University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Demko Announces Signing Class for the 2018 Season
02.09.2018 | Women's Soccer
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – UNC Asheville women's soccer head coach Michelle Demko officially announced the addition of 10 signees for the 2018 season.
Seven different states are represented in the 2018 class as there are two from Georgia, two from Maryland, two from Florida, one from North Carolina, one from Virginia, one from Ohio and one from Utah.
Included in the 10-athlete class is Courtney McCluskey, who enrolled early at UNC Asheville for the 2018 spring semester.
"Overall, this is a really strong recruiting class for our program. From top to bottom, this class is full of competitive mentalities, players who want to be pushed and a group of players who have the desire to win," Demko said. "These new Bulldogs currently play for top club teams across the country, so winning is the expectation. Furthermore, receiving honest feedback and applying that to their game is also a natural mechanism for them. Their willingness to continue to grow is what makes them really fun to welcome into our soccer family. These 2018 Bulldogs understand the level of commitment it takes to be successful because they all live it on a daily basis. Their efforts on the field are not limited to 90 minutes per day in training. They put in the extra work necessary for success. One immediate area that will have a great deal of increased power and strength this coming fall is our goalkeeper unit. We have not had this type of depth in nine seasons, and I am excited for the opportunity to coach them."
Savannah Collier comes to Asheville from Palm Harbor Fla. She is a two-way player - midfielder/defender - who played for the Tampa Bay United ECNL.
"Savannah is a very versatile player. She has the ability to play multiple lines/positions for us. She could find herself in the midfield or on our backline," said Demo. "She's a competitive ball winner with good speed and has high passing accuracy in transition. She does well communicating in both positions and has a high awareness of her surroundings, which allows her to organize her team in the run of play. Her aggressiveness in the midfield and the backline is what will make her stand out on the field. Her ability to effectively play multiple positions will add depth to our roster. She is a great young talent that we look forward to having in our program, and we are excited to have her as part of our Bulldog Family."
Fellow Florida native, Olivia Estevez hails from Plantation, Fla. The versatile forward and defender played club soccer with the Sunrise Sting.
"Olivia has the ability to play as a forward or defender in our program. She brings speed and athleticism with her to campus in the fall," Demko said. "She brings two components that are of great value to college athletics: versatility, which will allow her to play in multiple roles in the outside wide channel and awareness, which can be used on all parts of the ball. She has played on every line, so she brings experience and understanding on how each line connects with the other. She is a tireless worker that will be a a great addition to our team's competitive drive. I am looking forward to having her dedication and work ethic join our program this fall."
Midfielder Maya Gutman hails from Bethesda, Md., where she played for the Maryland United ECNL.
"Maya has a great passion for the game. A passion most people don't understand, unless they eat, sleep and live soccer. She is a true soccer junkie, as she is always watching the game and putting in extra work on the field," said Demko. "She also brings life mentality as she holds a wealth of knowledge in the midfield for us. She is a great linking player, as all holding midfielders are required to be. Maya has a good grasp on staying balanced with her ball movement. She finds pockets to play in, which organically gives her time and space on the ball to run, pass or dribble. What makes Maya dangerous is her ability to understand when to go forward, to maintain possession, keep the ball moving or to move the defense. I look forward to having her commitment in our program for four years."
As the lone representative from the state of Ohio, Abby Jacobs hails from Marysville, Ohio where she played forward for the Ohio Premier ECNL.
"Abby is a dangerous forward, who will have an immediate impact on our front line. Her speed and willingness to go hunt the ball will make her a great addition to our forward corps," Demko said. "She has the willingness to leave her feet in the box, which gives her a lot of opportunities to score goals. Watching Abby play, she understands when she needs to link with the midfield then spin out to receive the ball in behind the defense. She plays in the wide channel, which makes it easier for her to face up and run at players 1-on-1. Abby also brings us leadership experience that will greatly serve us in the seasons to come. She understands how to get the best out of her teammates and how to use her voice to get others to work together as a cohesive unit. She is going to be a great Bulldog for us."
As one of two goalkeepers in the 2018 class, Brownyn Luitwieler comes to Asheville from Rome, Ga., where she played for the Darlington Academy.
"Brownyn is a fantastic addition to our goalkeeper unit. Being 6-foot tall, a goalkeeper of her stature has never existed in our program until now," Demko said. "Her determination matches every bit of her intensity on the field and in her training sessions. She demands the very best of herself and also holds those same demands for her teammates. She isn't afraid to hold her backline accountable at all times because she expects the same from them. Bronwyn is a good shot stopper, as well as a dangerous presence coming for balls in the air. The way she constantly communicates keeps her connected to her backline and helps them remain organized to decrease any gaps in our defense. I am excited to work with Bronwyn because she embraces a competitive desire to compete and win with an understanding that hard work is the way to get there. She is going to be a great goalkeeper for our program."
McCluskey, who is already on campus training with the Bulldogs, is from Utah, and she will play as a forward for this upcoming season.
"I'm excited Courtney decided to begin her college career early with us. She embodies a commitment to growth and development that is self initiated," said Demko. "Her work ethic is what separates her from others. This type of mindful focus will continue to push our program in a competitive direction and ultimately increase the level around her. I anticipate using her in the target striker role. Being 5-foot-10, we hope to take advantage of her size and strength to hold the ball up in the final third and be goal dangerous in the box off services. She's already fitting in well with her teammates after being on campus with us for a couple weeks."
Courtney O'Malley joins UNC Asheville from South Forsyth High School out of Cumming, Ga. She is a goalkeeper, who played for the United Futbol Academy DA.
"Courtney is a great shot stopper with very competent hands. She's confident playing in traffic to get balls while not avoiding contact in the box," Demko said. "Additionally, she is a great communicator. That area is very clear, concise and detailed oriented. She's a demanding goalkeeper on her backline, which helps raise our level of expectations with regard to what kind of shots we allow in and around our box. Courtney is a true competitor in every sense of the word. She will have an immediate impact on this line making our goalkeeper unit the strongest it's ever been from top to bottom in nine seasons. I look forward to watching her compete on a daily basis this fall."
As the lone native from Virginia, Gillian Oyos comes to UNC Asheville from Abingdon, Va. where she is a midfielder for the FC Alliance ECNL.
"Gillian is a player that has energy that can change the game for us. She has the ability to dictate tempo on both sides of the ball. Her presence on the field will make an immediate impact with her teammates," said Demko. "She covers good ground, organizes well and has counter-attacking movement. Those components will bring energy to those she plays with, which ultimately will also raise our level of competitiveness. She's continuously seeking feedback on how to become more dangerous and impactful on the field, which says a lot about how much she wants to continue to grow as a player. She will be a fun player to coach."
Midfielder Grace Sloan won't have to travel far to begin her college career, as she is the lone representative from Asheville in the 2018 signing class. Sloan will graduate from A.C. Reynolds High School, but she played her club soccer with HFC out of Asheville.
"It's always great to keep homegrown talent in Asheville with us. Grace comes into our midfield with good vision and very soft feet. She has the capabilities of solving pressure with a simple pass, while still maintaining the rhythm of the game," said Demko. "She's incredibly hard working, and that type of relentless pursuit matches her commitment and investment level to get better each time she steps on the field. I am delighted Grace decided to continue her career with us, and I'm looking forward to watching her grow over the next four years."
The final signee for UNC Asheville is Alice Walker. The forward from Gaithersburg, Md. played for the Washington Spirit DA.
"Alice is a very dynamic and exciting front runner to watch and play with. Her speed and ability to take on a 1-versus-1 situation makes her very difficult to defend," Demko said. "She is relentless in the final third, and the way she hunts the ball and goes directly to goal comes from putting herself in goal dangerous opportunities. This type of mentality is the reason she has been successful thus far. Alice has the ability to stretch her opponents on the run or off the dribble. She has a high understanding of tactics, which makes her even more dangerous when unbalancing a defense. This comes from playing a high level of soccer in the Washington Spirit system. I am looking forward to having Alice come and raise our level of excellence and expectation."
"This is a special group with a lot of talent inside each individual," said Demko. "I would also like to take this time to thank assistant coaches Kyle Stewart and Taylor Borman for their work on the road recruiting. It's great to have a staff that understands the needs of our program and then go find those needs collectively. I appreciate their work in helping bring this class to campus. I am looking forward to watching this group grow and compete in a Bulldog uniform over the next four years."
Players Mentioned
