March 16, 2011
March 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES - LMU women's soccer will add three freshmen in the fall as Head Coach Joe Mallia announced the 2011 recruiting class on Wednesday. The Lions will welcome Amanda Dudley, Brianne Medved, and Gabby Neal to the program in addition to recent spring transfer Whitney Sharpe, who will sit out the 2011 campaign.
"We are excited not only about the soccer ability of these individuals but also about the class and character with which each one of the girls conducts herself," Mallia said. "Although this is a small recruiting class right now, each of these players has been recruited to fill a specific void or role and will be looked to do so immediately upon their arrival on campus."
Medved, a 5-5 midfielder from Los Gatos, Calif., led Los Gatos High School to the De Anza League Championship and the California Central Section finals during her junior season. An all-league performer in each of her first three seasons, Medved was named All-CCS as a junior after leading LGHS with 18 goals and 19 assists. This season, she was voted team captain and is again leading the team in goals (13) and assists (nine) as her team heads into the playoffs. Medved has also had success at the club level for DeAnza Force, winning the USYSA National Championship in 2009 and back-to-back state championships in 2009 and 2010. Brianne comes from a decorated athletic background as her father, Shawn, played professionally for 10 different teams, including D.C. United and the San Jose Clash of Major League Soccer. Brianne's grandfather, Ron, played football for the Philadelphia Eagles.
"One of the most attractive things about Bri in the recruiting process was her soccer pedigree. She has grown up in a soccer family and is part of a club team that has won a national championship," Mallia said. "These experiences around the game and in the game have made her a very smart player. She has tremendous instincts for the game to go along with her technical ability. The other thing that stood out in watching her play is her competitiveness and leadership. Having played against her dad myself, I would say some of his competitive edge has surely rubbed off on Bri. We are really excited to get her to campus."
A native of Seattle, Wash., Neal comes to LMU after a standout career at Holy Names Academy, where she won 3A Metro League Championships in 2007 and 2009, serving as team captain and winning team most valuable player honors in the latter season. The 5-7 defender plays club soccer for Crossfire Premier, a top-10 team in the nation that won the 2009 US Soccer Regionals and plays in the Elite Clubs National League. In 2007, Neal participated in the Super Y League Nationals and she has also played in the prestigious Red Bull PDA Showcase and CASL Shootout Showcase. Off the field, Neal is a member of her school's Debate Team and JSA Club and is a National Honor Society member.
"Gabby comes to us from the Crossfire Premier club, hands down one of the top clubs in the Pacific Northwest. She has played in an environment in which the commitment to the game and expectations are high, which will be very beneficial to her as she arrives here in August," Mallia commented. "As an individual she is driven both on and off the field to be her best. Specifically as a soccer player, she is a very technical player and the first thing you notice is Gabby has a sweet left foot, a great touch on the ball and can hit a ball well. This ability on the ball coupled with her work ethic is going to make her an individual that will have an opportunity to come in and help us next fall."
Rounding out the 2011 freshman class is Dudley, a 5-6 midfielder from Mater Dei High School in Newport Beach. Dudley was a member of the Puerto Rican Under-17 National Team in 2008 and played in the U17 World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Trinidad. After helping MDHS to consecutive Trinity League titles in 2008 and 2009, Dudley was named to the OCVarsity.com Girls Soccer Players to Watch list for 2010-11. Dudley plays for SoCal Blues on the club circuit, where she has finished among the top three in the nation at the USYSA National Championships in three consecutive seasons, including taking home the title in 2010.
"Like Bri, Amanda brings a club national championship to the table having won with her SC Blues team this past summer. That success at a national level provides invaluable experience that will help Amanda be successful at the collegiate level," Mallia said. "On the field, she is such a versatile player, potentially playing central or wide in the midfield as well as up top in the forward line. She is very clean on the ball, has a good understanding of the games. Add to that her high work rate and we believe she will push early on to make an impact on the field."
Mallia expects to add a few more players to this class before the spring recruiting period is over. LMU is coming off of a season in which it posted a 10-6-2 record, its school-record fifth straight year of double-digit wins. The Lions will return six players who earned All-West Coast Conference honors in 2010.
- GO LIONS -
