STATESBORO, Ga. –  South Georgia Tormenta FC has announced the addition of UC San Diego goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald to its 2023 USL W League roster, pending league and federation approval.

"Keara possesses all the qualities to play at this level. She has great hands and can make all the tough saves. She can also play with her feet, punt, and drop-kick for distance and accuracy. She is a strong leader at the back and is not afraid to command her team. She is a great addition to our goalkeeper group as we try to replace our three excellent goalkeepers from 2022."

Jim Robbins, Tormenta FC's USL W League Head Coach

Despite only playing two seasons at UC San Diego, Fitzgerald has proven to be a natural leader on the field. With a total of 27 games played, Fitzgerald has earned the starting position for UC San Diego. 

In 2022, Fitzgerald co-captained the Tritons, setting a new program Division I record for most saves in a game with 10 stops against San Francisco. Fitzgerald played a total of 14 games, totaling 1,170 minutes.

Fitzgerald is set to make her W League debut with Tormenta FC in 2023, and will look to lead the team to its second W League title in one of the toughest divisions in the nation. 

In June of 2021, Tormenta FC was named a founding member of the USL W League, an elite pre-professional pathway for women looking to build their careers both on and off the pitch. Tormenta FC won its first-ever USL W League title in 2022 after defeating the Minnesota Aurora in front of 6,500 fans in Eagan, Minnesota. 

Tormenta FC provides an opportunity for local and national players to develop and start their professional careers in Statesboro, Georgia. In just one year, Tormenta FC's USL W League team has produced five professional players with Jenae Packard joining Emily Burke, Kelly Giddes, Abigail Wolf and Jodi Medina as the latest player to sign a contract in Europe.

The season gets underway on Monday night when Tormenta FC hosts Tennessee SC at 7:30 pm EDT from Tormenta Stadium in Statesboro.

About South Georgia Tormenta FC
Founded in 2015, South Georgia Tormenta FC is a professional soccer club based in Statesboro, Georgia. Tormenta FC competes in the professional USL League One, the pre-professional USL League Two and the pre-professional USL W League, under the United Soccer League (USL), and has also established a thriving academy system throughout South Georgia and the Lowcountry of South Carolina. The club seeks to play an exciting brand of soccer featuring elite local, national and international players.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.