KSU soccer added eight total players to their 2013 roster, with six players signing National Letters of Intent, while two players transferred from different universities.
The class includes forwards Shannon Driscoll and Maggie Gaughan, midfielders Suzanne Arafa, Monica Herrera, and Cassidy Kemp and goalkeeper Olivia Sturdivant. Kemp, who is also listed as a forward, is a versatile utility player for the Owls.
“We are very pleased with this class,” said King. “This is a class that we have put together for a couple of years and I am thrilled with the group. It is a collection of very good athletes, but then also blended with some very technical players with a high soccer IQ. I am delighted with this group. It is very exciting.”
Along with the signings, KSU added two players from the SEC. Defenders Elizabeth Johnson and Brittney Reed will bring experience to the Owls defense. Johnson, who previously played 13 matches for the University of Georgia in the 2012 season, is used to playing in big games.
Before arriving at UGA, Johnson was a four-year starter and four-time all- region performer at Fellowship Christian High School. She helped lead her team to state final four in 2011, and went on to surpass that when her team recorded a finalist finish the following year in 2012.
She claimed MVP honors in the 2011 season, and claimed two state titles with the North Atlanta Soccer Association in 2008 and 2010. Her team went on to win the national league championship in 2010 following their state victory.
“They [Johnson and Reed] are the type of players that we like to have on our team,” said KSU head coach Rob King. “They are not going to panic under pressure. They are used to playing in big games and are they are settling in very nicely.”
The Owls have added offensive firepower in Driscoll and Gaughan. Driscoll tallied 64 goals in her career at River Ridge High School. A three- year varsity letterwinner, she helped lead her team to the state championship in each of her first three years of high school. She earned Cherokee County All-County Team honors following her sophomore and junior seasons.
In her career at Hillgrove High School, Gaughan scored 58 goals and added 23 assists through her junior year. She scored 13 game-winning goals in her career. As a member of the Southern Soccer Academy and Cobb FC premier teams, she won the 2012 State Cup Championship.
“These two are both athletic forwards,” King said. “They are big, strong and fast. They can play with their back to goal and hold the ball up, but they are also a threat in behind and they can finish as well. They are very versatile and can play as central forwards in that position, but can also play wide because they have the pace to take players on. They are both very hardworking and I expect a lot from both of them immediately.”
KSU will add championship experience with their signees. The players will join the Owls squad in fall of 2103, and look to make an immediate impact.
