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| photo courtesy UF |
D.C. United Women fans will get a look at these former local youth standouts turned college stars - beginning this Saturday when Boston Breakers visit the Maryland SoccerPlex for a preseason exhibition.
"It's exciting to be bringing in top-flight players from some of the elite soccer schools in the country," said Head Coach Mike Jorden. "Florida, Duke, UVA, William & Mary and Virginia Tech all have great tradition and it will be interesting to see their styles mesh on the same field for us this summer."
Perhaps the most promising of the group of six is King, a three-year starter at Florida. King led the Gators in minutes on the pitch last season as a junior and recorded three goals and three assists. She is a former two-time Virginia state player of the year from her time at Broad Run High School, where she was also a part of two state championship teams. King played for the Washington Freedom program from 2008-2009, and this summer makes her return to the D.C. soccer scene.
Of the six signings, the only one not returning to NCAA action next season is midfielder/defender Diana Weigel, who concluded her brilliant career at William & Mary with a Colonial Athletic Association title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. In her four years with the Tribe, she scored eight goals and dished 18 assists for a total of 34 points. She was also a one-time CAA Defender of the Year and a three-time CAA first-team honoree.
DeLisle and Menchel are teammates at Virginia, and will remain teammates this summer as members of D.C. United Women. Menchel is coming off a breakout sophomore season with the Cavaliers, in which she racked up 14 points on eight assists and three goals, mostly from a defensive role. She started all 23 of the team's matches and has the ability to play on both sides of the field. DeLisle, a goalkeeper out of Baltimore, spent her first two seasons at UVA as a backup, but seems slated to be the clear-cut starter entering her junior year this fall.
Two more players representing the ACC will join forces at the Maryland SoccerPlex this summer, with Yenson coming from Virginia Tech and Colas from Duke. Yenson, a former standout at McLean High School, started 14 games for the Hokies as a freshman last season and appeared in nine more. Colas spent her freshman season in 2011 playing for the No. 2 ranked team in women's college soccer as a member of the Blue Devils, appearing in 14 matches. The up-and-coming midfielder/forward has also played in the U.S. Youth National Team program.
Weigel, DeLisle, Menchel, Colas, Yenson and King will make their debuts with D.C. United Women on Saturday when they meet the Boston Breakers at Maryland SoccerPlex at 6:00 p.m. for an exhibition match, a final tune-up before the W-League season opener on May 19. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance to avoid lines at the box office. The team has also arranged for Famous Dave's BBQ as the primary food vendor, and they'll be serving beginning when the gates open at 5:00 p.m.
Local youth league Washington Area Girls Soccer League - or WAGS - is sponsoring the night as well, with the league offering discount tickets to member teams as part of their "WAGS Night" promotion. Member teams can purchase tickets at any quantity at the full group rate from the league website.
Tickets are at http://tickets.dcunitedwomen.com.
After the Boston game on May 12, D.C. official beings their second USL W-League season on Saturday, May 19 with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at their Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium. United Women have never lost a game at the SoccerPlex, but expect a strong test from a visiting Virginia Beach Piranhas team with a long history of success on the W-League. Tickets at http://tickets.dcunitedwomen.com
About D.C. United: Playing in their second full season in 2012 and headquartered in the Washington, D.C. region, D.C. United Women is a member of the United Soccer Leagues' W-League and that league's 2011 Rookie Franchise of the Year. The first and longest-standing women's league in North America, the Pro-Am W-League is USL's highest level of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. Licensed by D.C. United, the team of top local amateur, collegiate stars and unpaid professionals is independently owned and operated by Washington Soccer Properties, LLC and play their home games at the famous Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. Visit http://www.dcunitedwomen.com for more information. Follow the team on Twitter @dcuwomen
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