Feb. 1, 2006
FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU Women's Soccer Head Coach
Dan Abdalla announced his fall 2006 signing class on Wednesday. In all, TCU signed seven recruits to National Letters of Intent. Five of the seven hail from Texas and two are regional Olympic Devolopment Program team members.
"It was extremely important to me to add players who have excelled on the field at a high level and who embody the quality of individuals we want on the field, in the classroom and in the community as we move this program into the country's elite," Abdalla said. "To accomplish that with such a great group from the Metroplex and Texas, and compliment that with the Californian girls is exciting.
Among the seven signees are Metroplex natives Michelle Nguyen, a midfielder from Richardson, Chelsea White, a midfielder/forward from Mansfield, and Kayde Bowman, a goalkeeper from Arlington. Also hailing from Texas are fellow signees Kelsey Vross, a goalkeeper from Spring, and Anna Paulson, a midfielder/forward from Midland. Joining them are a pair of high schoolers from California. Elizabeth Batten is a midfielder from Danville, and Elizabeth Karoly is a forward from Escondido.
Nguyen is a Region III ODP performer out of Plano East Senior High. She was named District-5A Newcomer of the Year as a freshman and first-team all-district as a sophomore. Nguyen has six years of club soccer experience including an appearance in the national finals with the Texans '89 squad. She is a member of the National Honor Society.
"Michelle is an extremely technical player," Abdalla said. "Her ability to distribute the ball is uncanny, and she is a scoring threat from anywhere in the final third. She is also extremely gifted on set pieces, which will supply us with an immediate offensive punch."
Vross is a standout goalkeeper at Concordia Lutheran High School in Tomball, Texas. She has been a member of the NSCAA All-Region soccer team the past two years and is also a member of the Region III ODP squad. She earned all-district and all-state honors the past two seasons. As a member of the Challenge '88 squad, she helped lead her team to the Premier League Championships in 2003 and 2004, as well as a championship at the Plano Labor Day tournament in 2004.
"Kelsey has the size and athleticism needed in goal," Abdalla said. "She has solid hands and is a good shot stopper. She's just an overall great athlete with a tremendous amount of potential."
Karoly was named the Offensive Player of the Year at San Pasqual High School in Escondido, Calif., following her junior season. She is also a standout track athlete, as she holds the school records in the 100m, 200m and 400m.
"Lizzy brings a ton of pace up top," Abdalla said. "She is great at going at players and has a real knack for finding the back of the net. She has been competing and excelling in the Coast Soccer League in Southern California, one of the top leagues in the country, and I have no question she'll continue that success here."
White has been a four-year letterman at Mansfield High School. In 2003, she was named the District 4-5A Newcomer of the Year as well as first-team all-district. This past season, she was named the district MVP. She is currently a member of the Dallas Texans '88 red squad.
"Chelsea adds size and athleticism to our frontrunners and midfielders," Abdalla said. "She has a huge upside and will be a player that we are going to see get better and better each game. I expect her to become an imposing offensive threat in the college game."
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Battan is an all-league second-team performer for Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif. She has four years of experience in the Olympic Development Program. With her club team, she won the Cal North State Cup Champions in 2005, as well as the North Coast Section Champions in 2003 and 2005 with her high school team.
"One of our California players, Batten comes from one of the top clubs in the country, the Pleasanton Rage," Abdalla said. "She has been a versatile player with that group and has played all over the field. Her ability to adapt to different roles is what really caught my eye back when she was a freshman in high school."
Bowman, a native of Arlington, Texas, has been a four-year letterwinner at Arlington High School. She was named Newcomer of the Year as a sophomore and earned all-district and all-state honors as a junior. She posted 13 shutouts as a sophomore and 17 as a junior. She is a member of the NSCAA All-Region team and the North Texas State ODP team.
"Kadye has a great presence in the net and is a very good shot stopper," Abdalla said. "It is her ability to read the game and play off her line that I think is going to make the biggest impact."
Paulson comes to TCU from Midland High School. She was named second-team all-district as a sophomore and earned first-team honors as a junior. She is currently a member of the state ODP team.
"Anna is going to add a lot to our roster with her tenacious attitude," Abdalla said. "She's very comfortable with the ball at her feet and reads the game well; but it's her competitive nature that I think is going to be a huge asset to the future of our program."
