June 4, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format with 2010 Schedule 
PHILADELPHIA - After losing one of the largest and most successful classes in program history, La Salle Women's Soccer has brought in nine newcomers to fill the void left by those departing Explorers. The program is also prepared to announce its 2010 schedule.
That senior class posted the most wins over a four-year stretch (39), finished with the best winning percentage (.525) of any class, and left their mark all over the single-season and all-time career list at the school.
The incoming class will look to continue the success that Head Coach Paul Royal has enjoyed at La Salle, which includes five seasons with at least nine wins and two A-10 Championship berths. Royal believes this incoming group of eight freshmen and one transfer will help carry the program to new heights.
This incoming class includes one player with experience with the US Youth National team, four players with Regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) Team experience as well as a NSCAA High School All-American and two-time All-Region player.
"I'm confident in saying that this incoming group has the potential to be one of the most recognized classes in La Salle history, as well as one of the strongest and deepest in the Mid-Atlantic Region," Royal said. "We see a lot of the same strong characteristics in this group that our departed seniors possessed - a fierce competitive edge and a lot of pride in winning."
Also announced is La Salle's 2010 schedule, which features its season and home opener versus Canisius, Sunday, August 22 at 1 PM. Next up is the first of three tournaments the Explorers will take part in this year, starting with the TD Bank Tournament in Burlington, VT. La Salle will host seven games at McCarthy Stadium, including five A-10 Conference matches, all in the month of October.
Below is information regarding the nine newest members of the Women's Soccer program and the pdf link above is this complete release along with the 2010 schedule.
Kerri Aiken - Midfielder/Defender
Voorhees, NJ - Eastern Regional High School - Mount Laurel United Comets
Aiken was named to the 2009 NSCAA/Adidas All-American Team and was a two-time (2008-09) Adidas Regional All-American, NJGSCA Top 20 All-State, and Top 20 All-South Region. She also has two years NJ State ODP experience. At Eastern, Aiken captained the team as a junior and senior and earned Team MVP honors twice. She played as the starting varsity goalkeeper for her first two years in high school, while leading the team to the State Championship in 2006. To date, Aiken still holds the all-time shutout record at Eastern. She earned 12 varsity letters, while also competing in basketball and lacrosse, and was named the 2009 Wendy's HS Heisman at Eastern. Aiken is also active in the Mount Laurel United TOPS Program, which helps kids with special needs learn and play soccer.
Coach Royal: Kerri will immediately be looked upon to carry a very important role in the middle of the field, whether as a center back or a defensive center midfield. Having been recruited by some of the nation's top programs, I'm delighted that Kerri decided to further her college experience where her mom and dad spent the same years. Kerri's amazing air presence and technical speed of play should establish her as one of the premier defenders in the Atlantic 10 Conference right away.
Amanda Cade - Goalkeeper
Hamilton, NJ - Steinert High School - Hibernian Express U17
Cade comes to 20th and Olney after enjoying a very successful 2009 club season, helping Hibernian to the US Club Cup National Championship game, winning the Regional A (LaGrangebville, NY) Championship and the New Jersey Championship. While in high school, she was a four-year varsity letter winner as a goalkeeper for the Spartans soccer team and was a 2007 Mercer County Honorable Mention. She helped her team to four straight conference titles and two state semifinal appearances.
Coach Royal: With Amanda's raw talent, outstanding athleticism, and excellent shot-blocking abilities, (Goalkeeper Coach) Amy Grant-Hough and I feel that she will have a great opportunity to polish her skill traits by learning from some of the premier goalkeepers already here at La Salle (Melissa Sanger and Gabrielle Pakhtigian). Having the opportunity to be coached by Amy, I believe Amanda will develop very quickly and will show her teammates that she has the natural ability to contribute to our program in the near future.
Jackie Cammarata - Midfielder/Defender
Levittown, NY - General Douglas MacArthur High School - Albertson Fury 91
Cammarata brings four years of ENY State ODP and two years of Region 1 ODP experience with her to La Salle. While playing for Albertson, she helped them to the 2009 Regional Finals and the NY State Championship and twice played in the Disney Showcase of Champions. In high school, Cammarata captained the team as a junior and senior and led the Generals to an undefeated Conference 2 Championship in 2009, which earned her All-State and Scholar-Athlete accolades. She also played badminton and lacrosse. Off the field, she was in the National Honor Society, a four-year class president, and earned the 2008 National HOBY Leadership Award.
Coach Royal: Jackie's tremendous ability to take care of the ball under pressure is absolutely amazing. Her outstanding technical speed and ability to see third and fourth options are a rarity for a player at her age. Having been developed under Phil Cassella and Paul Riley with the Albertson Fury program, I feel they have greatly prepared Jackie to fit right into the speed and physicality of the college game. I'm fully expecting Jackie to become a major contributor this upcoming season as well as becoming one of the premier possession central midfielder in the A-10.
Ashley Chilcoat - Defender/Midfielder
New Freedom, PA - Susquehannock High School - FC Delco
Chilcoat has spent eight years on the EPYSA state team and was chosen as a member of the U-18 Select Region 1 Team that played in Russia. Among her high school accomplishments, in 2009, she was named the Player of the Year and All-County, after twice earning Honorable Mention. She scored 52 career goals and added 35 assists for the Warriors. A three-year class president, Chilcoat was in the National Honor Society, was a volunteer coach for the U-15 FC York, and holds a NSCAA Advanced Regional Coaching License.
Coach Royal: Ashley will be looked upon right away to fill the void left by one of our most gifted outside backs ever, Ally Kenney. As with Ally, I see a lot of the same great characteristics that Ashley possesses. Her outstanding confidence and leadership qualities will make her a perfect fit in our re-stocking year. With Ashley's great soccer IQ and international experience, she will have the ability to perform at high levels in several different positions. I'm really looking forward to seeing the best that Ashley has to offer our program and the college game in general.
Anna Dolhansky - Midfielder
Blackwood, NJ - Triton Regional High School - Medford Strikers Xplosion
Dolhansky was been with two club teams, and helped the TBAA/CSC Renegades to the U-15 State Championship. In high school, she was a four-year varsity starter and helped the Mustangs qualify for the state tournament each year continuing a streak of 26 straight seasons. In both junior and senior seasons, Dolhansky was the team's captain, the team's MVP, and a first team all-conference selection. As a senior, her 21 goals were good for 2nd best in South Jersey, added 11 assists, was named the MVP of the All-South Jersey All-Star Game and won the team's Offensive Award. She was a member of both the National Honor Society and the French National Honor Society and played basketball for three years. She also trains with U.S. National Team players Carli Lloyd and Heather Mitts.
Coach Royal: I believe Anna will be the sleeper among this talented class. She possesses an amazing competitive fire and passion that will give our midfield the needed edge in tight games. Her outstanding attitude, love for the game and excellent training habits have prepared her to excel at the college level. Having been developed under Medford Strikers club director, James Galanis over the past few years, I see a lot of the same great qualities that alum, Kim Lisun possessed (one of all-time greats here at La Salle). She has also garnered a lot of respect from some of the top professionals our country has produced. I'm fully expecting Anna to become one of the premier talents in the A-10.
Erika Markley - Midfielder/Defender
St. Peters, PA - Owen J. Roberts High School - Spirit United Wildcats - transfer from NC State
In two years at NC State, Markley played in 16 career games in the midfield or on the back line, while taking six shots. She made her collegiate debut against Elon and also played in ACC contests against No. 2 UNC, No. 11 Virginia, Virginia Tech, Clemson and Maryland. She saw a season-high 50 minutes of action last year against Stony Brook.
In high school, she was named Regional All-American, All-State, the Pottstown Mercury Player of the Year and the Pioneer Athletic Conference MVP during her senior season and was rated a top-150 player by Soccerbuzz. A senior-year captain, Markley led them to the school's 10th consecutive PAC 10 championship and helped extend the team's league winning streak to 121 games. In her four-year career, the team posted a 77-13-6 record and she had 16 goals and 16 assists. In 2005, the team post a state-record 21 straight shutouts and OJR's first District 1 title. She also played six years with EPA ODP (2002-07) and was a member of the Region 1 Olympic Development Program team for three years. She was named to U15 national pool and played on the ODP EPA `89 national championship team in 2007 as a defender as the team did not allow a goal in the tournament. She qualified for the U23 Super Y League national championship in 2007 and her club team Spirit United Wildcats made three appearances in the state finals.
Coach Royal: Having such an experienced and talented player as Erika was an incredible gift for us this season. I had the great privilege of coaching Erika in the Eastern PA ODP system, where she was a key component for us winning a National Championship. Her amazing ability to strike long distance balls with the precision of a pro will add to our transitional attack as well as our ability to gain greater possession in our oppositions half. Not to mention, she possesses an amazing on and off field personality that I'm sure will help inspire our younger group of players to want to become better. We're very lucky to have landed such a wonderful person and player from an ACC school.
Courtney Niemiec - Midfielder/Forward
Philadelphia, PA - Little Flower High School - FC Delco Sting
Niemiec boasts a successful club experience, which includes championships at the U-17 Red Bull NL, the U-17 US Club Region Tournament, and the U-17 US Club Soccer National Championship. She also was a Super Y League National Selection in 2005. At Little Flower, the four-time varsity letter winner was a three-time All-Catholic selection, earning first team as both a junior and senior. Niemiec also played four years of varsity lacrosse and earned All-Catholic honors three times, including first team as a sophomore and junior.
Coach Royal: Courtney's exceptional natural talent and creativity is something that is rarely seen from a high level club player. She's about as smooth and fluid off the dribble as you'll see. Her dominance among her peers at every level is what makes her such a special talent. We're very excited to have arguably landed the best player to come out of Philadelphia since Kimmy Leigh (Pawlowski) in early 2000. She possesses a great strike with both feet and will have the ability to play just about every position on the field.
Dominique Ponente - Midfielder/Defender
Ivyland, PA - Villa Joseph Marie - PSC Coppa Cavaliers
A two-sport star at Villa Joseph Marie, Ponente also brings five years of captain experience with her club team to 20th and Olney. She helped the PSC Coppa Cavaliers to the State Finals last year and the semifinals in 2008. Also in 2009, the Cavaliers were the Score at the Short North Carolina Champions, the Columbia Maryland Memorial Invitational Champions, a MSSL Spring College Showcase Finalist, and won the Ross Haney Tournament Championship for the third straight years. In high school, Ponente was a four-year varsity player in both soccer and lacrosse and helped the Jems to the District Soccer Title twice and Catholic League Title three times, while twice being named All-Catholic League. She is also an assistant coach of a U-7 girls soccer team.
Coach Royal: Having picked up Dominique at such a late period was a pleasant surprise. Having seen her at our EGS Academy camp, we were very impressed with her ability on the ball and in possession. We've also been in search for a talented left-sided player that loves to run at defenses and I feel Dom will be able to bring that to the table for us. Whether it's from an attacking flank midfielder or back, Dominique should get the opportunity to make her mark on the field sometime this fall.
Renee Washington - Forward
Pennington, NJ - The Pennington Prep School - Hibernian Express FC
Washington has a wealth of ODP experience, which included five years with the NJ State ODP team and was a Region 1 team member in 2009 playing in the Winter Inter-Regional in Mississippi. With her club team, she helped them win several championships in 2009, including the U16 US Club NJ State Cup, the U16 US Club Region A, and was a National Cup Finalist. At Pennington, the team was the NJSIA Conference champion four years in a row and won the Prep A State Title four times. Washington was a four-year starter, earning All-Area first team three times. As a senior, she scored 20 goals and had eight assists, which led to the Trentonian and Times Player of the Year honors. She also played varsity basketball for four seasons and was a member of the Spanish National Honors Society.
Coach Royal: Renee's athleticism and scoring knack around the goal should give her the opportunity to become one of the most dangerous forwards here at La Salle as well as in the A-10. She possesses an inner confidence off the dribble that the highest level attacking players need to succeed. I'm confident in saying that Renee has the potential to score 10-plus goals a season. If she continues to make the great strides that she's made in the last two years with her technical and tactical parts of her game this will definitely become a reality. Having seen her here at our EGS Academy Camp in 2008, she has really worked incredibly hard to become the best forward she can be.
