Women's Soccer Announces 11-Member Recruiting Class
3/17/2008 10:45:00 AM | Women's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton women's soccer head coach Bruce Erickson has announced the addition of 11 players for the 2008-09 school year. The group will begin classes and be eligible for competition in the 2008 fall semester.
The class consists of Kelly Connolly (Omaha, Neb./Skutt Catholic HS), Carey Dahlquist (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Notre Dame HS), Beth Fyles (Calgary, Alberta/Ernest Manning HS), Mary Gilkerson (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission South HS), Erin Gunther (Longmont, Colo./Silver Creek HS), Rachelle Holt (Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator HS), Macy Mauer (Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury HS), Tessa McKeone (Omaha, Neb./Marian HS), Alicia Montgomery (Walnut Creek, Calif./Carondelet HS), Ariel Rank (Raymore, Mo./Raymore-Peculiar HS) and Megan Reilly (Midland, Texas/Midland HS).
“This class features both quantity, with 11 players, and quality,” said Erickson. “All 11 players are capable of filling either a starting or reserve role and all come from great youth teams with great coaching. It was especially important to all of them to come in and compete for a program that is on the cusp of something special. I anticipate all of them will be great teammates and will help us attain our goals.”
Kelly Connolly is one of two signees from the state of Nebraska, as she will graduate from Omaha Skutt Catholic High School in May. The 5-7 defender/midfielder will finish her prep career this spring for the Skyhawks. Last season, she led Skutt to the River City Conference championship with a 7-1 mark as the team finished 14-4 overall. Connolly scored 17 goals and added two assists in her first season at Skutt, garnering second-team all-state and first-team all-conference laurels. She played as a freshman and sophomore at Columbus High School, where she scored 21 goals and contributed 12 assists in her two years as a starter. Connolly played club soccer for the Elkhorn Inferno from 2002-08 under coach Tom McNeil. She chose Creighton over Drake, Northwestern, Loyola-Chicago and Boston College.
“Kelly is developing into a very good player,” said Erickson. “She has great size and speed, and her left foot will allow her to compete as a left back or left midfielder in our system.”
Carey Dahlquist is one of a pair of high school standouts from the state of Illinois, where she attends Peoria Notre Dame High School. The 5-5 midfielder has accumulated 16 goals and 20 assists in her first three seasons with the Irish, and will look to add to those numbers as a senior this spring. Her high school team has compiled a record of 61-13-1 in her first three seasons with three conference championships and two trips to the state quarterfinals. As a junior, Dahlquist earned all-conference honors after scoring 28 points on nine goals and 10 assists. She has participated in the Olympic Development Program, and currently is a member of the Kicker's United FC Premier Club Team under the tutelage of coach Dwayne Cruz. She chose the Bluejays over interest from Butler, Loyola-Chicago and Richmond.
“Carey really impressed us at camp this past summer,” said Erickson. “She is dynamic and tactically very strong. We look forward to her continued development as a player.”
Beth Fyles will become the second Canadian on the Creighton roster, joining junior-to-be Eden Hingwing in the fall. Fyles is a 5-4 midfielder/forward from Calgary, Alberta, where she showcased her skills for the Southwest United 90 FC club team. Under head coach Raf Premji, Southwest United has compiled a 216-52-29 record while Fyles has played. The club has been national medalists twice, provincial champions four times and city champions on eight occasions. In 2008, Fyles was named to the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League All-Star team, earning MVP honors. She chose Creighton over Gonzaga and Southeast Missouri State.
“Beth has a great attacking presence,” said Erickson. “She can play up front or wide in midfield, and is great at taking players on.”
Mary Gilkerson is the lone signee from the state of Kansas, where she has picked up 14 goals and 17 assists in her first three seasons at Shawnee Mission South High School. The 5-6 midfielder has been a three-year starter for the Raiders of head coach Travis Gatewood, earning All-Sunflower Conference second-team honors last season. Gilkerson has also played for the Kansas Olympic Development team and with the KCFC Alliance Jazz club team. Under coach Richard Davies, the Jazz were a state cup finalist in 2007 and semifinalist in 2006. She chose the Bluejay program over interest from Emporia State, Washburn and Kansas.
“Mary is a very physical central midfielder,” said Erickson. “She is a great ball winner and can create out of midfield.”
Erin Gunther is the lone Colorado native to sign with the Jays in the class. She attends Silver Creek High School in Longmont, Colo., where she's been a three-sport standout for the Raptors. The 5-6 midfielder/defender led her soccer team to a fourth-place finish at the state tournament as a junior, earning first-team all-conference, all-area and academic all-state honors. She was named an all-state honorable mention after tallying 21 goals and eight assists last spring. As a sophomore, she garnered second-team all-conference, all-area and academic all-state accolades, along with honorable mention all-state recognition. This spring, Gunther will look to add to her three-year high school totals of 114 points, 44 goals and 26 assists. She has also competed with the Fort Collins Arsenal club team and on the Colorado ODP team. She chose Creighton over Colorado, Long Island and Regis.
“Erin has the ability to step in and play right away, whether it be as a left back, wide midfielder or forward,” said Erickson. “She has great attacking instincts to go along with being a solid defender.”
Rachelle Holt joins Dahlquist as the second Illinois native to sign with the Bluejays. The 5-3 defender has been solely a club player since her freshman year of high school, playing for the Eclipse Select Soccer Association. The team was a second-place finisher at the state cup from 2002-06, receiving regional bids in 2006 and 2007. As a freshman at St. Viator High School, Holt helped the Lions to the state championship with a 21-3-1 record. She received interest from Marquette, Illinois State, Northwestern and Wisconsin before choosing Creighton.
“Rachelle is a terrific competitor,” said Erickson. “She wins balls, plays simple and defends relentlessly.”
Macy Mauer is the lone signee from the Minnesota, home state of Erickson and 2007 MVC Freshman of the Year Emily Orbell. The 5-6 forward has compiled jaw-dropping offensive statistics in her prep career. As a freshman at Onate High School in Las Cruces, N.M., Mauer led the state in scoring with 49 goals and 26 assists. She then transferred to Woodbury High School in Minnesota, where she capped off her career with a third-place finish at state last fall. As a team captain, she scored 14 goals and added eight assists to earn all-state and all-conference honors her senior season. As a junior, she came back from an injury to lead the Royals to the state championship. In her four-year high school career, Mauer's teams compiled an impressive 76-8-4 record. She chose the Bluejays over Nebraska, Minnesota and Louisville. Her father, Mark, played football for Nebraska and will enter his fifth season as the head football coach at Division II Concordia-St. Paul University in 2008.
“We have high expectations for Macy,” said Erickson. “She is gifted athletically and has the ability to take over games with a great knack for the goal.”
Tessa McKeone is the second Omahan who will play collegiately in her hometown. The 5-9 defender will become a four-year starter for head coach Ed Dudley at Marian High School this spring. Last season as a junior, she helped the Crusaders to a 14-5 record, garnering honorable-mention all-state recognition from the Lincoln Journal Star. As a sophomore, she was a first-team all-state pick. She has also been a three-time all-state honorable mention by the Omaha World-Herald. McKeone played on the Nebraska ODP team from 2004-06. She chose Creighton over Marquette, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Kansas and Saint Louis.
“Tessa has developed into a solid defender,” said Erickson. “She is extremely coachable with a great work ethic. She will adapt quickly to the college game.”
Alicia Montgomery is the lone goalkeeper in the class, hailing from the state of California. At Carondelet High School in Concord, Calif., Montgomery played as a freshman before deciding to play club soccer exclusively. She most recently joined the Bay Oaks Arsenal U18 team, after playing three seasons for the DVSC Black Pearl. Montgomery has been a member of the North California ODP team and was selected to play with the Super Y 90's select team. She chose Creighton over Loyola-Maramount, USC and UC-San Diego.
“Alicia is an outstanding goalkeeper who will compete with Kristen Casey for the goalkeeping job,” said Erickson. “She is very vocal and has a great presence on the field.”
Ariel Rank will get the chance to play with sister, senior-to-be Marcy Gans, in the fall for the Bluejays. A 5-5 midfielder/defender, Rank has focused solely on club soccer with the KC Dynamos and KCFC Impact for coaches Mike Saif and Huw Williams. Her team won the state championship and was a regional semi-finalist in 2007. She also played on state championship teams in 2004 and 2005. Rank chose the Bluejays over Minnesota and Baylor.
“Ariel has a great pedigree as a player,” said Erickson. “She is very good technically and tactically, and is always willing to do what is necessary to compete.”
Megan Reilly joins the class from the Lone Star state, where she attends Midland High School. The 5-4 defender is a captain for the Bulldogs this spring. She was named an all-district honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore, helping her team to a first-place conference finish each season. Reilly did not play as a junior. She is a member of the Dallas Sting club team, who finished second at the national tournament last season under the direction of head coach Kenny Medina. She has also played for the Dallas Texans and West Texas Heat club teams since 2000. She chose Creighton after considering Texas, Purdue and Georgetown.
“Megan is the kind of defender who fits into our system very well,” said Erickson. “She is a good 1-v-1 defender and is able to connect in possession as we build our attack.”
Creighton won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship last fall, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in six years, before falling to eventual national champion USC. The Bluejays finished with an 11-8-2 record.
The Bluejays begin their 2008 spring schedule with a game against Iowa State at Morrison Stadium on Saturday, March 29, at 1 p.m.
