By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – An intriguing blend of youth and experience highlight the Tennessee Tech soccer team's incoming class, as second-year head coach Steve Springthorpe brings aboard seven new Golden Eagles to help bolster the 2015 squad and beyond.
Junior college transfers Jaimee Rocha and Marissa Rouse, UAB transfer Emma Rose, and Mayra Tarraga Manzanal from the Catalonia National Team in Spain are already enrolled at Tech and are participating in spring practice, while Molly Kafader, Courtney Manning, and Alyssa Montgomery recently signed their national letters of intent and will join the Golden Eagles in the fall.
"When there's an infusion of new players there is always an excitement, and these new players have a drive to succeed and want to find time on the field so they bring a level of competitiveness and enthusiasm to the program," head coach Steve Springthorpe claimed on the club's newest additions. "All of them are pretty technical players and will understand the style that we want to put into place. They will all continue to get better and help the team grow."
Jaimee Rocha and Marissa Rouse head to Tech after the pair enjoyed tremendous success at one of the top junior colleges in the nation while at Modesto Junior College in central California. This past year as sophomores, the talented tandem helped lead MJC to a school record 20 wins en route to a Big 8 conference championship, finishing the year in the top ten in the nation for junior colleges.
"I think when you look at Jaimee and Marissa, they played two years with one of the best junior college teams in California and went up against a number of highly competitive and skilled teams," Springthorpe noted on the incoming juniors. "They have collegiate experience and are older and more mature in the game than a true freshman. They have played collegiate level games and it shows in practice. They know what to expect in the weight room and on the training field."
Emma Rose joins the Tech ranks after redshirting for a season at UAB. The Brentwood, Tenn. native comes back to her home state where she was a four-year varsity letter winner at Ravenwood High School and was also a member of the Olympic Development Program state team for three years.
"Though she didn't play at UAB at the time as a redshirt, Emma has been part of that training environment at the collegiate level," Springthorpe said. "She's been part of that type of competitive nature in practice as well and of course it's always good to have older players come in and help the team."
Mayra Tarraga Manzanal will join the Golden Eagles as an incoming freshman after playing top level soccer while growing up in Spain. The mid-fielder had the opportunity to suit up for two of the more prestigious squads in the area, playing for the club team RCD Espanyol as well as the Catalonia National Team.
"We are all really excited that Mayra is here," Springthorpe said on the last of the four players already enrolled at TTU. "Having an international player on the team is good for many reasons. I think there is an appreciation for her and for the type of player she is. Mayra is very skillful and understands the game, and I think if you watch her she thinks in a different way and plays the game a little differently than you may see here in the collegiate game."
As far as the other three incoming freshmen are concerned, the trio comes to the Golden Eagles with stellar track records in high school and at the club level. Molly Kafader, a two-sport athlete (soccer and basketball) at Martin Luther King Academic Magnet in Nashville, enters her Tech tenure as an All-District, All-Region, and All-State player. In fact in Kafader's final two seasons, the Nashville native showed her ability to find the back of the net with a combined 34 goals.
Courtney Manning will suit up in Tech purple and gold as an All-District, All-Region, and All-State player as well, spending four years as a center-mid at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville. Manning, who also swam in high school, tallied a combined 31 goals and nine assists, while also being named both Defensive and Offensive Player of the Year throughout her time at Franklin Road Academy.
Alyssa Montgomery enjoyed success in high school and at the club level, as the Lexington, Ky. native suited up at both Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and the highly regarded Javanon Soccer Club. While in high school, Montgomery took home a slew of awards including Rookie of the Year, Best Offensive Player, First-Team All-City, First-Team All-Region, and First-Team All-State. Throughout her high school career, she scored 29 goals and notched 42 assists despite playing in just three seasons due to an injury that sidelined her during Montgomery's junior campaign.
"All three of these players will have a chance to come in here and make our program better," Springthorpe said on the group that will come to Tech in the fall. "Molly is really good in the air, she has some height to her and some toughness and aggressiveness, which is what I liked about her when I saw her play. Courtney is a little bit more of a technical player who plays in the midfield and can play out wide if we need. She understands the game and likes to play the ball on the ground as well as with other players. Alyssa is a very tactical and skillful player. She understands the game I think what you will find is that the players coming in will all possess a certain understanding of the game and show the type of soccer we want to play."
