CLEVELAND, Ga. (March 4, 2020) – The Truett McConnell University women's soccer team, who concluded the 2019 season receiving votes in the latest NAIA national top 25, announced their 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday, which includes 12 freshmen. The Lady Bears finished posted an overall record of 18-3 and clinched the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season and tournament title. TMU won back-to-back regular season titles and only lost one regular season AAC game the last two seasons.
"We are very excited about this year's incoming class," says head coach David McDowell. "A lot of time has been spent on pinpointing the areas we need to improve on and we feel this group of girls will make us stronger. Also, as well as being a class that is very strong on the field they are also a set of girls that embrace what the essence of our program is: which is to pursue excellence in all things in order to glorify God.
It seems like each year we are coming into contact with some amazing girls who are led to Truett with the same heartbeat of our program. These students really resonate with who we are and what the university it all about. We are a family and we take pride in this. When a prospective student comes to visit, she automatically senses this unique atmosphere and she wants to be a part of it.
I am very grateful for the team we already have here. Our spring season has started very well and this core group of returners has set a very high standard for what is expected here. Our desire is to get a little better each year and we feel with the returning group and this set of incoming freshmen that this will continue to happen."
Meet the 2020 class below:
Sarah Currey
Hometown: Bethlehem, Ga.
Position: Forward
School/Club team: Apalachee High/Athens United
Sarah's parents are Jeremy and Heather Currey, and she plans to major in Biology while at TMU.
She chose TMU because "I love every aspect of the atmosphere; the team, the campus, the people, everything felt like it was leading to TMU. I'm very excited to have this opportunity."
Coach McDowell on Currey: "Sarah is a goal-scoring center forward. She likes to play on the shoulder of the last defender and get in behind on through balls. She wants to go to goal and will give defenders issues with her robustness and work ethic. We love her attitude and believe she will grow a lot in our environment."
Addy Galason
Hometown: Kathleen, Ga.
Position: Goalkeeper
School/Club team: Houston Co High/AFC Lightning
Addy's parents are Ken and Mitzi Galason, and she is currently undecided in regards to a major. When it came to her decision to attend TMU, Addy said, "I didn't choose TMU, TMU chose me, and upon visiting I was able to see God's hand was orchestrating all of it. I am excited about the future and look forward to being a TMU Bear!"
Coach McDowell on Galason: "Addy is one of the best shot-stoppers I have seen in a long time. She is very agile and athletic and makes saves that most keepers would never attempt to try. Her positional sense is also very strong and she reads the game very well. In the games that I have seen her play in, I have always appreciated the relationship she has with the defenders in front of her, which tells me that she works hard to earn the respect of her team, which is vital for the goalkeeping position."
Samantha Gurewitz
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Ga.
Position: Midfielder
School/Club team: Mountain View High/GSA
Sammy's parents are Crissy and Jeff Gurewitz, and she plans to major in Marketing while at TMU. She chose TMU because "I genuinely enjoyed the smallness of the school and the team truly seemed like a family that I wanted to be a part of."
Coach McDowell on Gurewitz: "The midfield area is very important to us and the way we play. We value the ball and so it is important for us to find players that can possess and make good decisions even when they do not have much time on the ball. This summarizes Sammy. She has a calm and composed presence on the field, as well as doing a tremendous job of breaking up opposing team's attacks before looking to distribute the ball effectively."
JK Hughes
Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
Position: Midfielder
School/Club team: Homeschool/Concorde Fire
JK's mother is JJ Hughes, and JK plans to major in Health Sciences while at TMU. She chose TMU because "of the amazing environment the coaching staff and team have created. In addition, I love the core beliefs of this university and the high quality education it provides."
Coach McDowell on Hughes: "JK is a student-athlete we are very blessed to have joining us. She plays the game the way I think it should be played – simply and efficiently. She is very clean and tidy on the ball, has an incredible work rate and sees the pass before she gets the ball. Her speed of play is very quick and deliberate, and her transition to our team will be smooth."
Sydney Hurst
Hometown: Watkinsville, Ga.
Position: Defender
School/Club team: Oconee Co High/Oconee FC
Sydney's parents are Penn and Keri Hurst, and she plans to major in Psychology while at TMU. She chose TMU because "of the campus, the coaching staff, and the team's accomplishments."
Coach McDowell on Hurst: "Sydney is a combative and robust defender. She is a strong tackler and does not shy away from winning balls in the air. Over the years of recruiting her I have also seen her understanding of the game improve a lot, which is testament to her work ethic and attitude to always look to improve. She comes to us 'college-ready' with her physicality and we look forward to Sydney challenging to play in our backline."
Hope Kenney
Hometown: Dahlonega, GA
Position: Forward
School/Club team: Lumpkin Co High
Hope's mother is Rachel Kenney, and she plans to major in Education while at TMU. She chose TMU because "when I first stepped on the campus I instantly felt like it was a place where I'd feel the most comfortable at. To top it all off I really enjoyed the company of the women's soccer team when I did my overnight visit and that made me realize how much I wanted to play soccer in college and how much I would enjoy being a part of a team."
Coach McDowell on Kenney: "Hope is one of the most natural finishers I have seen for a long time. She can score with either foot, her movement is very purposeful, and she links up well with those around her. I remember seeing her as a freshman in high school and thinking how she scores goals for fun and now we are excited about the impact she will have on our program."
Annabel Kesinger
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Ga.
Position: Defender
School/Club team: Mountain View High/GSA
Annabel's parents are David and Brooke Kesinger, and she plans to major in Biology while at TMU. She chose TMU because "I've always gotten this feeling with Truett that it was exactly the kind of place the Lord had in mind for me. I loved the team and the coaches. They made me feel like I was already a part of the program and the school, and didn't hesitate to make me feel welcome. I can't wait to truly become a part of the team and a part of the Truett McConnell family."
Coach McDowell on Kesinger: "Sometimes when you see a recruit early on in her high school career you wonder how much they will improve before they graduate. I saw Annabel as a sophomore and was very impressed with her ability. She is a great tackler and passer of the ball and is very brave. I have never seen her pull out of a tackle. However, every time I saw her play over the past two years she seemed to get better each game. As a senior, she now reads the game tremendously, organizes the backline superbly and makes very good decisions on the ball. Annabel will suit our style of play very well."
Mary Beth Latta
Hometown: Palmer, Alaska
Position: Midfielder
School/Club team: Mat Su Central High/Crossfire Alaska
Mary Beth's parents are Jeffery and Valerie Latta, and she is currently undecided in regards to a major. She chose TMU because "of how Christ focused it is, the way everyone was so welcoming, and because of Coach Mac's coaching beliefs/style."
Coach McDowell on Latta: "Mary Beth can play a number of positions for us across the midfield. She is technically very solid with a good first touch and possesses the ball very well. On her visit with us, it was apparent she was an excellent fit for our university and program. She meshed really well with our girls and showed on the field how she will improve our team with her ability."
Maddie Miller
Hometown: Newnan, Ga.
Position: Goalkeeper
School/Club team: Newnan High/Concorde Fire
Maddie's parents are Elizabeth and Russell Miller, and she plans to major in Biology while at TMU. She chose TMU because "the atmosphere is everything I want in a college."
Coach McDowell on Miller: "Maddie is another strong goalkeeper we have coming in this year. She understands the modern game in that she reads the game very well and is a great distributer, which is important with the way that we play. Her shot-stopping ability and how she deals with crosses is also excellent."
AK Navas
Hometown: Jefferson, Ga.
Position: Midfielder
School/Club team: Jefferson High/Atlanta Fire United
AK's parents are Kim and Bill Navas, and she plans to major in nursing while at TMU. She chose TMU because "of the people. They are my favorite part of TMU. You can play the sport you love or get a degree from any college pretty much, but the relationships you build while you're there is what's going to mean the most in the long run. As soon as I stepped on campus everyone was so welcoming and kind."
Coach McDowell on Navas: "One of the common factors of this freshman class is there is a strong sense of positivity among the group. Besides the fact that AK is a phenomenal player in that she is technically strong, tactically sharp, and a strong competitor, she is also a great teammate. She encourages and leads and her positivity is contagious. It's very important to us to find girls that are great people as well as great players and AK definitely fits this mold."
Hannah Sutherland
Hometown: Newnan, Ga.
Position: Defender
School/Club team: Northgate High/AFC Lightning
Hannah's parents are Mike and Vicki Sutherland, and she plans to major in early childhood education while at TMU. She chose TMU because "I needed a place where I could have school, soccer, and church all built on the foundations of each other. No more picking one over the other and TMU gave me the best place for that."
Coach McDowell on Sutherland: "Hannah was our first commit to this 2020 class and it was evident from early on that she was a great fit for our program. She is competitive and strong and will contest for every ball. Her athleticism will also give us another dynamic to work with in the backline as I have seen her shut down strikers who are more reliant on their speed. She is also another defender that looks to connect passes after she wins it so will fit our style very well."
Alexia Tatuta
Hometown: Dacula, Ga.
Position: Midfielder
School/Club team: Hebron Christian Academy/GSA
Alexia's parents are Daniel and Melanie Tatuta, and she plans to major in nursing while at TMU. She chose TMU because "I quickly fell in love with the school. I had heard amazing things about both the nursing program and soccer program. When I came for an overnight visit with the soccer team, I could tell that there was great chemistry in the team and I felt that each of the players wanted to be their best. I believe that TMU was the right choice because I'll be able to play the sport I love and major in something I am passionate about."
Coach McDowell on Tatuta: "Alexia is a tidy midfielder who will complement our team very well. She does a great job with maintaining possession and focusing on playing the right ball each time. Her soccer IQ is also a positive attribute as she is a good 'student' of the game and always wants to develop and grow. We look forward to having her presence on our team."
