John's Country Day School won the 2007 and 2005 FHSAA Class 2A title, picking up the 2007 Florida Sports Writers Class 2A state tournament's most valuable player honor. She owns St. John's Country Day's career record with 38 shutouts. Forward Danielle DeLuca was a four-time All-Metro selection for Lake Mary High School. Lake Mary H.S. advanced to the FHSAA Class 6A semifinals in 2007 and 2006, finishing as runner-up in 2006. Forward Laura Ray (St. Augustine) has already enrolled at UF for the spring, 2008 semester. In 2006, she was runner-up for the Florida Dairy Farmers Girls Soccer Player of the Year after turning in 55 goals as a sophomore. She finished her career with a county record 148 goals and was a 2007 All-First Coast first-team selection by the Florida Times Union.
"We are very pleased with this year's recruiting class. This class is very talented and deep," Burleigh said. "Eight finished their Florida careers last fall, so we knew there would be spots to fill. This class helps address those needs. I expect that several will make an impact next fall."
During the 2007 season, Florida turned in a record of 17-5-3, advanced to the NCAA Round of 16, won its second consecutive and eighth overall Southeastern Conference title and also claimed the program’s eighth SEC Tournament crown. The Gators ranked No. 17 on the final National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.
http://gatorzone.com/story.php?id=13459&html=soccer/news/20080225085600.html&sport=socce
Read the link for bios and more information.
Go Gators!
