Walker Adds Six for 2015
The Ohio State women's soccer team has added six student-athletes to its 2015 recruiting class, head coach Lori Walker announced Friday.
“With the expectations set for next season along with the return of four starters who missed most of last season, the addition of this 2015 class gives us great hope for the future,” Walker said. “As one of the most-complete classes in program history, they will undoubtedly help us build upon our 2010 College Cup appearance as we look to build towards a national championship run.”
Two of the recruits hail from California (Brianna Gazmarian and Sarah Roberts) and the Buckeyes added one player each from Ohio (Taylor Momburg), Nevada (Arden Holden), Ontario, Canada (Devon Kerr) and Michigan (Kylie Knight).
“With players that had the opportunity to choose from just about every program in the country, we’re proud that they made a decision to join our Buckeye family here at The Ohio State University,” Walker added. “As a program built upon and committed to excellence, the young ladies of this 2015 class will do nothing but enhance that tradition as they are among the best of the best. With that said, we look forward to introducing them into our returning squad as competition is going to be at an all-time high come August. We congratulate each and every member of this class as we look forward to four tremendous years together as they take the next step in their journey as student-athletes and as young ladies.”
A look at the Buckeyes who will be coming to Columbus for the 2015 season:
Brianna Gazmarian – Midfielder/Defender – La Cañada Flintridge, Calif.
Slammers FC; Harvard Westlake High School
Gazmarian has nine years of club experience, three with Slammers FC under the direction of George Larsen … helped Slammers to 2013 ECNL national final ... lettered three years at Harvard Westlake High School … part of two Mission League champion teams … All-CIF Southern Section and All Mission League as a sophomore … named captain as a senior but missed season with injury … part of ECNL U-17 Surf Cup quarterfinalist team with Real SoCal in 2013 … also lettered in track as a freshman … enjoys family road trips, snowboarding, reading and hanging out with friends … daughter of Robert and Gayla Gazmarian … has three younger siblings, Courtney, Bobby and Lexy.
Coach Lori Walker: “Bri is a physical, hard-nosed, athletic defender. When I watch Bri play, I am reminded of the old school defending mentality where battling for 90 minutes is expected. Bri takes a no-nonsense approach to the game and has the pace to track attackers as well as the skill to negotiate the flank to start our attack. We are looking forward to Bri making an immediate impact upon our back line and within our team.”
Arden Holden – Midfielder – Las Vegas, Nev.
Heat FC; Centennial High School
Holden has six years of club experience with Heat FC under the direction of Tom Amick … member of Surf Cup quarterfinalist team twice and ECNL national event finalist team … lettered one year in soccer and four years in cross country and track at Centennial … member of state semifinalist soccer team as a freshman … part of three state champion track teams … enjoys, napping, running and reading … daughter of John and Suzanne Holden … has a younger brother, Garrett.
Coach Lori Walker: “Arden has a massive engine that will allow her to cover the space in midfield while imposing her will upon the opposition. She is technically clean with the ball at her feet and plays best in roles where she’s allowed to be creative with the players around her. She’s a blue-collar, hard-working player that will complement our midfield work ethic and personality.”
Devon Kerr – Goalkeeper – Markham, Ontario, Canada
Glen Shields FC; Bill Crothers Secondary School
Kerr brings six years of club experience with her, including five under coach David Benning with Glen Shields FC and Team Canada … member of U-17 World Cup quarterfinalist and U-17 CONCACAF silver medalist Team Canada … U-14, U-15 and U-16 gold medal national champion with Team Ontario … U-18 bronze medal winner at Canada Summer Games … played four years of soccer, four years of basketball and three years of volleyball at Bill Crothers Secondary School … OFSAA “AAAA” division provincial champions in 2014 where she tallied the lowest goals-against average … enjoys playing and watching soccer, spending time with her dog, doing yoga and researching fitness and nutrition … daughter of Russ and Raquel Kerr.
Coach Lori Walker: “Devon has all the tools to be a top level goalkeeper including size, strength, soft hands, domination on crosses, clean distribution, foot skills and verbal command. Devon joins our squad with tremendous experience as a result of her battling to earn spots with the Canadian U-17 and U-20 World Cup teams. As a starter with Canada at the last U-17 World Cup, her international experience gives her the confidence to play on any stage.”
Kylie Knight – Defender – Plymouth, Mich.
Michigan Hawks; Salem High School
Knight has eight years of ECNL experience under the direction of Doug Landefeld … lettered two years at Salem High School where she was named first team all-state in 2013 and honorable mention all-state in 2012 … two-time all-region and all-district … People to People leadership forum attendee in 2013 … enjoys going to movies, traveling, hanging out with friends and family and going to the gym … daughter of Sue Knight … has a younger sister, Alyssa.
Coach Lori Walker: “Kylie is a fiery defender with the pace and athletic ability to find immediate success. She reads the game well and makes intelligent positional adjustments. Her individual comfort on the ball allows her the confidence to play out of the back as she’s a player that will always look to keep possession. She’s a fantastic 1v1 defender that finds the greatest success against the greatest opposition.”
Taylor Momburg – Defender/Midfielder/Forward – Lewis Center, Ohio
Ohio Premier; Orange High School
Momburg has five years of ECNL experience with Ohio Premier under coach Alan Yost … lettered four years at Orange High School … two-time All-OCC selection … member of OCC champion team as a junior and district finalist team as a sophomore … enjoys going to the beach, eating and spending time with family and friends … daughter of Philip and Rebecca Momburg … has a younger brother, Matthew.
Coach Lori Walker: “Taylor will add depth and versatility to our midfield. Her quickness and ability on the ball will allow her to compete from the moment she arrives. As a player that looks to take players off the dribble, her creative 1v1 ability makes it difficult for anyone she faces. As a fantastic youth player, we expect Taylor to find the same level of success collegiately.”
Sarah Roberts – Midfielder – Aliso Viejo, Calif.
SoCal Blue; Aliso Niguel High School
Sarah has 11 years of club experience under the direction of Mary Naimie, Rob Rennie and Randy Dodge … named Surf Cup MVP in 2013 and was a member of two-time ECNL SoCal champion SoCal Blue … lettered four years at Aliso Niguel High School … 2014 NSCAA High School All-American … three-time CIF-SS Division I First Team member … team captain as a senior and South Coast League MVP as a junior 2012 City of Aliso Viejo Citizen of the Year … daughter of Joe and Kyoko Roberts … has a younger brother, Mikell … dad played soccer at San Diego.
Coach Lori Walker: “Sarah will have an immediate impact both on our squad and within the Big Ten. Her vision and technical dexterity will be a huge asset to our attack as she’s one of the best final passers of the ball in the country. Sarah is dangerous anytime in possession and we look forward to her being a focal point of our plans next season. She plays with great passion as a true soccer junkie and will be a personality both on and off the field.”
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