Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh announced the 11 joining the Gator roster for 2019 season.
Gators Sign 11
Friday, November 23, 2018 | Soccer
Among the 11 additions for the 2019 season are players with international experience, members of state club champion teams who also played at regional or national ECNL, U.S. Player Development or ODP events. The class also includes a state sprint champion and the program’s first legacy signing.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gator soccer gets an infusion of 11 freshmen for the 2019 season. Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh announced the 11 who signed with the team in the November.
The class includes players with international experience, members of state club champion teams who also played at regional or national ECNL, U.S. Player Development or ODP events. The class also includes a state sprint champion and the program's first legacy signing.
"We're really excited about this class coming in. It's a big class and is one of the biggest we've had in while," Burleigh said, "but we also graduated a big class.
Lauren Durbin @laurendurbin10
"Lauren's played a very high level with her Colorado club team. We needed some real quality depth at defender and we think she brings that to us. Excited to have her as a part of this class." – Becky Burleigh
Francesca Faraci @ffaraci17
"With the graduation of Kaylan [Marckese], we knew we wanted a goalkeeper in this class. Francesca has worked very hard to get here. She's been persistent that Florida is her No. 1 school. We're excited to have her as a part of our class." – Becky Burleigh
Alexia Fotopoulos @lexifofo
"Lexi Fotopoulos has a last name that may be familiar to Gator fans. She's the first ever child of a former player to join the Gator soccer team. I can say that I know Lexi better than any player we've ever recruited as I've known Lexi since she was a baby. It will be fun to have her as a part of our team and excited for what she brings. Lexi is an amazing teammate and really good player." – Becky Burleigh
Alivia Gonzalez @aliviag04
"Alivia Gonzalez plays on the same club team as Lexi [Fotopoulos]. Alivia has shown a steady build throughout her career. She's someone who has worked really hard for everything she's gotten in soccer and will bring a lot to the table in terms of our culture and the way she prepares every day." – Becky Burleigh
Cameron Hall @hallcam_2
"Cameron [Hall] plays for Tophat, a club team renowned around the country for producing and developing top talent. Cameron is also a tremendous leader, not just for her team and soccer, but also in her community. I'm really excited about coaching her." – Becky Burleigh
Sydney Kennedy @sydkennedy14
"Syd Kennedy is from Halifax, Canada – which is way up there. She's had some great experience playing with Canadian National Team program and is currently playing with the Canadian Youth National Teams. We saw her very early in the recruiting process and were impressed with her right away." – Becky Burleigh
Ava Kuyken @AvaKuyken
"Ava Kuyken was identified by [UF Associate Coach] Alan Kirkup, who saw her play multiple times. Another player with international experience as she has played with the U-17s, 18s and 19s for England. She has a really good feel for the game in terms of tactics. She plays very similarly to the way we play and also brings some leadership qualities to our team." – Becky Burleigh
Kouri Peace @kourrpeacee
"Kouri Peace is really fast. Not sure if she'll do both sports [track] here but certainly has the capability of doing that. That speed is going to be an added dynamic on our team as well." – Becky Burleigh
Laney Steed @LaneySteed
"Laney is someone who plays soccer in a different way. It is hard to explain until you see her play but she really makes others around her better. She's like having a coach on the field. Laney is great at setting others up as well as creating her own chances. She's going to be a really exciting player to watch." – Becky Burleigh
Ava VanMarter @AvaVanMarter
"Ava VanMarter has played with Jacksonville Armada but lives in Hilton Head, so is obviously dedicated to make that commute to play. She a really athletic player who is going to help us in terms of much needed depth in needed areas. Ava is enrolling in January so we are excited about her getting her career started early here." – Becky Burleigh
Nicole Vernis
"Nicole Vernis is someone who I think is highly under rated nationally. She is a player who can control the midfield, very athletic and also super technical. She's also a great tactical leader of the game." – Becky Burleigh
The class includes players with international experience, members of state club champion teams who also played at regional or national ECNL, U.S. Player Development or ODP events. The class also includes a state sprint champion and the program's first legacy signing.
"We're really excited about this class coming in. It's a big class and is one of the biggest we've had in while," Burleigh said, "but we also graduated a big class.
.@BeckyBurleigh covers 🐊⚽️'s 1⃣1⃣ additions for the 2019 campaign:#WeChomp#GoGatorshttps://t.co/cDKiMHGyzK pic.twitter.com/Lr9kie9SiE
— Gators Soccer (@GatorsSoccer) November 23, 2018
| Florida Soccer Signees (enrolling for 2019 season) | ||||
| Name | Hometown | Position | High School | Club |
| Lauren Durbin | Lone Tree, Colo. | MF/F | Rock Canyon H.S. | Colorado Rush |
| Francesca Faraci | Park Ridge, Ill. | GK | Maine South H.S. | FC United |
| Alexia Fotopoulos | Land O'Lakes, Fla. | D | Land O' Lakes H.S. | Tampa Bay United |
| Alivia Gonzalez | Palm Harbor, Fla. | D/F | Palm Harbor University H.S. | Tampa Bay United |
| Cameron Hall | Buford, Ga. | MF/F | Buford H.S. | Tophat Soccer Club |
| Sydney Kennedy | Fletchers Lake, Canada | MF/F | Halifax West H.S. | Suburban F.C. |
| Ava Kuyken | Oxford, England | MF | The Cherwell School | Arsenal |
| Kouri Peace | Chalfont, Pa. | F | Pennridge H.S. | Penn Fusion |
| Laney Steed | Sharpsburg, Ga. | MF/F | East Coweta H.S. | Southern Soccer Academy |
| Ava VanMarter | Hilton Head, S.C. | F/D | Heritage Academy | USA Tormenta |
| Nicole Vernis | North Palm Beach, Fla. | MF/D | The Benjamin H.S. | Palm Beach Gardens Predators |
Lauren Durbin @laurendurbin10
- Position: Midfield/Forward
- High School: Rock Canyon High School (Coach: Matt Henbest)
- Hometown: Lone Tree, Colo.
- Club Team: Colorado Rush
- Info
- 2016 5A All-Colorado
- 2018 ALL-CONTINENTAL LEAGUE girls soccer first team
- Rock Canyon H.S. advanced to 2018 Colorado High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) 5A state semifinal
- Colorado State champion for Club. Advanced to ECNL final every year
"Lauren's played a very high level with her Colorado club team. We needed some real quality depth at defender and we think she brings that to us. Excited to have her as a part of this class." – Becky Burleigh
Francesca Faraci @ffaraci17
- Position: Goalkeeper
- High School: Maine South High School (Coach: JJ Crawford)
- Hometown: Park Ridge, Ill.
- Club Team: FC United (Coach: Fabrice Gautrat)
- Info:
"With the graduation of Kaylan [Marckese], we knew we wanted a goalkeeper in this class. Francesca has worked very hard to get here. She's been persistent that Florida is her No. 1 school. We're excited to have her as a part of our class." – Becky Burleigh
Alexia Fotopoulos @lexifofo
- Position: Defender
- High School: Land O' Lakes High School (Coach: Vicky King)
- Hometown: Land O'Lakes, Fla.
- Club Team: Tampa Bay United (Coach: Jim Cote)
- Info:
- Land O'Lakes reached 2016 and 2017 3A Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 3A semifinals and 2018 3A regional final
- Tampa Bay 00 reached 2018 Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) and 2017 ECNL National
- Invited to August 2014 Player Development Program (PDP) event
- First daughter of a Florida soccer alumnae to sign with Florida. Oldest child of Gator Athletics Hall of Fame member and all-time NCAA goals and points leader Danielle Fotopoulos
"Lexi Fotopoulos has a last name that may be familiar to Gator fans. She's the first ever child of a former player to join the Gator soccer team. I can say that I know Lexi better than any player we've ever recruited as I've known Lexi since she was a baby. It will be fun to have her as a part of our team and excited for what she brings. Lexi is an amazing teammate and really good player." – Becky Burleigh
Alivia Gonzalez @aliviag04
- Position: Defense/Forward
- High School: Palm Harbor University H.S. (Coach: John Planamenta/Randy Irick)
- Hometown: Palm Harbor, Fla.
- Club Team: Tampa Bay United (Coach: Jim Cote)
- Info
- 2018 Pinellas County Athlete of the Year by The Suncoast News and the Dan Wright Corp. 2018 Pinellas County Athletic Conference first team – scoring 33 goals
- 2016 Pinellas Player of the Year by Tampa Bay Times – scoring 25 goals. Also first team in 2017 (35 goals)
- Palm Harbor University advanced to 2018 FHSAA 5A semifinal and reached 2017 and 2016 regional finals
- Tampa Bay 00 reached 2018 Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) semifinal (Seattle, Wash.) and 2017 ECNL National
- 2017 ECNL/id2 National Training Camp participant
"Alivia Gonzalez plays on the same club team as Lexi [Fotopoulos]. Alivia has shown a steady build throughout her career. She's someone who has worked really hard for everything she's gotten in soccer and will bring a lot to the table in terms of our culture and the way she prepares every day." – Becky Burleigh
Cameron Hall @hallcam_2
- Position: Midfield/Forward
- High School: Buford High School (Coach: Drew Eager)
- Hometown: Buford, Ga.
- Club Team: Tophat Soccer Club (Coach: Troy Garner)
- Info
- Tophat was runner-up in 2017-18 U.S. Development Academy Southeast standings
- One of 17 from Tophat 00/01 team to sign with NCAA Division I programs
- 2017 TeamSnap Spring State Stars
- Buford High School reached 2017 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 5A final and 2016 Georgia High School Association (GHSA) 4A semifinal (only two years playing high school soccer)
- 2017 Gwinnett Daily Post All-County Girls Soccer first team & Gwinnett Country Class AAAAAA-A Girls All-County
"Cameron [Hall] plays for Tophat, a club team renowned around the country for producing and developing top talent. Cameron is also a tremendous leader, not just for her team and soccer, but also in her community. I'm really excited about coaching her." – Becky Burleigh
Sydney Kennedy @sydkennedy14
- Position: Midfield/Forward
- High School: Halifax West High School (Roy Snook)
- Hometown: Fletchers Lake, Nova Scotia
- Club Team: Suburban FC (Coaches: Andrew McDonald, Matt Blair)
- Info:
- Made Canada Youth National Team debut in 2016, scoring six goals during the course of the CONCACAF Girls' Under-15 Championship held in Orlando, Fla. Canada took the CONCACAF silver
- 2016 Soccer Nova Scotia Youth Female Player of the Year
- Scored game-winning goal to give Nova Scotia the 2017 Canada Games bronze – first medal for Nova Scotia in Canada Games women's soccer in 24 years.
- Selected at age 13 for Regional EXCEL Program (REX/EXCEL) created by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) Women's program. Attended 2017 EXCEL U-17 camp
- Also plays hockey
"Syd Kennedy is from Halifax, Canada – which is way up there. She's had some great experience playing with Canadian National Team program and is currently playing with the Canadian Youth National Teams. We saw her very early in the recruiting process and were impressed with her right away." – Becky Burleigh
Ava Kuyken @AvaKuyken
- Position: Midfield
- High School: The Cherwell School
- Hometown: Oxford, England
- Club Team: Arsenal
- Info:
- Played with England's U15, U16, U17 and U18s National Teams. England reached 2018 FIFA European Championship final in Lithuania
- Youngest player on Arsenal WFC, now in second season with team; 2018 FA Women's League Cup winner
- Rose up to Arsenal WFC from Arsenal Girls Youth Academy – one of 13 Tier 1 approved FA Regional Talent Clubs across the UK
"Ava Kuyken was identified by [UF Associate Coach] Alan Kirkup, who saw her play multiple times. Another player with international experience as she has played with the U-17s, 18s and 19s for England. She has a really good feel for the game in terms of tactics. She plays very similarly to the way we play and also brings some leadership qualities to our team." – Becky Burleigh
Kouri Peace @kourrpeacee
- Position: Forward
- High School: Pennridge High School (Audrey Anderson).
- Hometown: Chalfont, Pa.
- Club Team: Penn Fusion (Coach: Shane Coyne)
- Info:
- Penn Fusion Soccer Academy second in 2017-18 Atlantic East Division Standings
- Pennridge reached 2016 PIAA quarterfinal in final season playing with high school team
- 2015 All-Intelligencer honorable mention - soccer
- 2016 PIAA 3A Girls 200-meter dash champion and second in 100m
- Set New Balance Nationals Emerging Elite 60m and 200m records in 2016
- 2018 All-Intelligencer Indoor Track honorable mention; 2017 outdoor first and indoor second team
"Kouri Peace is really fast. Not sure if she'll do both sports [track] here but certainly has the capability of doing that. That speed is going to be an added dynamic on our team as well." – Becky Burleigh
Laney Steed @LaneySteed
- Position: Midfield/Forward
- High School: East Coweta High School (Coach: Todd Beldon)
- Hometown: Sharpsburg, Ga.
- Club Team: Southern Soccer Academy (Coach: Jordan Davis)
- Info
- 2017 Newnan Times-Herald Co-Players of the Year – 38 goals, 88 points
- 2016 Co-Region 3-AAAAAA MVP; 2017 All-Region 2-AAAAAAA
- 2016 Newnan Times-Herald Girls Newcomer of Year - 25 goals 61 points in first season of varsity play
- 2017 Region III ODP selection
- 2016-17 Georgia ODP Team
- Southern Soccer Academy runner-up in 2018 Girls 2000 Georgia Cup; 2015 champion
"Laney is someone who plays soccer in a different way. It is hard to explain until you see her play but she really makes others around her better. She's like having a coach on the field. Laney is great at setting others up as well as creating her own chances. She's going to be a really exciting player to watch." – Becky Burleigh
Ava VanMarter @AvaVanMarter
- Position: Forward/Midfield
- High School: Heritage Academy
- Hometown: Hilton Head, S.C.
- Club Team: USA Tormenta (Coach: Jeremy Aven) / Jacksonville Armada FC U18/19 ECNL
- Info
- Three year ODP Region III pool player
- Commuted to Jacksonville to compete with Jacksonville Armada FC ECNL – 2016 ECNL Southeast Conference champs
- One of seven from Jacksonville Armada FC Class of 2019 to sign with NCAA Division I programs
- Traveled to Costa Rica in 2016 with U.S. Soccer Region III team
"Ava VanMarter has played with Jacksonville Armada but lives in Hilton Head, so is obviously dedicated to make that commute to play. She a really athletic player who is going to help us in terms of much needed depth in needed areas. Ava is enrolling in January so we are excited about her getting her career started early here." – Becky Burleigh
Nicole Vernis
- Position: Midfield
- High School: The Benjamin School (Coach: Hillary Carney)
- Hometown: North Palm Beach, Fla.
- Club Team: Palm Beach Gardens Predators (Coach: Steve Burgess)
- Info
- Palm Beach Gardens 01 Girls Elite Blue won 2018 FYSA U17 Florida State Cup and WAGS Tournament; third in 2017 USYSA National League
- Scored game-winning goal in Florida 01 Girls 4-1 win over Cal South in title match of 2017 US Youth Soccer ODP Championships
- 2018 All-Palm Beach Post Small School first team after 12 goals and eight assists
- The Benjamin School advanced to 2018 FHSAA 2A Regional Quarterfinal
- 2017 All-Palm Beach girls 3A-1A first team after 12 goals and six assists
"Nicole Vernis is someone who I think is highly under rated nationally. She is a player who can control the midfield, very athletic and also super technical. She's also a great tactical leader of the game." – Becky Burleigh
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