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News Release

Women’s Soccer Adds Transfer for 2009

4/14/2009

BALTIMORE—UMBC head women’s soccer coach Alyssa Radu today announced that Aly Gazarek, a transfer from the University of South Florida, will join the Retrievers in Fall 2009.

“We are excited to bring a student-athlete like Aly into our program,” Radu said. “She brings a value both on and off the field that will get us one step closer to winning an America East Championship.

“Aly is a smart, fast, technically sound player who will contribute at outside back or outside mid. She likes to get involved out of the back offensively, and that style matches ours. Her experience of being in a Big East program will help raise the level of our players. She is a very driven and highly motivated athlete that I look forward to coaching. We will look for her to make an impact immediately.”

Gazarek spent her freshman season as a redshirt at South Florida, where she was coached by UMBC Hall of Famer and all-time scoring leader Denise Schilte. Gazarek will have four years of eligibility remaining at UMBC.

A native of South Riding, Va., Gazarek was a four-year starter at Broad Run High School (2005) and Freedom High School (2006-08). She played every minute of every game during her high school career, tallying 17 goals and 22 assists, and she was a two-time team captain.

Gazarek is a two-time All-District and Washington Post All-Met defender, and she also earned Second-Team All-Region honors as a senior. She earned the Dulles District Scholar-Athlete Award all four years, and she was named team MVP as a junior. Gazarek, who scored the first-ever goal in Freedom High School history, was tabbed the Eagles’ Athlete of the Year as a senior, when she also earned the Loudoun County Soccer Athlete of the Year Scholarship.

Gazarek was a member of her district and state ODP teams, and also played club soccer for the McLean Freedom, where she was a teammate of current Retriever freshman LeAnne Edgar. The pair led the Freedom to a regional and national championship in 2007.

Gazarek is the eighth member of Radu’s first recruiting class at UMBC, joining midfielder/forward Morgan Andrews, goalie Jaclyn Drummond, midfielder/defender Katie Gitlin, forward/midfielder Sarah Kopytko, forward Rachel McKee, midfielder Lindsay Powell and defender/midfielder Sarah Purdum. The group will help fill voids left by last season’s seniors – goalies Christine Bacinski and Catie Bukowski, midfielder Amy Morrison and defender Kali Schwartz.