Women's Soccer | 2/3/2017 12:03:00 PM
STATESBORO, GA. – Women's Soccer head coach
Brian Dunleavy assembled his incoming class for the 2017 season with the signing of seven student-athletes. Dunleavy gears up for his fifth season at the helm of the Eagles program after graduating eight seniors in 2016. An athletic bunch made up of two forwards, two defenders, and three midfielders hailing from Illinois, Florida, Georgia, Sweden, and Germany will enroll in the fall of 2017.
"This is one of, if not, the best recruiting classes this program has ever had. The athletic ability of this group is of the highest level, these players all have the physical capacity to compete in the Sun Belt. What makes this class special in our opinion is the fact that these players are all filling holes we've had in the past season and will complement our current players very well. We are now in a position to be more balanced in our tactical set up because we have a great mix of players with varying attributes. We have so many talented players with experience returning for 2017, with this group of freshmen added to the mix, we feel very positive about our future."
Chatham, Illinois | Forward | SLSG IL ECNL
Madison Klintworth, originally from Chatham, Illinois, comes to Georgia Southern after playing at Glenwood High School under coach Jay Lipe. Klintworth was named to the 2016 IL All-State First Team, as well as the 2015 and 2016 First All Sectional and All Conference Teams. In 2014 and 2015 she helped the Titans win back to back Conference Championships, which were followed by third and second place finishes in the IL State Tournament. Outside of high school Klintworth plays for St. Louis Scott Gallager ECNL, where her team won the President's Cup National Championship. They also made the NCNL Elite Club Nationals. In addition to soccer, Klintworth is a three-time letter winner for her school's varsity basketball team, where she earned an All-conference honorable mention and set a school record for the most hustle points. In high school Klintworth excelled in honors and AP level classes and plans to major in Middle Grades Education while at Georgia Southern.
Coach Dunleavy on Klintworth
"Maddie is an outside forward that excels in 1v1 attacking situations, her dribbling ability allows her to glide past defenders and get crosses into the box. We really liked her ability to keep possession in the midfield third and combine to beat defenders as well. Maddie has a flip throw that reaches deep into box which is essentially adding an attacking set piece any time the ball goes out of bounds in the final third. She will instantly add depth to the outside forward position, we are excited about Maddie's future contributions."
Plant City, Florida | Defender | West Florida Flames ECNL
Drew Knotts, born and raised in Plant City, Florida, will join the Eagles after playing for Plant City High School under the instruction of Brooke Bennett. Knotts was awarded Rookie of the Year of her varsity soccer team in 2014, and was featured in Focus Magazine as Athlete of the Week for back-to-back years. She helped lead her team to the Class 4A Regional Finals twice, and the Raiders were named Hillsborough County District Champions in 2015. Knotts was named captain of her varsity team in 2015, and won Maxprep's Player of the Game six times in three seasons. Knotts also plays for West Florida Flames ECNL. Knotts is an honor grad and plans to major in journalism during her time at Georgia Southern.
Coach Dunleavy on Knotts
"Drew is an outside back with a strong athletic foundation, she's very agile, and has a really good burst of acceleration. She is a solid 1v1 defender, she could be a strong man marker for us in the future. She can get forward into the attack as well, which adds another positive element to our tactical approach."
Vasteras, Sweden | Midfielder | Gideonsbergs IF
Elvira Gustafsson is a native of Vasteras, Sweden, and played at Widenska High School for Anette Mogren. Gustafsson helped lead her team to a win during an International tournament in France. The midfielder also plays for Gideonsbergs F, in the Swedish 1
st Diviosn. She racked up numerous Swedish Championship wins, starting from the young age of 12. Gustafsson also helped lead her team to victory, winning Gold in Aroscupen, which is a highly prestigious cup in Vasteras. She has been to Swedish National Team camp four times, and was the captain of her club team.
Coach Dunleavy on Gustafsson
"Elvira comes to us with an incredibly impressive pedigree as a youth player in Sweden, she's played with and against the best players in her country. Elvira is a true box to box center midfielder, she has a high fitness level, keeps possession well under pressure, can intercept passes and start counter attacks. She has the ability to get into the final third well and has scored some fantastic goals. We are excited about the impact Elvira will have in our team."
Heeslingen, Germany | Midfielder | SV Werder Bremen
Leonie Meyer comes to Georgia Southern from Zeven, Germany, where she attended St.-Viti-Gymnasium. Meyer plays for SV Werder Bremen under the instruction of Alexander Kluge. During her time at the club, her team was named Bundesliga Champions, U17 Indoor Champions, North German Champions, and Runner-up of U17 German Championships.
Coach Dunleavy on Meyer
"Leonie is an imposing defensive center midfielder, her physical presence in that position will offer more defensive stability than we've had in the past. Her aerial dominance will help us win headers and win possession higher up the field. Leonie has also shown that she can get forward as well, she will get on the ends of crosses and will be a force on set pieces and corners. We are excited to add her into our team because she will complement the skill and technical ability of our attacking players. We wanted to add a player of Leonie's quality in this position so we could have a more balanced midfield."
St. Johns, Florida | Defender | Jacksonville FC ECNL
Clarice Amici is from Jacksonville, Florida where she played at Creekside High School. She was awarded captain her senior season and scored three goals and four assists during that time. Amici was also named to the 2016 Second-team all-state. Her high school team also won the District 4A Championship in 2015 and 2016. Claire plays for Jacksonville Armada ECNL, one of the best youth club teams in the nation, under coach Eric Dade. She plans to major in hospitality management while at Georgia Southern.
Coach Dunleavy on Amici
"Claire is an athletic defender, her tactical awareness is very high, she reads the game very well and is rarely caught out of position. Claire can play center back or outside back, she also has an outstanding vertical leap which will help us win headers. She's comfortable in possession, and makes smart decisions with her distribution out of the back. We are excited to add a defender of her quality in this class, she has the qualities of a freshman who could immediately make a positive impact in our back four."
Saint Mary's, Georgia | Midfielder | Jacksonville FC ECNL
Brogan Boudreaux attended Camden County High School in Kingsland, Georgia where she played for Pam Agler. During her first three seasons she racked up 93 goals and 48 assists, and was awarded first Camden County High School Female 6A Player of the Year. She also holds the record for the most goals scored in a single season at CCHS. Boudreaux was named First Team All Region from 2014 to 2016. Outside of high school Boudreaux plays for Mike Walker on the Jacksonville FC club team. Her club team was named 2016 ECNL Region Champions, and US Soccer National Champions in 2014 and 2015. They were also named the CIS number one U15/16 Team in Nation. Boudreaux achieved Principal's Honor Roll for earning all A's through her entire high school career. During her time at Georgia Southern she plans on majoring in Mechanical Engineering.
Coach Dunleavy on Boudreaux
"Brogan is a center midfielder with a fantastic range of passing, great first touch, and is really strong on the ball. She is rarely dispossessed, in tight situations, she is very difficult to push off the ball. Defensively, she uses her strength very well, puts opposing players under pressure and forces a lot of mistakes. We think Brogan has a very bright future and adds an element to our midfield that can change our dynamic."
Liburn, Georgia | Forward | GSA ECNL
Juvenia Hylton comes from Stone Mountain, Georgia where she played at Brookwood High School. Hylton was named to the 2016 All-Region team as a senior. During her sophomore campaign was the third highest goal scorer in her county with 23 goals, and second in the county in assists with 13. During her junior season, she was the second highest goal scorer with 25. Hylton currently plays for the GSA ECNL club team under head coach Campbell Chapman, and helped lead them to the South Eastern ECNL Conference Championship in 2014, and a second place title in 2015.
Coach Dunleavy on Hylton
"Juveina is a target forward that has the ability to turn a game on its head at any moment, she's a threat to score from anywhere in the final third. She holds the ball up well with her back to goal and does a great job linking up with midfielders. Juveina can even drift into wider areas at times, and serves an excellent ball into the box. We are really eager to see how positively Juveina will impact our team in 2017 and beyond."
Georgia Southern Athletics provides up-to-date information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics, iOS app Georgia Southern Eagles and Android app Eagles GATA. Fans can purchase tickets to Georgia Southern Athletics events by visiting GSEagles.com.
