2005 Signees
2/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
2005 Signees
Alabama head soccer coach Don Staley has signed 11 recruits to fill out the 2005 recruiting class for Crimson Tide soccer.
This year’s class includes players from five different states. Staley feels that this class has fulfilled the team’s need for depth at several key positions including goalkeeper. The Tide signed three goalkeepers in an attempt to fill the void left by graduating senior Laura Lowman.
“The goalkeepers that we signed will have big shoes to fill but I’m confident that they’ll benefit from the competition with each other,” Staley said. “They each possess great skill.”
Also included in this class are two defenders, one center midfielder, three outside midfielders and two forwards.
“We feel that this class really fulfilled our need for depth,” Staley said. “We feel that we got what we needed and this class is really going to create a lot of good competition for us this fall.”
According to Staley, this is one of the best recruiting classes he has seen at Alabama, which can be attributed to several factors. The opening of the Tide’s 1,500 seat soccer complex has helped in the recruiting process. But so too has the renovation of Bryant Hall, which will house the Center for Athletic Student Services (CASS) that will help provide student-athletes with academic assistance.
Of the 11 signed, the hotbed for this recruiting class was Cincinnati, Ohio. The Crimson Tide nabbed five players from the Cincinnati area.
“It’s no secret that Cincinnati is a hotbed for women’s soccer due to its outstanding club and high school programs,” Staley said. “We’ve been blessed to have a few girls from that area succeed in our program in the past and we’re looking forward to having these ladies join our family.”
The Tide’s 2005 recruiting class also features two athletes from Alabama and Texas and one a piece from Virginia and Florida.
The 2005 Signing Class
Alex Butera of Orlando, Fla. is one of two forwards signed by the Crimson Tide. She is the daughter of Sal Butera, who won a World Series Championship with the Minnesota Twins. She led Bishop Moore (Fla.) in assists and helped guide them to four consecutive district championships. Butera’s club team also won the 2004 Regional Cup and Dallas Cup.
“Alex is extremely athletic and excels in many areas of her game, but especially in crossing situations,” Staley said.
Annie B. Collins is one of two forwards signed by Alabama and one of two girls coming to the Capstone in 2005 from within the state of Alabama. Collins played high school soccer at Mountain Brook High School for former Alabama star Jennifer Carle Wilson. Collins was named All-State Honorable Mention in 2001 and 2002. In three seasons she scored 51 goals and 34 assists. She played club soccer for the Vestavia Attack with fellow Alabama signee Callie Pike.
“Annie B. is a very good athlete,” Staley said. “She is one of hardest working girls I’ve seen and has shown loads of physical courage.”
Kailey Corken, an outside midfielder from Cincinnati, Ohio, has shown a tremendous ability to pass. She was twice named conference player of the year at Turpin H.S. and was a two-time All-state selection. Her club team won the 2003 Regional Championship. She played club soccer with fellow signee Cara Kelly.
“Kailey is just an outstanding passer,” Staley said. “Her ability to pass the ball equally with both feet is a tremendous asset. She has also shown great vision and athleticism.”
Jessica Deegan, of Centreville, Virg., is an outside midfielder with great speed an size at 5’8. She was a two-time all-district selection in high school as well as an all-region selection. She helped lead her club team, coached by U.S. National Team member Megan McCarthy, to the WAGS Division I Championship and the Virginia State Cup Semifinals.
“Jessie has shown great speed and already has great size,” Staley said. “She has the ability to be a winner and finds ways to score.”
Kara Gudmens is one of five signees from Cincinnati, Ohio. She split her time in high school between striker and goalkeeper but is expected to play in the net at Alabama. She was offensive MVP in at Milford H.S. and was also named to the All-Southwest Academic team.
“Kara brings tremendous athletic ability to the goalkeeping position and we expect her vocal command of the box to be evident even as freshmen,” Staley said.
Natalie Holovach brings a wealth of winning experiences to the Capstone. Holovach is a native of Highland Village, Texas where she played outside midfielder for the Dallas Texans. She guided her team to the Southeast Region Championship and the national semifinals.
“Natalie has outstanding technical abilities and is a superb athlete,” Staley said. “She’s a proven winner whose club team won the Southeast Region Championship. We look forward to seeing her skills being put to use here next season.”
Cara Kelly is another signee from Cincinnati, Ohio where she played club soccer with future Alabama teammate Kailey Corken. Kelly is a defender whose high school team was ranked No. 1 in the nation this past September. Three times Kelly’s club team won the Ohio State Championship.
“Cara will add a lot of athleticism to our back line and I think will benefit from the competition she’ll bring with her,” Staley said.
Brittni Lally is a goalkeeper from Lebanon, Ohio and attended Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy. She was a member of the Cincinnati United Premier soccer club that won the 2003 Ohio State Championship. Lally was also nominated for the 2003 Golden Glove Award.
“Brittni is a tough goalkeeper who is capable of making the difficult save,” Staley said. “She is agile and has great reflexes.”
Karen Lansden is one of three goalkeepers signed by Alabama. She was selected to the Houston Chronicle player to watch list this season. In 2004 she had 10 shutouts and was named First team All-District, All-Region and All-Houston. In her career she has 38 shutouts. During her junior season, she led her team to the Texas state semi-finals.
“Karen will bring a wealth of athleticism from her days as a volleyball/soccer player,” Staley said. “Both her high school and club coaches played competitive college soccer and have prepared her for the rigors of SEC competition.”
Callie Pike is a hometown girl from Tuscaloosa. Pike is a midfielder that has had a great high school career at Northridge H.S. She is a club teammate of fellow signee Annie B. Collins with the Vestavia Attack. The Attack won State Championships in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
“Callie has played great at Northridge High School,” Staley said. “She is extremely committed to soccer as shown by her willingness to travel to Birmingham to play for the Vestavia Attack.”
Colleen Posey is a defender and was Sycamore H.S. (Cincinnati) leading scorer in 2001, 2003 and 2004. She earned offensive MVP honors each of those three seasons as well as All-conference honors in 2003 and 2004. This past season she led Sycamore to its best ever record and district finals.
“Colleen is a tremendous man-marker,” Staley said. “She’ll give us the ability to slow down the offensive production of many of our opponents.”
