Photo by John Posey
HOUSTON – Texas Southern University's women's soccer team announced the addition of six players who have signed letters of intent during the February signing period and will make their Lady Tigers debuts in 2017.
TSU head coach Kathryn Saunders will welcome six incoming freshmen to the Lady Tigers in the fall. Three of the newest Lady Tigers are from the state of Texas; Saunders also signed players from Ohio, California, and Ontario.
Texas Southern has high expectations after a 2016 that produced the most successful season in Lady Tigers history. TSU claimed its first winning season in program history with an 11-7-1 record and won its first-ever postseason game.
The six high school signees are as follows:
Niyah Cole-Sanders
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. • Etiwanda High School
• Earned All-First Team honors from the Baseline League (Southern California schools)
• Plays club soccer with Total Futbol Academy–Barcelona FC
• Coach Saunders says: "Niyah is a tireless worker in the attacking half. She will bring strength, size and a knack for the goal to our forward line."
Mireya Piña Del Abra
Round Rock, Texas • Stony Point High School
• Earned All-District 13-6A Honorable Mention as junior in 2016
• Named Stony Point's Defensive MVP in 2015 and again in 2016
• Plays club soccer with 98 Sting Austin Premier
• Coach Saunders says: "Mireya is a well-rounded young lady on and off the field. She brings a strong technical base with an ability to play solid defense."
Brooke Ianiero
Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada • Eden High School
• Plays club soccer with the Niagara Regional Soccer Program
• Earned a spot on the Ontario All-Star team in the under-14 and under-15 divisions
• Participated in the 2015 Disney Showcase, where her team won silver medals
• Coach Saunders says: "Brooke is a great leader. She has a good technical and tactical foundation and we look forward to her making an impact in our defense."
Natalie Rodriguez
Corpus Christi, Texas • Veterans Memorial High School • Sting Austin
• Earned Honorable Mention during her freshman (District 28-5A) and sophomore (District 28-6A) seasons at Corpus Christi's Carroll High School
• Transferred to newly-opened Veterans Memorial High School in 2015
• Plays club soccer with Sting Austin
• Coach Saunders says: "One of our first 2017 commits, Natalie has been excited about being part of TSU for a long time. She will bring good size to our defensive unit but is also comfortable playing multiple positions."
Kelly Sanders
McKinney, Texas • McKinney High School
• Has helped lead McKinney to UIL playoffs in each of her first three seasons
• Will likely see playing time on the offensive end of the field
• Coach Saunders says: "Kelly is extremely passionate and outgoing individual, and will be a great asset to our team. She is a hard worker and looks to bring passion and height to our attack."
Jaya-Naomi Wilson
Stow, Ohio • Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
• Named CVCA's Most Valuable Player as a senior in 2016
• Helped lead her team to three district championship matches, winning once
• Has played club soccer with Cleveland Internationals and Lancaster (Pa.) Torch, the latter of which is affiliated with the Women's Professional Soccer League.
• Coach Saunders says: "Jaya is a well-rounded soccer player with great character. She has the ability to play in multiple positions with ease, and her speed will also be a great asset."
Courtesy: TSU Athletics