August 15, 2011

ST. AUGUSTINE − Flagler College head women’s soccer coach Teddy Meyer announced his 2011 recruiting class this afternoon. A total of seven newcomers will join 16 returnees. The newcomers are: Cory Amend, Kaeta Choquette, Dempsey Hall, Christina Kinman, Casey Merson, Katie Mitchell, Kathleen Quillian and Jessie Uvalle.

Amend, a 5-foot-3 defender, comes to Flagler from Palm Harbor University High School. She helped lead the Hurricanes to back-to-back state titles – one at 5A (2009) and the other at 6A (2010). Amend was an all-Tampa Bay area, all-Pinellas County and all-Pinellas County Athletic Conference selection.

“Cory is going to be a quality defender or center midfielder for us,” said Meyer. “She’s a versatile player and is good with the ball at her feet. Cory is a smart player. She doesn’t make many mistakes. Cory will be used at center mid and in the back four over her career at Flagler.”

Choquette, a 5-foot-2 goalkeeper, earned Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Class 5A All-State honors after her senior year at Gulf Coast High School in Naples. She recorded 13 shutouts and stopped five penalty kick attempts. Choquette also earned all-district and all-county honors.

“Coming in as a freshman Kaeta will learn to play at a higher level,” said Meyer. “She’s a great shot stopper and brings a good tenacity. She’s a good leader to have in the back. Kaeta is great at communicating and keeping things organized in the box.”

Hall, a 5-foot-3 forward-midfielder, led the Parkside High School (Salisbury, Md.) team in assists as a junior and senior. She was a two-time All-Bayside Conference selection and helped lead the Rams to four consecutive undefeated regular seasons.

“Dempsey is a flyer out of Maryland,” said Meyer. “She has tons of pace and is an outside midfielder. Dempsey can really fly, very similar to current midifelder Amanda Slevin. She’s going to be great getting in behind the back four of other teams - playing her in, through balls, really pushing her on to get in and be an attack-minded player on the outside. Dempsey has a great right foot and can serve the ball and we are looking for a lot of good things from her.”

Kinman, a 5-foot-4 midfielder, comes to Flagler from Florida State College in Jacksonville. FSCJ did not field a soccer team so she has four years of eligibility remaining. She was a two-time Class 2A All-State selection at the Providence School of Jacksonville. Kinman was a two time Florida Times-Union All-First Coast selection.

“Christina is a solid center mid, center back kind of a player,” said Meyer. “She is strong, physical and very good with the ball at her feet. Christina is a player who will push to make an impact in our center midfield area and give depth. She has some good experience playing for one of the top club teams out of Jacksonville. We are looking for a lot of good things.”

Merson, a 5-foot-8 goalkeeper, transfers in to Flagler from the University of Tampa. She redshirted last year for the Spartans and has four years of eligibility remaining. Merson prepped at Seminole High where she was twice named Pinellas County’s top goalkeeper twice. In her senior year alone, she collected 74 saves and recorded eight shutouts and helped lead the Warhawks to an appearance in the Class 5A state final.

“Casey will add depth to the goalkeeper position and push returning starter Cristina Coca,” said Meyer. “She’s a great shot stopper. Casey learned a lot last year as a redshirt at Tampa.”

Mitchell, a 5-foot-8 midfielder, helped lead Niceville High School to a pair of regional semifinals and a state final four appearance. She earned all-county honors as well.

“Katie is a center back/defensive center mid-type player,” said Meyer. “She has good size and is good in the air. Katie is another player from the Destin area on the team (along with Krystel Taylor). She will make an impact right away. Katie is a good player who is versatile with the ball.”

Quillian, a 5-foot-9 midfielder, played for the Atlanta-based club team Concorde Fire while attending Henry W. Grady High.

“Kathleen played for a great club team in Atlanta,” said Meyer. “They fared well in the region league. She’s got great size and can play outside or inside midfield. Kathleen has great pace, can knock the ball around and has good first touch. She can hold possession and maintain tempo in the game.”

Uvalle, a 5-foot-2 midfielder, starred all four years at Bishop Moore High in Orlando. She earned FACA Class 3A All-state honors as well as all-region honors as a senior. Uvalle helped lead the Hornets to three district titles. She was selected to the Brighthouse Sports Network’s All-Central Florida Girls Soccer Team.

“Jessie is a great player out of Orlando and one that we have had our eye on for a long time,” said Meyer. “She is a creative center midfielder who has a ton of ability. Jessie will challenge our center mids right away. She has a strong work ethic, great size and will be a solid contributor right away.”         

Flagler is coming off a 5-10-2 campaign last year and went 2-7-1 in the Peach Belt Conference. The Saints return nine starters from a year ago. The 2011 schedule opens with the Flagler Kick-Off Classic on Sept. 1 vs. Anderson University at 9 p.m.