UT Women’s Soccer Signs Six Players, Welcomes Three Transfers

TAMPA, Fla. - University of Tampa women's soccer coach Gerry Lucey has announced that six student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent for the Spartans. The signees, who will enroll at UT in the fall of 2009, include Kate Evans, Molly Gottlieb, Callan Hoerdemann, Sara Kneeland, Dana Palmiotto and Courtney Peffley. UT has also welcomed transfers Luana Miessa, Renata Figueira and Tammy Lemieux, who are all enrolled at UT in the spring.

Evans, a 5-7 midfielder, is from Baltimore, Md. She attended St. Paul's School For Girls and played club soccer for the Baltimore Bays. Her team won the 2005 Constellation Cup and the 2006 Columbia Invitational. She also helped her club to championships at the Capital Fall Classic and the Icebreaker Tournament. A two-time all-Baltimore County selection, Evans is a three-time IAAM outdoor all-star and three-time IAAM indoor all-star. She was also selected to play in the 2007 all-star senior game.

"Kate is a very solid defender or central midfield player who is expected to make the immediate impact into college athletics," says Lucey. "Kate is strong in possession and provides passing and technical aspects that will fit into our style of play. We are looking forward to working with Kate on a daily basis."

Gottlieb, a 5-10 forward/midfielder, hails from Bellevue, Wash. She attended Issaquah High School and played club soccer for Crossfire Premier. She was also a member of the 2006 US Club National finalish Eastside FC 89 club team. A three-time all-conference selection, Gottlieb ranked in the top five in the conference in scoring on three occasions. She also helped her team to the 2006 and 2007 state class 3A state championship while being a finalist in 2008. She was also selected to play in the 2007 Surf Cup, 2007 Surf College Cup and the 2007 Disney Showcase.

"Molly is an intelligent soccer player that will provide the team with depth in the forward and central midfield areas," says Lucey. "Molly is technically sound and has great vision, attitude and composure".

Hoerdemann, a 5-5 defender, comes to UT from Apex, N.C. She attended Cardinal Gibbons High School.

"Callan is a right sided defender who has speed and can help provide quality depth from day one," says Lucey. "Callan can expect to see time both in the outside back and midfield positions. She has played the game at a high level and we are excited to add Callan to our 2009 roster."

Kneeland, a 5-7 forward, will enroll with high school teammate Dana Palmiotto. Kneeland is a resident of Glenelg, Md., and teamed with Palmiotto to help her St. John's College High School team to three WCAC championships. She also played for the U-18 Laurel Wildcats, helping her team to the 2008 Maryland State Cup championship. Her team also won the title in 2007 and captured two USYSA Region 1 Summer League championships. A four-time all-conference player, Kneeland was also tabbed all-Met as her team enjoyed top-10 national rankings by NSCAA/adidas, StudentSportSoccer.com and was named number-one by the Washington Post.

"We are looking forward to Sara providing an immediate impact on our forward line with her nose for goal," says Lucey. "Sara has the ability to take players on one-versus-one and also get on the end of passes/crosses. We are looking to Sara to help boost our goal tally in 2009."

Palmiotto, a 5-5 defender/midfielder, is from Ellicott City, Md. She was a teammate of fellow signee Sara Kneeland at St. John's College High School and also played for the U-18 Laurel Wildcats. She enjoyed ultimate success at the club level, most recently helping her team to the 2008 Maryland State Cup championship. Her team also won the title in 2007 and captured two USYSA Region 1 Summer League championships. At the high school level, she was a four-time all-WCAC selection and a 2008 second-team all-Met choice. St. John's also captured three WCAC titles with Palmiotto on the squad.

"Dana will be used primarily as a defender in the central or left sided position," says Lucey. "She has a sound technical base and is composed on the ball. Dana can also step into a defensive midfield position provided more depth in that department."

Peffley, a 5-11 midfielder, is from Elizabethtown, Pa., where she attended Elizabethtown Area High School. She also played club soccer for the Hershey Tidal Force. She helped her club team to a number-six ranking in the state and a 2009 State Cup finalist. Her club also advanced three times to the National 3V3 Tournament in Las Vegas and San Antonio. She also tallied 21 goals and 18 assists for her high school team as the 2009 team captain. As a spring sport, Peffley is on track to break the school's all-time assist record. A 2008 LL first-team all-star, she was also the recipient of the 2007 Lady Bear Award.

"I have enjoyed watching Courtney play over the past couple of years for her Hershey team," says Lucey. "Courtney will be able to play in a multitude of positions but mainly as a central midfielder in either an attacking or defensive role. Courtney has the ability to score from her midfield berth or provide the measured pass to set up a teammate."

Overall, the class signed to date represents a balanced group of players that hail from four different states. The Spartans are looking to replace six starters from last year's team that was 13-7-2 and advanced to the program's sixth consecutive NCAA tournament.

"We are delighted to have signed a very good recruiting class to attend The University of Tampa," says Lucey. "We expect them to make an impact on our program from early on and add more depth to our squad. We have lost a very talented group of seniors who have done so much for the program over their years here. In the past two years we have lost all but three players from the 2007 national championship squad. We have been busy rebuilding the squad and hope to begin challenging again on a national stage next season. I am delighted with the transfers we have brought into UT and together with the 2009 class, they will help in bringing depth and quality to our roster."

Miessa, a forward/midfielder from Sao Paulo, Brazil, comes to UT with two years of eligibility after playing at Sam Houston State. An all-Southland Conference selection in 2007, Miessa started all 33 games in two seasons at SHSU. As a sophomore, she led the team in points with 28. She also tallied 10 goals and a team-high eight assists. In two years, she totaled 21 assists. She also has experience with Brazil's under-20 national team, having competed in tournaments in Russia, Chile and Columbia.

"Luana has already proved herself a consistent scorer at the Division I level and hopefully she'll be able to continue in our program," says Lucey. "She brings a wealth of talent and experience and is already establishing herself as a great personality both on and off the field. We look forward to some great performances and moments from Luana."

Figueira, a midfielder from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, played two seasons at Murray State University. In 2008, she registered a pair of goals, including the game-winner against Louisiana-Monroe. She was also a member of the Brazilian under-19 national team while playing club soccer with Flamengo.

"Renata has a couple of years of national team experience and is a born leader," says Lucey. "She will help nurture our young program and elevate us to a higher level. Renata has excellent foot skills that help her maintain possession and create opportunities. I am delighted to see both Renata and Luana join UT and to see how they develop over the next two years."

Lemieux, a defender from Largo, comes to UT after attending Louisiana-Lafayette. A graduate of Largo High School, Lemieux also played club soccer for the Clearwater Chargers. She was also chosen to play in the 2004-05 Junior Showcase and the 2005-06 Pinellas County Senior All-Star game.

"Tammy is one of the local players that returned home after a brief spell in Louisiana," says Lucey. "Tammy is a tenacious defender who will be relentless in stabalizing us defensively and also brings additional experience to our young program."

"We are very fortunate to add these excellent transfers at this time," says Lucey. "After losing six quality seniors and all of our starting team from the national championship team of 2007, the transfers will bring immediate experience to a young but very talented squad. We are looking to establish ourselves once again as one of the top teams in the nation."