LIU Women’s Soccer Inks 11 Standouts For 2007 Season

5/24/07 -- Long Island University women’s soccer head coach Tracey Bartholomew announced the signing of 11 newcomers for the 2007 season. The standouts include Kelly Carter (Exton, Pa.), Christine DeLashmutt (Columbine, Colo.), Samantha Hoak (South Park, Pa.), Christine Jones (Hartford, Conn.), Lara Martinez (West Chester, Ohio), Caitlin Meadows (Brookdale, Calif.), Kayleigh Morgan (Harlow, England), Samantha Post (Littleton, Colo.), Brittney Rigtrup (Renton, Wash.) and Brittany Schandelmayer (Stow, Mass.). The Blackbirds also added Eleri Earnshaw (Rhyl, Wales) a graduate student transfer from Iona College.

“This is the biggest class of newcomers we’ve had here,” Bartholomew said. “They are all very talented and will make an immediate impact on the field. As a group, they improve our team’s overall speed and athleticism and will give us one of our deepest squads ever.

“In addition to their athletic ability, this class is also very strong in the classroom,” Bartholomew said. “Several of them are honors students, adding to a group of returnees we already have in the university honors program. Our strong academic foundation has played a big part in our athletic success at LIU, and this group will add to that.”

Carter helped Downingtown East High School to a 19-3-2 mark and was named All Ches-Mont First Team. A strong defender, she started for the 2006 regional champions, Spirit United Gaels, and also helped them to the finals of the 2006 U.S. National Youth Soccer Championships.

DeLashmutt is a goalkeeper out of Columbine High School. One of the top players in Colorado, she was the first four-year starter in the school’s history and has experience playing for the state ODP team and at the regional camp.

As a midfielder, Hoak played at South Park High School, the same school as current Blackbird Caley Troutman. Hoak helped the team to a WPIAL Championship as a senior, earning All-State recognition and was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “Elite 11.”

Jones was a two-sport standout for Weaver High School. A tremendous athlete, she will bring speed to the LIU lineup. She was an all-state performer in track, but had an impressive career on the field as well, posting 32 goals and 17 assists earning all-conference honors in 2005 and 2006.

Martinez is a tall, athletic forward and helped Lakota East High School to a sectional championship as a senior. A member of the Cincinnati United Premier Red, Martinez also played for the Ohio South State ODP team.

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Meadows is a versatile athlete who helped San Lorenzo Valley High School to a 7-3-2 mark as a senior. After posting nine goals and eight assists, she was named co-Midfielder of the Year and County Player of the Year. She played club soccer with the SCC Breakers and De Anza Force.

Arriving from England, Morgan stands 5-10 and will add tenacity and height to the Blackbirds’ backline. An experienced player, Morgan played with the West Ham United Ladies, as well as the Colchester United Ladies.

Post played at Heritage High School where she earned Continental League Honorable Mention two times. Post played club soccer with Real Colorado National, along with fellow incoming Blackbird Christine DeLashmutt. The pair helped the team to a state cup championship and Disney Shootout championship.

Rigtrup is a physical goalkeeper who played in net for Washington Premier FC. An accomplished ODP player, she was part of the Region IV camp for three seasons and helped her team to a second place finish nationally in 2005. Although a goalkeeper primarily, she played midfield at Hazen High School and earned All-League Honorable Mention.

Schandelmayer is a physical and skilled midfielder who played for Nashoba Regional High School. A three-time all-state performer, she was named the Central Massachusetts MVP in 2004. Schandelmayer has seven years of ODP experience and made the ODP Region I team in 2006.

Earnshaw was a three-year starter at Iona, earning All-MAAC First Team honors on two occasions. A member of the New York Magic in the W-League, she is an accomplished member of the Wales National Women’s Team and will give LIU experience on the backline.

The Blackbirds will open their 2007 season on Friday, Aug. 31, at Rutgers. The defending Northeast Conference champions, LIU tied a school record for wins with a 13-8-1 mark last year.