ELON, N.C. -- The Elon University women’s soccer team is pleased to announce that 10 student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to join the Phoenix in the fall of 2009. Head coach Chris Neal has inked: Emily Brenner (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor/Cold Spring Harbor), Shannon Cosgrove (Huntington, N.Y./Saint Anthony's/Cold Spring Harbor), Scarlett Fakhar (Newark, Del./A.I. DuPont/FC Delco), Shannon Foley (Natick, Mass./Natick/New England Eagles), Kristen Haney (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic/Greensboro Twisters), Ceci Jensen (Boxborough, Mass./Acton Boxborough Regional/FC Stars of Mass),Caroline McKinley (Atlanta, Ga./Marist School/Tophat SC), Claire O'Keefe (Greensboro, N.C./Western Guilford/Greensboro Twisters), Michelle Pullen (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Warde/Connecticut FC United) and Courtney Seltman (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East/Cold Harbor SA).
“I am extremely pleased with the quality of student-athlete we were able to secure for our freshman class of 2009. It is a very balanced class from a positional sense. These girls have all played at the highest level of club soccer and I expect all of them to compete for playing time immediately,” stated Neal.
In 2009, the Phoenix is looking to build off the successful 2008 season, which was its best season since 1999. In 2008, the team finished with an 8-8-3 overall record and earned its first-ever win over an ACC opponent with a 1-0 road victory over Maryland. Elon’s end-of-season national ranking (RPI) soared 56 spots from the end of 2007 season. The Phoenix ended 2008 ranked 176th out of 318 teams.
“I feel these freshmen will complement our existing team chemistry and hopefully their additions will help Elon University compete for a SoCon championship,” added Neal.
Meet the 2009 signees:
Emily Brenner, 5-8. Defender, Cold Spring Harbor SA:
Brenner hails from Lloyd Harbor, N.Y. and is a member of the Cold Spring Harbor club team that competes in the USYSA Region I Premier League. She also attends Cold Spring Harbor High School where she was named All-State in 2008.
“Emily is a very athletic defender. She strikes the ball well and can cover a lot of ground. She is also an underestimated attacker. I can see Emily playing a variety of positions for us,” said Neal.
Shannon Cosgrove, 5-9, Goalkeeper, Cold Spring Harbor, SA:
Cosgrove comes to Elon from Huntington, N.Y. and is a member of the Cold Spring Harbor club team that competes in the USYSA Region I Premier League. She also attends Saint Anthony’s High where she is the starting goalkeeper for the nationally ranked girls’ soccer team. Cosgrove was named to the Empire State team in ’07-’08.
“Shannon is a talented and brave goalkeeper. Her desire to be the best she can be is contagious. I am certain she will make a positive impact on our team’s success,” said Neal.
Scarlett Fakhar, 5-8, Midfielder, FC Delco:
Fakhar, from Newark, Del., is the captain of the FC Delco club team that competes in the USYSA Region I Premier League. She attends A.I. DuPont where she was named first team all-state as a junior. Fakhar was also the captain for the Eastern Pa. ODP team from 2005-2007.
“Scarlett has excellent vision and reads the game very well. She is also very good in the air and she is not scared to put her stamp on the game as a midfielder,” said Neal.
Shannon Foley, 5-7, Defender/Forward, New England Eagles
Foley resides in Natick, Mass. and is a four-time Bay State League All-Star and captain for Natick High School. She was named to the Eastern Massachussetts All-Star team in 2008. Foley is a member of the New England Eagles club team.
“It will be exciting to see how Shannon’s athleticism and versatility are going to impact our team. She is a player that will compete for time in numerous positions,” said Neal.
Kristen Haney, 5-11, Goalkeeper, Greensboro Twisters:
Haney is from Charlotte, N.C. and is a member of the 2008 state champion Greensboro Twisters club team that also competes in the USYSA Region III Premier League. Haney attends Charlotte Catholic High School and was named to the North Carolina 3-A All-State team in 2008. The team has compiled a 61-7-7 record in her three seasons. She is also a member of the North Carolina ODP team.
“Through the years with her club and ODP teams, Kristen has experienced many high level games. She brings a wealth of athletic tools to the goalkeeping position and her best years in goal are still ahead of her. It will be exciting to see how she develops,” said Neal.
Ceci Jensen, 5-2, Midfielder/Forward, FC Stars of Mass
Jensen hails from Boxborough, Mass. and is a member of the FC Stars of Massachusetts club team that competes in the USYSA Region I Premier League. Jensen’s club team is currently ranked 19th in the nation. Jensen attends Acton Boxborough high school which earned a 2007 state championship. As a senior, Jensen was named Dual County League MVP, a Massachusetts All-Star and New England All-Star as Acton Boxborough’s leading scorer.
“Ceci is one of the most competitive and tenacious players I have recruited. It is very hard to teach these elements to players once they have arrived at the collegiate level. We expect Ceci to be a big ingredient in our attack,” says Neal.
Caroline McKinley, 5-8, Defender/Midfielder, Tophat SC
McKinley will join the Phoenix from Atlanta, Ga. where she is a member of the Tophat SC ’09 club team that was the 2008 champion of the USYSA Region III Premier League. As a junior, McKinley won a 2008 high school state championship as the captain of the Marist School team.
“Caroline is a good athlete that can play in the back or in the midfield for us. She exhibits a lot of composure when in possession of the ball and will be a welcomed addition to our defensive scheme,” said Neal.
Claire O’Keeffe, 5-7, Defender, Greensboro Twisters
O'Keefe is from Greensboro, N.C. and is a captain of the 2007 and 2008 NC state champion Greensboro Twisters club team that competes in the USYSA Region III Premier League. In 2008, O'Keefe was named to the North Carolina 3A All-State team while a member of the Western Guilford high school squad. She is also a member of the NC ODP team.
“Athletically, Claire is very strong. I anticipate she will provide a physical presence in our back four and she will complement our returning defenders very well,” said Coach Neal.
Michelle Pullen, 5-6, Defender/Midfielder, Connecticut FC United
Pullen resides in Fairfield, Conn. and is a member of the Connecticut FC United club team. She is a five-year member of the Connecticut ODP Team. She won a 2007 Class L State title as a member of the Fairfield Warde High School girls' soccer team.
Neal stated, “We are looking forward to Michelle joining our team. She is a very steady, versatile player that will provide much needed depth to our left side.”
Courtney Seltman, 5-4, Forward, Cold Spring Harbor SA
Seltman comes to Elon from Holbrook, N.Y. where she was a member of the Cold Spring Harbor SA club team that competes in the USYSA Region I Premier League. She has been a three-year member of the Eastern New York ODP program and is a former ODP Region I Pool Player. She attended Sachem East High School where she was the captain of the varsity girls' soccer team.
“Courtney will provide depth in forward position for us in 2009. She has a knack for getting into dangerous places and scoring goals,” stated Neal.
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