HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Head Coach
Jimmy Mitchell announced the 2013 signing class for the University of Alabama in Huntsville women's soccer program as six players have been added for the upcoming fall season.
“Overall, we are excited and pleased with the additions to our program,” Mitchell said. “We feel that we have added some quality student-athletes to the UAH women's soccer family that are going to be tremendous additions on the field and also in the classroom and in the community. We want to build our program around good people that will represent us well, and these young ladies are just that.”
The class includes five players from Alabama and an additional player from Canada.
“We want to make UAH women's soccer a great option for the player from Alabama,” said Mitchell. “We have brought in five players from the state – four of which are from surrounding counties. We believe this to be a statement that we want to recruit our local talent first and then venture out when necessary.”
Melody Dodd is a 5-6 forward from the Rocket City where she played for Huntsville Futbol Club in 2012 after playing for Madison Futbol Express. In 2012, she led HFC in goals, and in both the 2009 and 2010 seasons, she paced Madison in assists.
“Melody has tremendous upside,” stated Mitchell. “When we got the chance to watch Melody play, we were extremely impressed with her speed and explosiveness. We think that she can develop into one of the more dangerous players in the Gulf South Conference.”
A 5-6 midfielder from Welland, Ontario,
Alexandra Klein has been an offensive threat at Notre Dame College School, leading her team in both goals and assists during her sophomore and junior seasons. She played club soccer for the St. Catherine's Jets – the same team on which current Lady Chargers
Sydnie Fiocca and
Jillian Young played. A complete athlete, Klein has also lettered in track and badminton.
“I have been fortunate enough to watch Aly play for several years now as I have recruited several players from that area of Canada,” Mitchell said. “I have always been impressed with her overall technical ability, and she has a knack for scoring goals – especially off of free kicks. She will definitely make us much more dangerous in the attack and on set pieces.”
The first of two additions to hail from Athens High School in nearby Athens, Ala.,
Grace Morgan is a 5-6 player who could see time both at forward and in the midfield. She has helped guide the team to a 58-11-4 record over three seasons, including three consecutive appearances in the state semifinals and a state runner-up finish a season ago. A 60-goal scorer during her career thus far, she was named the 2012 Athens News Courier Co-Player of the Year.
“Grace is an excellent addition to our program,” said Mitchell. “After watching her play during the past year, we knew that she would be an attacking threat for us. If she prepares well for next season, she can be an immediate impact, and we are certain that when she settles into the college game, she is going to be a handful for our opponents to handle.”
Klaire Phillips also hails from Athens High School where the 5-11 defender has been a key part of the program's immense success. Phillips joined Morgan in being named the 2012 Athens News Courier Co-Player of the Year, and she was an honorable mention all-state selection after the 2012 campaign.
“When I got to UAH last year, I quickly made recruiting Klaire a priority,” stated Mitchell. “After watching her play, I found that she has the composure on the field and the ability to win balls in the air that is needed to be an elite-level defender. One of the things we want to be as a team is dominant in the air, and Klaire can definitely help us in this area.”
A 5-10 goalkeeper from Hazel Green High School,
Emily Rhodes has also played for Huntsville Futbol Club where she has been a three-year captain of her team, and she helped guide that squad to championships at the 2012 Tennessee Cup, Florabama Tournament and the Kicks Tournament.
“It didn't take long to notice how well Emily catches and holds shots,” Mitchell said. “She has great height for the goalkeeping positions, and we think that with time, Emily can develop into a quality goalkeeper for us that can challenge for playing time. We know that she has a tremendous upside to her game.”
Allie Wiggins rounds out the class as the 5-8 midfielder has had a strong career at Hewitt-Trussville High School. She was named the Birmingham News Northeast Player of the Year after her junior campaign in which she scored 17 goals.
“With the center-midfield position being a priority for us in recruiting, we wanted to find players at this position that could possibly play immediately,” Mitchell stated. “We think we found this in Allie who has the technical ability, vision, size, and strength to be a quality player for us. She has played at a very high level of club soccer, and seeing this level of play should allow her to challenge for playing time from day one.”
The new additions will look to bolster what is a squad that is moving in the positive direction after the team recorded 10 wins a season ago – including the program's first-ever victory at the Gulf South Conference tournament – while just narrowly missing out on a bid for the NCAA tournament.
