TWC News
05.13.2010 - [Women's Soccer]

The Tennessee Wesleyan Women's Soccer Team is going to be large and strong for the 2010 season.  Coach Clarke has rounded out the spring term with signings from an additional 6 players.

All the way from Australia comes Kelly Crew, a midfielder from Moreton Bay College in Brisbane, Queensland.  Crew comes with a wealth of experience at regional & state levels, as well as a stint representing Australia in the U19 Australian Schools tour to Japan and Korea.  Coach Clarke believes "Kelly will fit into the team very well here.  She is going to come in with a high level of experience and competition behind her and look to earn a starting spot in our midfield immediately as a result."  Crew has a number of achievements at all levels of the game in Australia and is looking to study Theatre or Criminal Justice here at TWC.  She is a "talented player with the ability to play from any spot on the field, she can finish as well as set players up to finish and we need a consistent player like her in the middle of the field," says Coach Clarke, "Kelly has the potential to be a key aspect of our offense this coming season and we are very excited she chose to come to TWC and play with the Lady Bulldogs."
                      
Locally, the Lady Bulldogs have signed Tara Baxter, younger sister to current goalkeeper Chealsey Baxter.  Baxter hails from McMinn Central High School where she played defense for the Chargers.  Baxter will be splitting time between two sports while at Tennessee Wesleyan and play both soccer and softball here.  "Tara is a smart defender, she plays the player as well as the ball and has a knack of winning the ball without fouling as a result.  She can move really well, is agile and quick, and has good instincts for the game, she is going to be one to watch out for," says Coach Clarke.  Baxter has split time in high school between both sports also and is excited and looking forward to her  experiences at TWC, and to play with her sister Chealsey one year in college.
 
From Crossville, TN comes midfielder/attacker Chelsea Holder.  A small but very quick player that can play most attacking positions will look to create problems for defense this coming season.  "Chelsea came into tryouts with so much pace and explosiveness she was an immediate prospect.  She had to tweak her ball handling skills and decision making but has worked throughout the spring on both and I expect her to come into preseason ready to challenge players for time on the field," says Coach Clarke.
Kimberly Key is a recent signee from Powell High School in TN.  She is a forward with an uncanny ability to find the back of the net more times than not.  Key will bring pace, urgency, and ability to finish consistently to the Lady Bulldogs team and Coach Clarke is excited to have her committed, "Kimberly had a few good options for college and I am glad she loved her recruiting trip and campus visit here."  Coach Clarke continues to say, "she really impressed me in tryouts and could put the ball in the back of the net 90% of the time.  We have lacked out-n-out goal scorers on our squad so Kimberly will bring that quality to the team that has been much needed in recent times.  I am very excited to see her play and make an impact in the fall."  Key played at Powell High School as well as most recently for competitive club FC Alliance based in Knoxville, TN. 
Another semi-local player comes up to TWC from Cleveland, TN.  Madison Mahaffey, a midfielder/defender that played at Walker Valley High School as well as competitive club McMinn United FC has signed for the Lady Bulldogs.  Mahaffey brings a hard working, ever improving attitude to the squad and will look to test the levels of play of current players right off the bat.  Coach Clarke sees that "Madison has the potential to play here at TWC, as long as she stays fit and plays smart she can step alongside any player on our team.  She has sound skills and vision and is generally a neat, tidy player that works so hard to win balls and create plays."  Clarke says, "we are glad she will be on our team and are looking forward to great things from her in her time here."
       
Lastly, another Tennessee player, Megan McDonald will be joining the Lady Bulldog squad this fall.  McDonald comes from Springfield, TN where she played high school soccer at Whitehouse Heritage High School.  McDonald also played competitive soccer for Tennessee United.  She is primarily a wide midfield player but has the potential to play various attacking and defensive roles.  Coach Clarke views McDonald "as a wide mid for our team as she has the ability to get up and down the sideline and get good crosses into the box.  Megan is capable of playing a fast paced game down the wing and can be dangerous to defenders as a result, she is clever in her play and finds ways to get in behind wide defenders and create crossing opportunities."  Coach Clarke says, "we are very lucky to have her commit here and know that she will come in fit, sharp and playing well." 
 
The Lady Bulldogs have already begun preparations for the fall season in their summer workout calendars that went out to athletes this week.  "I expect them all to follow the calendar and come into preseason in peak physical condition," says Coach Clarke, "we want and need them to prepare their bodies before they get here so that there are no injuries.  We have a talented group of players joining our squad and positions will be competitive this season.  I look forward to the work ahead and am excited to see these new girls as well as the returners get onto the field again."  The Lady Bulldogs season will kick off with in August with two preseason scrimmages followed by opening games against ETSU and Truett-McConnell at the end of August.  Please check the women's soccer schedule for further games.