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Young Women's Soccer Team Prepares for 2008 Season

Women's Soccer CSU Bakersfield Athletic Communications

Van Dyke Adds Seven Players to 2009 Roster


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? CSUB women's soccer Head Coach Nicole Van Dyke announced seven additions to the 2009 roster on Monday afternoon. Van Dyke's first installment of recruits includes seven players in all with three transfers and four incoming freshmen.

Bakersfield High School product Samantha Pe?a will make the short drive across town to attend CSUB next fall. The three-time Bakersfield Californian second-team all-area selection will be competing for time in either the midfield or at forward for the ?Runners. Pe?a has earned first team All-Southeast Yosemite League honors the past three seasons in addition to being named team MVP. She played club soccer for the Bakersfield Brigade.

Raquel Gervas from Upland High School was a second team All-Baseline selection while playing on defense. Gervas was named her team's Best Defender as a freshman. In the classroom, she has maintained a 3.5 GPA while being named to the honor roll. She was a member of the OC Premier soccer club.

Brittany Thomas and Yesina Reyes, two of the top offensive threats from Ridgeview High School, will also be joining the ?Runners next fall. Thomas, a forward/defender, earned two second team All-Southwest Yosemite League honors and was voted the team's Most Inspirational Athlete in 2005. Reyes, who plays forward for the Wolf Pack, has earned first team all-league honors the past three seasons. As a sophomore, she was the team's Most Valuable Player and in 2008 was voted Most Inspirational. In addition, she recieved the Jockey Club award for outstanding local athletic achievement earlier this season. Reyes and Thomas played club soccer for the Bakersfield Brigade with Pe?a.

Fresno City College transfer Denise Hernandez earned second team NSCAA All-America honors for the Rams last season. She was named the Rams' Top Offensive Player and helped FCC to back-to-back Central Valley Conference Championships. As a sophomore she earned first team all-conference honors. At Tulare Western High School, Hernandez was a three-sport standout, playing soccer, volleyball and softball. She was named first team All-East Yosemite League twice and earned team MVP honors three times. Her senior year, the Mustangs won the CIF Central Section Division II Championships.

After playing the past two seasons with one primary goalkeeper on the roster, Van Dyke signed Modesto Junior College transfer Kymberly Gause to next year's squad. Gause logged 2,215 minutes in net for the Pirates last season, making 134 saves while allowing just 23 goals. She finished the season with a 93.5 save percentage and was an NSCAA/adidas Junior College Division III second team All-West Region performer. Gause will have three years of eligibility remaining with the ?Runners. In high school, Gause was a three-time first team All-Valley Oak League performer for Manteca High School after receiving second team honors as a freshman. She was named team MVP her senior year and received the Female Senior All-Around Athlete Award. Gause played club soccer for the Manteca Rangers and the Manteca Futbol Club.

Van Dyke's final addition is La Verne, Calif., native Tara Corcoran who was a member of the Cerritos College team that finished atop the NSCAA Division III National standings in 2008. Corcoran earned first team All-South Coast Conference accolades while starting all 26 contests for the Falcons on the defensive line. She tallied four goals and added one assist as Cerritos went undefeated (22?0?4) and won its second consecutive California Community college Athlete Association (CCCAA) State Championship. Prior to her time at Cerritos, Corcoran played one season at Big West foe Long Beach State where she appeared in 13 contests for the 49ers. She helped lead Bonita High School to four Miramonte League Championships while earning first team all-league honors all four seasons. She was a three-time first team CIF All-Southern Section performer and was voted league MVP her senior season.

“I am thoroughly excited about our incoming class of 2009, as they provide us with much needed depth and experience,” Van Dyke said. “Not only are they all good soccer players, but bring a great deal of athleticism to our squad. This incoming group is very competitive and really has the potential to make an impact on the team. Our current squad is working very hard this offseason and we feel by adding this new group of players to our existing core, we have the potential to win quite a few more games in 2009.”


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