Ball State University Athletics
Soccer Announces Seven Signings
February 08, 2007 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State head soccer coach Michelle Salmon announced the signings of seven players to national letters of intent on Thursday morning. The Cardinals added Cortney Coombs, Claire Richardson, Ashley Williamson, Jacki Eft, Vanessa Stone, Kristina Anderson and Meg Mellott to the BSU soccer family.
“Overall we have assembled a tremendous class with players who can come in and have immediate impacts,” Salmon said. “This is a class that can help propel BSU soccer to the next level, not just next year but in future years.”
Coombs, a central defender from
She also participated in basketball and track at Colerain where she turned in the 16th fastest time in conference in the 100m dash (13.40).She played club soccer with the
“Cortney has tremendous vision, is very dynamic in the air and has the ability to make an immediate impact as a freshman,” Salmon said. “Landing a player of Cortney's caliber is a huge coup for
Richardson, a forward from
During her career,
“Claire is one of the fastest players we have coming in this class. With her athletic ability and overall physicality, she has the potential to play at the next level,” Salmon said. “We immediately become more athletic with her in the back and her versatility will be a great asset for our team.”
Williamson, a goalkeeper from
She played club soccer for the Pacesetter Soccer Club under coach Greg McElroy where she guided her team to three State Cup semi-final appearances and a State Cup Final. For the past four seasons, Williamson has been part of the Ohio North ODP (Olympic Development Program). She is the daughter of Kathy and Dennis Williamson.
“Ashley is a player who makes all of the saves a goalkeeper needs to make and has the ability to come up with big saves in big moments,” Salmon said. “She is very dynamic off of her line and has the ability to take over games.”
Eft, a midfielder/forward from Fishers,
Eft was a three-time First Team All-District recipient and three-time All-Conference selection. She played club soccer for the Carmel Crossfire and was part of the Indiana ODP for four seasons. She is the daughter of Kathy and Roy Eft.
“Jacki's athleticism and work rate is what sets her apart. She is one of those players who is always around the ball,” Salmon said. “She has the ability to distribute the ball well and can be very dynamic in the midfield. We are excited to get a local player from
Stone, a forward from
Stone was a two-time team captain and led her team to a runner-up finish in the State Championships as a sophomore. She was captain of her club team, the Gilbert '89 Arsenal, under coach Casey Tate. She is the daughter of Joanne and Steve Stone.
“Vanessa is plain and simple, a goal scorer. She reminds me of Emily Rein on our team as she has some of the same abilities,” Salmon said. “She will become one of the best forwards in the conference down the road. She has the gift to find the back of the net and will never get out worked.”
Anderson, a forward from
“Kristina plays on one of the top club teams in the country. She brings a lot of athleticism and speed to the table,” Salmon said. “The thing that I like about her is that she makes great runs on and off of the ball. She finds a way to always be involved and makes opposing teams account for her at all times.”
Mellott, a defender from
Mellott played club soccer for the Cincinnati Futbol Alliance under coach Chris Slusher. She was part of the Ohio South ODP in both 2004 and 2005. She is the daughter of Julie and John Mellott.
“Meg comes from a high school with a ton of tradition. She has a tremendous spirit and a great passion for the game of soccer” Salmon said. “She is one of those players who fell under the radar but I feel that in a year from now she is going to be a player that everyone in the conference knows about. She has so much potential.”
The Cardinals won their first ever Mid-American Conference regular season championship in 2006 as they finished the season with a 13-4-3 record overall. The Cardinals posted an 8-2-1 mark in MAC play to finish the season ranked 14th in the Great Lakes Region by Soccerbuzz Magazine.
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