Alabama Soccer Inks Six in Early Signing Period
11/13/2019 1:39:00 PM | Soccer
The Crimson Tide adds five standout student-athletes to its 2020 freshman class
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama soccer team signs five outstanding student-athletes for its 2020 freshman class, head coach Wes Hart announced this week. The incoming class includes Taylor Carter, Kate Henderson, Felicia Knox, Tanna Sanchez Carreto, and Gessica Skorka.
"We've had some very good recruiting classes the past couple of years, and this class is no different," head coach Wes Hart said. "Similar to our 2019 class, I believe you will see some players step in and be major contributors from day one."
Taylor Carter
Olney, Md. | Glenelg HS | Baltimore Armour | Midfielder/Forward
"Taylor is a very skillful and creative attacking player. Her versatility will allow her to play anywhere in the midfield or up top. She can score goals!" – Wes Hart
Carter, a 5'6 midfielder/forward from Olney, Md., spent her club career at Baltimore Armour under coaches Danny Skelton and Santino Quaranta. She split her time also playing at Glenelg High School under Coach Andrew Shearer where she was a three-time Student of the Month.
Kate Henderson
Anaheim Hills, Calif. | Canyon HS | Newport Beach Slammers FC | Midfielder/Forward
"Kate is a dynamic midfielder that loves running with the ball and taking players on. She can score goals or create scoring chances for others." – West Hart
Henderson, a 5'3 center midfielder/forward from Anaheim Hills, Calif., spent her club career playing for the Newport Beach Slammers under head coach Cheyanne Gordon. At Canyon High School under the guidance of Scott Dement, Henderson led her team to become League Champions as well as earning the Most Valuable Offensive Player and the Coaches Award.
Felicia Knox
Kansas City, Mo. | Notre Dame de Sion HS | Sporting Blue Valley | Center Mid-Fielder
"Felicia is a technically gifted central midfielder with great vision. Her passing is as good as any CMF in the country. She can score goals from distance." – Wes Hart
Knox, a 5'4 center-midfielder from Kansas City, Mo., spent her club career playing for SBV under head coach Colin Bulluich. At Notre Dame de Sion High School, she powered her team to second place in the state under the guidance of head coach Matt Darby.
Tanna Sanchez Carreto
Puebla, Mexico | Noria FC | | Tec de Monterrey Campus Puebla | Defender
"Tanna is an athletic and intelligent defender that is also very good with the ball. Tanna's international experience playing with Mexico U17 and U20 has undoubtedly prepared her for success in the college game. She started alongside Reyna Reyes for Mexico, who finished runner's up in the U17 World Cup last year." – Wes Hart
Sanchez, a Noria FC and U20/U17 Mexico National Team defender comes to the Capstone from Puebla, Mexico. As a member of the Mexican National Team, she helped capture the silver medal in the FIFA U17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay with current Alabama midfielder/defender, Reyna Reyes. She was named 2018 Female Best XI, earned the silver medal at the 2018 CONCAAF Women's U17 Championships, as well as participated in the Mexico's U20 National Team US Tour competing against Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Purdue. In addition, Sanchez spent her club career playing for Tec de Monterray under head coach Diego Osvaldo Lagunes, powering her team to become back-to-back State Champions in the Champions Cup as well as National Champions in the Tec de Monterrey 75th Anniversary Tournament.
Gessica Skorka
Plano, Texas | The Colony HS | Solar Soccer Club | Defender
"Gessica is a scrappy and tough defender that is very good joining the attack. Her versatility will allow her to play anywhere along the backline or midfield." – Wes Hart
Skorka, a 5'3 defender from Plano, Texas, spent her club career playing for Solar under coaches Derek Missimo, Ben Williams, and Adrian Solca, where she led her team to becoming the 2019 National Champions. Skorka played as a forward for The Colony High School under head coach Tommy Ray, where she earned multiple accolades including All-Academic and First Team All-District. In addition, she won Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman and was the only rookie player on the varsity team. Skorka is also a member of the National Honors Society.
Penny Smith
Westlake Village, Calif. | Century Academy | Forward
Smith, a 5'7 forward from Westlake Village, Calif. spent her club career playing for Camarillo Eagles SC under head coach Kristy Walker. She was part of the inaugural DA season and earned the DA Play of the Week for her goal against SC Del Sol in April 2019. In addition, Smith also competed at Century Academy under the guidance of Frank Marino where she powered her team to become Marmonta League Champions and was also named a Scholar Athlete. As a member of the varsity team her freshman year, she assisted in earning the team an undefeated season. Smith was also awarded the Congress of Future Medical Leaders Award of Excellence by Nobel Prize Winner Mario Capecchi.
Get all the latest information on the team by following @AlabamaSoccer on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. General athletic news can be found at @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and @AlabamaAthletics on Facebook.
