Alabama Soccer Adds Six for 2006
2/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Grace Lawson (Hendersonville, Tenn./Pope John Paul II), Ashley Scheidt (Cincinnati, Ohio/St. Ursula Academy), Kelsey King (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood H.S.) and Rosaly Petriello (St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada/Holy Cross Secondary) all signed national letters of intent to play for Alabama this week. Jamie Zimmerman (White Hall, MD/University of Richmond) will also join the team as a transfer after playing her freshman season at Richmond and Kelley Coke (Odessa, Texas/Odessa H.S.) will be accepted as a walk-on.
This year’s class includes two forwards and four midfielders that Staley believes will fill the void left by graduating seniors Libby Probst, Callie Morrill and Kylie Boyd.
“I like this group of players,” Staley said. “We’ve added some height and some offensive talent to replace what we’re losing. I’m excited for the arrival of these girls on campus and they will surely have a big impact on our team’s success.”
Grace Lawson, a forward, helped guide Pope John Paul II High School to the 2005 Tennessee State Championship and was named First Team All-State after scoring 28 goals and picking up six assists. She was a First Team All-State three times in high school and currently ranks second for most goals in a single season in the state of Tennessee. She also won a number of state titles while playing for the Diadora Impact 88 Premier and has participated in the Olympic Development Program.
“The biggest thing that stands out about Grace is her direct style of going to the goal,” Staley said. “She is an aggressive goal scorer that I expect to help in the replacement of our departing seniors.”
Ashley Scheidt is one of three midfielders to sign with the Tide. Scheidt played for the Ohio Elite and hails from St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio, the same school that produced current Alabama player Cara Kelly. At 5-1, Scheidt won’t be the tallest player on the team, but makes up for her lack of height with an impressive vertical leap and possesses an unbelievable knack for being around the goal on restarts. Scheidt has been named an All-State performer in Ohio and has participated in the Olympic Development Program.
“Ashley is a playmaking center-midfielder,” Staley said. “She wins a lot of head-balls at the net and has the ability to bring a great deal of creativity to our offense.
Kelsey King is the second player in two years to sign with Alabama from Kingwood, Texas. She will join former high school teammate and goalkeeper Karen Lansden at the Capstone. King, a forward, scored 23 goals and added 8 assists this season at Kingwood and scored 42 goals in 37 games during the Club Premier League. King was named District MVP in 2005 as well as MVP of The Woodlands Tournament. She has also garnered Houston Area “Athlete of the Week” honors and Kingwood H.S. “Athlete of the Year” honors throughout her prep career. Staley describes King as a slashing goal scorer who is efficient shooting the ball with both feet. She, too, has participated in the Olympic Development Program. King played for former SEC standout Angie Rigsby.
“Kelsey was one of the area’s top scorers this season and will add another dimension to our offense,” Staley said. “Since she played for Angie Rigsby, I know that she’ll be prepared to play at this level. At 5-8, I’m excited about the size and speed that she’ll add to our team.
Rosaly Petriello is another midfielder that Staley is excited to add to the roster. Petriello hails from St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada and played for the same club team, St. Catherines Jets, as current Tide player Hayley MacDonald. Petriello scored 10 goals and added 8 assists this past season and has been a member of the Canadian National pool and was named the MVP of the Canadian National U16 Tournament/
“Rosaly has outstanding shooting ability,” Staley said. “She can fire the ball with accuracy and will help bolster the center-midfield for us next year.”
Also joining the Tide soccer team in 2006 will be midfielder Jamie Zimmerman. Zimmerman played the 2005 season at the University of Richmond but has decided to transfer to Alabama and is already enrolled in school. She will compete with the team this spring. Last year she played in 13 games for Richmond and stared in 10. Prior to her freshman season, Zimmerman played for the Reston Football Club, one of the nation’s elite club teams.
“Jamie is a great technical player and has tremendous vision,” Staley said. “Her determination, dedication and work ethic will only improve our team as a whole.”
In addition, Kelley Coke has accepted admissions to the University and will be a member of the 2006 team. Coke was a midfielder for Odessa High School in Texas and also played for the Dallas Texans. She was named All-District at OHS and also has Olympic Development experience.
“Kelley will bring added competition at the midfield position,” Staley said, “and we expect her to compete for playing time.”
