LA JOLLA, Calif. ? UC San Diego women's soccer head coach Brian McManus has announced that high school phenoms Sara Bolton, Anne Wethe, Sarah McTigue, Sara Spaventa and Alex Krzyzosiak will be joining the Tritons for the 2008 season. Hailing from Carlsbad, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Berkeley, the group features a forward, two midfielders, a sweeper and a goalkeeper.
“They will need to step in and keep the tradition going here at UCSD,” McManus said. “Though it seems we have lost a lot of key players, we have a core group coming back and that combined with these recruits should make for an exciting year. They each bring something different to the game and I'm excited to see how they transition into becoming college athletes.”
Bolton, a 5-foot-6 midfielder from Carlsbad High School, currently plays for the La Jolla Nomads, a club program led by McManus and UCSD assistant coach Kristin Jones. The La Jolla squad won the Nomads Showcase in March, thanks in large part to Bolton's play.
“Sara is a very steady and consistent player who is deadly on set pieces and can shoot from anywhere on the field,” McManus said. “We are looking for her to play a big role next season.”
Two of the standouts coming to UCSD, Wethe and McTigue, play for the Los Angeles Wolfpack Soccer Club. The duo led the Wolfpack Blue to the CSL Premier League Title this past fall. Wethe, a 5-foot-5 center midfielder, comes from Los Alamitos High School while McTigue, a 5-foot-7 forward, will graduate from Valley Christian High School.
“[Wethe] should come in and make an immediate impact,” McManus said about the 5-foot-5 center midfielder. “Though her frame might be small, her presence on the field can be felt by teammates and opponents alike. [McTigue] should be able to come in and bring quality and tenacity to the team. She has goal scoring ability and should make an immediate impact as well.”
In an effort to solidify the squad's defense, the coaching staff added Spaventa to the mix as a sweeper. A star from the Santa Barbara Soccer Club and San Marcos High School, Spaventa recently earned All-Channel League First Team honors. The San Marcos squad won the CIF, City and League championships.
“She has big shoes to fill this year at sweeper but does appear to be talented enough to do the job for us,” McManus said. “Plays composed in the back and is athletic enough to compete with the best forwards in the conference.”
Krzyzosiak, a goalie from Berkeley High School, will compete with UCSD senior Jessica McGovern, a All-West Region First Team honoree, for time in net for the Tritons. After leading Berkeley to a league championship in March, Krzyzosiak was named to the All-ACCAL First Team.
“She's going to come in and compete,” McManus said. “She's a great goalkeeper and she'll push Jess for playing time.”
The Tritons start their 2008 season with a match in Ellensburg, Wash., on Aug. 28. UCSD's home opener will be held on Sept. 3 against Cal State San Marcos at 7 p.m.
