Meet the new 2013 Thunderbirds!

Open publication - Free publishing - More 2013

INCOMING CLASS SIGNED!!!

CEDAR CITY, Utah, Feb. 7 – The Southern Utah University women’s soccer program announced its 2013 recruiting class on Thursday. The group is made up of 13 freshmen who will join the team for its second season of competition in the Big Sky Conference this fall.

“We are thrilled to announce our signing class for the 2013-2014 year. This is a group of high achievers who show a relentless commitment to excellence both on the field and in the classroom,” stated SUU head coach Becky Hogan. “It goes without saying that this is a large group of recruits, and we believe that this is an indicator that our team is gaining tremendous awareness as an up and coming soccer program. Southern Utah is becoming a place to be if you want to pursue soccer at the next level.”

The incoming class at SUU includes NLI signees Lindsey Butts of Sandy, Utah; Alyssa Gomez of Las Vegas, Nev.; Shelby Green of Layton, Utah; Logan Harker of Syracause, Utah; Elyssa Hashimoto of Draper, Utah; Katie Jones of Taylorsville, Utah; Kaitlin Parkin of Salt Lake City, Utah; Annabelle Schwab of Layton, Utah; Jahna Tacson of Waipahu, Hawaii and Chandler Yost of Pocatello, Idaho. The Thunderbirds will also add Kelsee Bone of Clearfield, Utah; Breanna Brown of Redding, Calif. and Aurora Moberly of Highland, Utah who have all been accepted to the university and will join the team for the upcoming season.

Kelsee Bone joins the Thunderbirds from her hometown of Clearfield, Utah where she was a four-year varsity letter winner and team captain at Clearfield High School. The 5-1 defender was an honor roll student at CHS and led the Falcons to their first quarterfinal appearance in the state playoffs. Bone also competed as a member of the Forza club for the past three seasons, capturing championships at the State Cup and College Surf Cup in 2011. 



Coach Hogan on Bone - “Kelsee is an extremely tenacious defender. Upon first glance, she appears to be smaller in stature than most of the players around her, but she is an explosive ball of fire. I dare anybody to overlook her – more often than not, these are the players that end up on the losing end of a bone crunching tackle (pun intended!).”

Breanna Brown is a native of Redding, Calif., but comes to SUU from Orem, Utah where she spent her senior season competing at Timpanogos High School. The 5-7 forward was an all-league selection for a Timberwolves team that advanced to the second round of the state playoffs and totaled 34 goals in her high school career. She also competed for La Roca FC and the Redding-CA Missfit Bandits. As a member of those clubs, Brown took home titles at the CalNorth Association Cup in 2011 and the Presidents Cup in 2012.

Coach Hogan on Brown - “Breanna, a.k.a. Sunshine (which alludes to Remember the Titans and her originally hailing from California), is a player who recently committed to us. Her nickname is fitting, as she has a bubbly, fun-loving personality and a great passion for the game. Fans will love to watch her determination as she battles to beat defenders and create scoring chances.”

Lindsey Butts was an all-state selection by both the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune following her senior season at Alta High School. The 5-7 defender from Sandy, Utah was a four-year letter winner for the Hawks and twice captured state titles, first in 2009 and then again in 2011. Butts also competed as a member of the Utah Avalanche, a top ten national ECNL premier club team.

Coach Hogan on Butts - “Lindsey's success in her club and high school history speak to her talent as a defender. She has been a big piece of the success of her Avalanche ECNL team, which competes at one of the highest levels nationally. We think that the fans will get a kick out of Lindsey, she is a gregarious person who positively affects those around her.”

Alyssa Gomez was a Wendy’s Heisman State finalist at Spring Valley High School in Las Vegas, Nev. where she led the Grizzlies to a an undefeated Southwest Division championship in 2012. The 5-5 midfielder led her team in assists and was named to the all-southern Nevada team. Gomez won a state title with the Las Vegas Premier SC 95 White, competed for the Heat FC 95 in the ECNL and spent three years in the Olympic Development Program.

Coach Hogan on Gomez - “Alyssa (or "Ya Ya" as she is referred to in close circles) is an outstanding student and an incredible talent on the field. She is very technical and has the ability to help the team make the most of every possession. In addition to her vast array of technical abilities, she is a quietly determined competitor.” 

Shelby Green joins the T-Birds from Layton, Utah after leading the Lancers to three straight trips to the regional playoffs. The 5-7 midfielder also spent nine years with the Utah Avalanche in the ENCL, where she competed alongside fellow SUU newcomers Lindsey Butts and Elyssa Hashimoto. 

Coach Hogan on Green - “Shelby is an absolute terror of a player. We believe that she is going to have tremendous success in our conference because there are not many players like her. Off the field she is a hilarious and bright person who will bring a spark to our team.”

Logan Harker was the leading scorer at Syracuse High School in each of the past two seasons. The 5-8 forward for the Titans was named to the 2012 Academic All-State soccer team and captured a state title as a member of the SHS basketball team in 2012. In club play, Harker helped Sparta ’95 to a championship at the 2011 State Cup, a 2012 Surf Cup championship, as well as a third place finish at Nationals in Florida. 

Coach Hogan on Harker - “Logan is a phenomenal athlete who brings a winners attitude. She's been a part of several championships and knows what it takes to succeed. Her impressive play at our fall ID Camp made all of us stand up and take notice, this includes staff and current players!” 

Elyssa Hashimoto won two state titles while competing for the Alta Hawks and was twice named first-team all-state by the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune. The 5-8 goalkeeper set Utah high school records in fewest single season goals (4), shutouts (18) and consecutive shutouts (12). The Draper, Utah native captured three Utah State Cup competed for La Roca 94 Premier, Olympic Montreaux 94 Premier and the Utah Avalanche. Hashimoto spent five years with the Utah State ODP team and was included in the Region IV ODP pool.

Coach Hogan on Hashimoto - “Elyssa is known as "Hashi" throughout the soccer community.  She is a phenomenal goalkeeper who will remind the fans of our graduating keeper Charly Booth. Her leadership and communication skills are very advanced for a youth player and we think she brings an exciting breadth of knowledge to our team.”

Katie Jones was a second-team all-state defender at Cottonwood High School in Murray, Utah. The Taylorsville, Utah native was a four-year letter winner for the Colts. Jones was a member of La Roca and the Utah Soccer Alliance at the club ranks, serving as the team captain for both squads.

Coach Hogan on Jones - “Katie is a fun-loving girl who really loves playing soccer. Her joking attitude and personality off the field are in direct contrast to her on-field game face. Katie is also a very dangerous defender who can take off at any moment, win balls in the air, or make statement tackles.”

Aurora Moberly started all four years at American Fork High School in Highland, Utah where she earned all-region honors and was named second-team all-state following her senior season. The 5-7 midfielder also received academic all-region and all-state recognition. Moberly competed for La Roca at the Disney Showcase and the November Nights Tournament in 2012, helping the team to an appearance in the championship game at each event. She also participated with the ODP regional team in 2010.

Coach Hogan on Moberly - “Aurora is another standout on and off the field. She is a very bright young lady and pertinacious competitor. Her varied skill set will benefit us anywhere we put her on the field, and she will be an exceptional ambassador for Thunderbird Soccer in the classroom and in the community.”

Kaitlin Parkin was an all-region defender at Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, helping the Eagles to three straight playoff appearances while also participating in the National Honor Society. Parkin was a member of the Utah Sparta team that took home titles at the 2012 Surf Cup, the 2012 Phoenix President’s Day Tournament and the Utah State Cup.

Coach Hogan on Parkin - “Kaitlin is a very stealthy player because of her demeanor on the field. She will run under the radar of opposing teams since she is not overly animated or loud, but she is a very strong outside back who gets things done. She is a very good player with a strong work ethic, and we are ecstatic to have her be a part of our team.”

Annabelle Schwab competed alongside current Thunderbird Madison Wood at Northridge High School in Layton, Utah. The 5-5 midfielder earned all-state honorable mention awards while leading the Knights to back-to-back playoff appearances. Schwab was also a member of the La Roca team that captured the Utah State championship in 2011.

Coach Hogan on Schwab - “Annabelle Schwab is a one of a kind player.  She is absolutely deadly in front of the goal and can put a shot of frame with either foot. Off the field Annabelle is a total joy to be around and will quickly become a community favorite.”

Jahna Tacson is a 5-4 midfielder from Waipahu High School in Hawaii, where she also played kicker for the Marauder’s football team. Tacson earned first-team all-state recognition and was named the OIA White Player of the Year in 2011. She also spent four seasons as a member of the Rush Soccer Club.

Coach Hogan on Tacson - “Our most recent signee hails from Hawaii and is an embodiment of the humble and easy going island spirit. This calm demeanor off the field belies her on the field presence. On the soccer pitch Jahna is a ferocious competitor. There is a lot of excitement surrounding her decision to become a Thunderbird.”

Chandler Yost comes to Southern Utah from Century High School in Pocatello, Idaho where she was a first-team all-state selection after leading the Diamondbacks to an appearance in the state championship game. The 5-3 midfielder played eight seasons for FLY in club play, earning a state title and qualifying for the President’s Cup.

Coach Hogan on Yost - “Chandler is one of the most driven, competitive players we have seen. She is the player who hates to lose and will do anything she can to help bring her team a victory. Chandler's competitive spirit is reflected in her relentless style of play. She pushes herself to the max all the time, and will run Big Sky opponents into the ground.”

“This collection of recruits shows a huge amount of heart and determination, the intangible qualities that are a precursor to success,” commented Hogan. “One of the most important qualities of this group of young women is that they are an excellent compliment to the current players on our roster. The players on campus now are paving the way for this incoming group to be successful. The strides we are making now will pay off big time come August.”