Aug. 16, 2006

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Comprised of seven players hailing from five different states, the Navy women's soccer Class of 2010 is ranked No. 1 in the Patriot League according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. In addition, Navy's rookie class is ranked 14th in the Mid-Atlantic Region and 81st nationally.

"It's a great class for us," said 14th-year Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "It's a little smaller than normal, but the players are not only talented, they also work extremely hard. It's sort of been our legacy for the last couple of years to not only recruit good soccer players, but players that mentally are so tough, work so hard and give everything they have to come out here and play. Our fitness and mentality have changed our team and made us better."

The coaching staff is hopeful that all seven members will contribute at some point this season. One player in particular who has gained praise by the soccer prognosticators is Bradenton, Fla., native Cassie Barbaresi (Bradenton, Fla.). A graduate of the IMG Academies, she gained notoriety for her play with the W-League in 2005 where she earned all-league recognition playing among some of the best professional soccer players in the country. Additionally, she was a member of the Region I and Connecticut ODP team throughout high school and garnered honors as the the Attacking Player of the Year at IMG Academies in 2005 and the Most Valuable Player in '06.

"Cassie is going to be on paper one of the most talented players we've ever had. We want to make sure we translate that onto the field, so now she's going to have to fit into our system, our style of players and our history."

Soccer Buzz Magazine listed defender Lauren Bresnahan (Weston, Fla.) as one of its top 150 high school recruits. With the graduation of 2005 team captain and four-year starter Lindsay Adlam, it opens the door for Bresnahan to make her mark as a member of the Mids' defensive unit. A solid one-on-one defender, she hails from a winning St. Thomas Aquinas program which claimed back-to-back state championships in 2004 and '05.

"We are looking for Lauren to make an immediate impact for us in the back," said Gabarra. "She is a tough one-on-one defender, both technical and tactical, and will be comfortable right away with our style of play. We will rely on her to organize and dominate our defensive end."

With the graduation of goalkeeper Haley Crain last spring, the goalkeeper position is open for that one player who wants it most. Newcomer Beth Reed (Indianapolis, Ind.), a product of Bishop Chatard in Indianapolis will battle sophomore Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) for the starting keeper job.

"Beth has a strong athletic background and the experience to step in and succeed at the Division 1 level," said Gabarra. "She is very good at all technical aspects of goalkeeping and also possesses the training mentality to reach a higher level."

Joining Barbaresi, Bresnahan and Reed in the Class of '10 are KC Gordon (Vienna, Va.), Jen Grijalva (Pleasanton, Calif.), Shelly Moeller (Milford, Ohio) and Brittany White (Carmel, Ind).

The Midshipmen kick off the 2006 season next Friday, Aug. 25, when they play host to Davidson at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Game time is slated for 7:00 pm.

Navy Women's Soccer Freshman Class

No.  Player              Pos.   Ht.     Hometown / High School
0    KC Gordon           GK     5-7     Vienna, Va. / Flint Hill School
5    Lauren Bresnahan    D      5-9     Weston, Fla. / St. Thomas Aquinas
11   Jen Grijalva        M      5-6     Pleasanton, Calif. / St. Francis
16   Shelly Moeller      M      5-10    Milford, Ohio / Ursuline Academy
19   Cassie Barbaresi    F/M    5-4     Bradenton, Fla. / IMG Academies
21   Brittany White      M/F    5-5     Carmel, Ind. / Carmel
99   Beth Reed           GK     5-7     Indianapolis, Ind. / Bishop Chatard