MONROE, La. - ULM soccer coach Roberto Mazza announced the signing of
eight student-athletes to National Letters of Intent Saturday. It marks the
first signing class for Mazza, who is in his first season as the head coach of
the Warhawks.
"We are very excited about this class," Mazza
said. "This class covers a number of different positions for us -- we
have defenders, midfielders and forwards. It is a wonderful group of young
ladies and I think they're going to bring a lot to us here at ULM, both on and
off the field.
"They are all very good students as academics
are very important to them, and they are going to fall into the new
culture of how our team does both academically and athletically."
The most signees came from the state of Colorado, including Antonia
Land (Wheat Ridge), Maya Kayyali (Centennial) and Karla Fehr (Lakewood). Two
Texans, Elise Reader (The Woodlands) and Elizabetha Zupanic (McKinney) signed
with ULM as well as Mariah Mitchell (Corona, Calif.), and Kylie Kircher (Las
Vegas, Nev.). Rebecca Calder (Johns Creek, Ga.) rounds out the class.
The rebuilding Warhawk team will benefit from the versatility of the
incoming freshmen class as four play multiple positions, with Fehr, Kircher and Zupanic having experience as both forwards and midfielders and Calder as a
defender and midfielder. Mitchell and
Kayyali are also midfielders, making the Warhawks stacked at the position with
six of the incoming eight bringing experience there. Land and Reader play at
defender and forward, respectively.
2012 Signees
Antonia
Land
5-11
Wheat
Ridge, Colo. (Wheat Ridge HS)
Defender
Prep:
Lettered two years at Wheat Ridge High School before concentrating on club
soccer... Helped her team to state championships during her freshman and
sophomore seasons ... Earned all-state honors during her sophomore season ...
coached by Dan Watkins ... Played club soccer for Colorado Rush and helped the
team to the first ever Dallas International Girls Cup (U18) championship in
2011 ... Club team was coached by Erik Bushey.
Personal:
Full name is Antonia Colleen Land ... Nickname is Toni ... Daughter of Todd and
Lisa Land ... Born Dec. 26, 1993, in Wheat Ridge, Colo. ... Has two brothers,
McKinley and Charlie, and one sister, Erika ... Undecided on major.
Elise
Reader
5-7
The
Woodlands, Texas (College Park HS)
Forward
Prep:
Lettered two years at College Park HS ... Earned honorable all-district honors as
a senior ... coached by Todd Underwood ... Also played club soccer for Challenge
'94 and coach JD Cochran.
Personal:
Full name is Elise Marie Reader ... Daughter of Gary and Susan Reader ... Born
Sept. 12, 1993, in Winfield, Ill. ... Has one brother, Erik ... Plans to major in
pre-nursing.
Rebecca
Calder
5-2
Johns
Creek, Ga. (Chattahoochee HS)
Defender/Midfielder
Prep:
Lettered four years at Chattahoochee High School ... Earned first team 5A
all-state honors during her senior season ... Voted Best Athlete Class of 2012 ...
garnered Amazing Hustle Awared in 2010 ... Coached by Vince Strine ... Played club
soccer for Atlanta Fire United.
Personal:
Full name is Rebecca Badgerow Calder ... Daughter of Doug and Dena Calder ... Born
Jan. 3, 1994, in Atlanta, Ga. ... Plans to major in kinesiology.
Maya
Kayyali
5-2
Centennial,
Colo. (Cherry Creek HS)
Midfielder
Prep:
Lettered two years at Cherry Creek High School ... Coached by David Paynter ...
Earned 3A academic all-state honors ... Selected for the 2010 Colorado Force
Showcase All-Star Team ... Played club soccer for the Colorado Storm U18.
Personal:
Full name Maya Jordan Kayyali ... Daughter of Sam and Deanna Kayyali ... Born
December 26, 1993, in Des Moines, Iowa ... Has one brother, Zander ... Undecided on
major.
Elizabeth Zupanic
5-4
McKinney,
Texas (McKinney HS)
Midfielder/Forward
Prep:
Lettered three years at McKinney High School ... Coached by Alex Pantarotto ...
First team all-district her freshman season ... Also named second team
all-district her sophomore and junior year.
Personal:
Full name Elizabeth Valentina ... Nickname is Liz ... Daughter of Rudy and Karen
Valentina ... Born July 30, 1994, in Kharkiv, Ukraine ... Has two brothers, Stephen
and John, and two sisters, Leslie and Emily .... Plans to major in
kinesiology.
Mariah
Mitchell
5-5
Corona,
Calif. (Centennial HS)
Midfielder
Prep:
Lettered three years at Centennial High School ... Coached by Trevor Bremudez
... Was the Defensive Player of the Year for the Huskies ... A Big VIII First Team
All-League pick ... Received an all-county honorable mention .... A scholar athlete
in soccer and track ... Played club soccer for the Canyon PSA and coach Eddie
Carrillo ... scored 20 goals and led the team in assists (46) in 2011 ... Selected
MVP of the 2009 Arsenal Gunners Cup after leading her team to win the
championship ... A member of the 2011 Las Vegas Players Showcase Treasurer Island
Championship team ... Was also a successful track athlete that earned a Big VIII
Second Team All-League selection in the 800m and 4x400m.
Personal: Full name Mariah Lynn Mitchell
... Nickname Princess ... Daughter of Mario Mitchell and Gwen Church ... Born April
18, 1994, in Beverly Hills, Calif. ... Has three brothers, Immanuel, Joshua and
Elijah, and a sister, Angela ... Father Mario played football at San Diego State
... Brothers Immanuel and Josh played football at Colorado State and Nebraska ...
Undecided on major.
Kylie
Kircher
5-7
Las
Vegas, Nev. (Bishop Gorman HS)
Midfielder/Forward
Prep:
Lettered four years at Bishop Gorman High School ... Coached by Doug Borgell
... Helped the Gaels to three-straight Southwest Division Championships from
2009-11 ... Also led Bishop Gorman to three consecutive undefeated seasons ... In
three seasons she compiled 20 goals and 33 assists ... Played club soccer for the
Las Vegas Premier '94 and coach Ivan Farris ... Scored 13 goals and 24 assists in
2011 ... Helped the team become the 2011 Nevada State Club Champions ... Received
the Scholar-Athlete Award.
Personal:
Full name Kylie Allyson Kircher ... Daughter of Stephen and Mollie Kircher ... Born
September 20, 1993 ... Has one sister, Kirsten ... Plans to major in pre-pharmacy.
Karlea
Fehr
5-7
Lakewood,
Colo. (Green Mountain HS)
Forward/Midfielder
Prep:
Letters three years at Green Mountain High School ... Coached by Ken Fehr ... A
2011 National Soccer Coaches Association of America First Team All-State
selection ... Nominated as an alternate for the NSCAA All-Region Team ... Scored
the winning goal in overtime to help the Rams win the 4A Jefferson County
League Championship ... Led team to the 2011 Colorado state semi-finals ... Also an
all-state honorable mention in 2010 ... On the first team all-conference her
sophomore and junior seasons ... Ranked 10th in the state in total
goals and fourth in the league in 2011 ... In 2010 she ranked 10th in
Colorado in points and second in the league ... Played club soccer for Real
Colorado National ECNL U-18 and coach Lorne Donaldson ... Team was a 2010
Colorado State Cup semi-finalist ... Leading scorer in 2009 ... Also lettered in
track for two years ... Made the 2010 first team all-conference.
Personal:
Full name Karlea Jamison Fehr ... Daughter of Ken and Lanae Fehr ... Born July 18,
1994, in Denver, Colo. ... Has one sister, Taelore ... Father Ken was her high
school soccer coach ... Plans to major in psychology.
