Women’s Soccer Welcomes Six Newcomers for 2013 Campaign

QUINCY, Mass.- Eastern Nazarene women’s soccer head coach Steve Hamilton has announced the addition of six incoming freshmen for the 2013 season. The Lions’ class of 2017 is comprised of Kayla Aragon, Victoria Ferland, Kiara Ketchuck, Katherine Lawrence, Olivia McDermith and Hannah Scahill.

Aragon is a back from Dover, N.J., where she attends Dover High School while also playing for the TSF Academy Under-18 Fire club team. She is a two-year captain of the soccer team while earning all-conference and all-county accolades. Aragon was the recipient of the school’s Wendy’s Heisman Athletic A cademic Leadership Award. She is a member of the National Honor Society and is an honor roll student at Dover High School.

  “Kayla is a tenacious defender and an incredible worker.  She tackles really well and can cause a lot of frustration for our opponents,” said Hamilton. “More importantly Kayla is another team-first kid willing to do whatever it takes for the team to be successful.  We couldn’t be happier about her decision and look forward to watching her grow over the next four years.”

“I am so blessed to be attending Eastern Nazarene College. I cannot wait to be a part of the ENC Women’s Soccer Team,” commented Aragon.

Ferland is a striker and outside midfielder from Brooklyn, Conn. She plays at Killingly High School and is a member of the NEFC club team. “I am excited to be a part of the soccer team at ENC. I am nervous as well as looking forward to becoming a part of the school,” Ferland said.

“Victoria strikes the ball with her right foot as well as anyone we’ve seen. She can finish from distance and can serve a ball into the box from almost anywhere on the field,” Hamilton stated. “She is also a strong athlete with enough pace beat players 1-on-1.”

Hailing from Taunton, Mass., Ketchuck is a midfielder and defender at Brockton High School and on the Explosion FC club squad. She was named a Boston Globe All-Scholastic girls’ soccer all-star in 2012 and was tabbed to the all-conference first team while helping Brockton reach the Division I MIAA playoffs. As a member of the Explosion FC, Ketchuck has participated in numerous tournaments including the 2012 Northeast Regional Futsal Championship.

 “I am very excited to be a Lion and a part of the ENC community! This is the perfect college for me and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!” said Ketchuck.

“Kiara does all the little things well.  She’s the type of player that makes everyone around her better with accurate passes, strong tackling, and hard work.  She’s a great team player and we’re very excited to have her as a Lion,” said Hamilton.

Lawrence is a striker out of Marlborough, Conn., where she attends The Master’s School and is a member of the FSA United club team. Lawrence helped her team claim the Class L State Championship as a sophomore and garnered all-league honors as a senior.

 “I am very excited to be coming to ENC in the fall, playing soccer, and getting to know the team, the school and the entire community. This is going to be the next chapter in my life and I am very excited and anticipating what will take place in the next years and what God is going to do in and through my life” Lawrence commented.

“Katherine is a gifted player.  Her movement off of the ball is exceptional.  She has a very good first touch and combines well with her teammates.  At this level she will only be limited by her own personal goals as she has the potential to be one of the strongest players in the conference,” offered Hamilton.

McDermith is a midfielder from North Berwick, Maine where she plays for Fryeburg Academy and the Velocity Soccer Club Under-18 squad. She helped guide the Velocity Soccer Club to the Nordic Cup title as well as the state championship in 2008 and 2009.

  "I am really excited about this come fall and playing soccer at ENC. I knew I wanted to come the first visit I was there. After the first time visiting, I wanted to come back and now I have finally committed,” stated McDermith. “I think I am really going to have a great time with the team and meet awesome new teammates.”

"Olivia is a versatile player who can be used in a lot of different positions. Her service and vision are strong and she will work hard both in possession and when we lose it.  We look forward to watching her grow over the next four years," Hamilton stated.

Scahill is a product of Quaker Hill, Conn., where she is a striker at Waterford High School and on the Southeast Soccer Club. She earned all-division first team accolades in 2010 in Rhode Island before claiming all-state, all-conference and all-area honors in Connecticut as a senior.

 "I like the small school atmosphere, the campus, being a part of a Christian community, and also I’m really looking forward to playing on the women’s soccer team and making new friends,” Scahill commented.

“Hannah is a strong target player although she can also play as a wide forward. She is good at playing with her back to the goal, capable of holding the ball or spinning off of the  defender and attacking the goal,” Hamilton said. “She also strikes the ball well and is a good finisher. I am confident that Hannah will be an immediate threat in the conference.”

Eastern Nazarene reached the Commonwealth Coast Conference semifinals in 2012 and finished with a 9-8-3 overall record. The Lions hosted the program’s first-ever home playoff match in the fall of 2012, resulting in a 1-0 victory over the University of New England October 27.