Duck Soccer Inks Five Prospects
EUGENE ? The University of Oregon women’s soccer team announced Thursday the addition of five signees that will join the program as freshmen in the fall of 2005.
First-year Duck soccer coach Tara Erickson welcomes a pair of local products from Churchill High School (Jessie Chatfield, Allison Newton), another top in-state prospect (Taylor Callan) from Jesuit High School in Portland, and a pair of recruits from Mililani, Hawai’i (Sarah Yoro) and Victoria, British Columbia (Leigh Quinlan).
“I think it’s a solid class that is athletic with talent that could help us immediately,” Erickson said. “I think they offer good balance and are capable of playing several positions. I’m impressed how all five waited patiently through the hiring process, and that shows their love and commitment to the University, athletic department and community. They’re a wide-eyed, exciting group of players with good credentials, and are obviously thrilled to be Ducks.”
2005 Oregon Soccer Signee Profiles
Jessie Chatfield, 5-9, Goalkeeper, Eugene, Ore. (Churchill High School)
One of the Northwest’s top prep goalkeepers, Chatfield was Churchill’s team captain as a junior and senior and most inspirational player as a senior. She was MVP of her OUSA U-18 club team in 2001 and ’02, and team captain in 2003-05 as her squad won the 2004 state crown and was a ?03 state finalist.
“Jessie offers good size and unlimited upside potential,” Erickson said. “She could definitely compete for playing time as a freshman. With two upperclassmen back in Domenique (Lainez) and Emily (Marrer), she has a great chance to tap their collegiate experience and still compete for playing time.
Taylor Callan, 5-7, Midfield/Wing, Portland, Oregon (Jesuit High School)
The four-year letterwinner helped Jesuit High School to two, top-three 4A state finishes, and was team MVP, captain and all-state in 2004. Her Lake Oswego Defeeters club team won state championships in 2000, ’02 and ’03, was a regional finalist in 2000 and regional quarterfinalist in 2002 and ’03. At the ODP level, she played on the state team in 2004.
“Taylor is capable of playing multiple positions, and has a good background and understanding of the game,” Erickson said. “She played for one of my previous assistant coaches, and comes from a good club. She’s another ODP veteran with state championship experience, and that will help her make an immediate impact somewhere on the field. She is versatile enough to play defender, central midfield or forward.”
Allison Newton, 5-6, Outside Midfielder/ Defender, Eugene, Ore. (Churchill High School)
Newton was a first-team all-state pick and Midwestern League MVP as a senior in 2004, and also a four-year all-league pick. She played on the same OUSA U-18 club team as fellow UO signee Jessie Chatfield that was the U-17 state champion and a U-16 finalist.
“Allison has great speed and is very athletic, and could compete at an outside spot, either in the backfield, midfield or at forward,” Erickson said. “She played on the ODP state team and state club champions, so she has good experience.”
Leigh Quinlan, 5-8, Forward, Victoria, British Columbia (Oak Bay Secondary)
Quinlan is heralded as one of Canada’s top forward prospects, and has junior national team experience. At the club level, she played striker for the Gorge United Women’s Premier team, and was an ODP national team pool member for three seasons. Regionally, she was a four-year member of the ODP provincial team, and regional team and regional pools.
“Leigh was recruited by several top programs across the nation and has good credentials as a goal scorer," Erickson said. "Her national team experience and U-19 pool credentials should help her step into the high-level of play in the Pac-10.”
Sarah Yoro, 5-5, Forward/Halfback, Mililani, Hawai’i (Mililani High School)
Yoro is the fourth touted scorer to arrive from Hawai’i the past five seasons, and follows the lead of Nicole Garbin, Mele French and Kami Kapaku. Yoro was an all-state first-team pick as a sophomore and junior, an OIA West First Team pick as a junior, OIA Second Team selection as a sophomore and OIA honorable mention as a freshman. Her high school team won the state title as a freshman (when she played with French), and were runners-up her sophomore and junior campaigns. Club-wise, she played two seasons for HSC Bulls 86 and six seasons for Leahi 87.
“Sarah has great technical skills, and could play either outside, midfield or up top for us,” Erickson said. “She’s a hard-working player and has played for a good club team. Oregon has had its share of success with Hawaiian players, and we’d like to continue that in the future.”
The University of Oregon women’s soccer team looks forward to its 10th season as a varsity sport in 2005 and welcomes back one of its deepest rosters of talent that includes nine starters and 23 letterwinners. Two of the team’s top all-time scorers, redshirt senior Nicole Garbin and Andrea Valadez, return with senior goalkeeper Domenique Lainez. Last season’s squad weathered an injury-plagued 3-13-3 season (and were 0-7-2 in the Pac-10), but features most of the talent from a ’03 team that notched program records for overall wins (9) and conference wins (3). The Ducks open their fall campaign with a home tournament, and face Eastern Washington, Fri., Aug. 26 and LSU, Sun., Aug. 28, respectively.
“We return most of the team back from last year, including a healthy Nicole Garbin, and I think our talent level is better than our record showed last year,” Erickson said. “I think these signees will have a chance to immediately compete for playing time and help us. I’d imagine we will add some other players, either freshmen or transfers, and we’re just starting that recruiting process.”
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