Soccer Welcomes Newcomers for 2019 Season
February 21, 2019 | Soccer
MUNCIE, Ind. – When the Ball State soccer team takes on Eastern Kentucky in its first exhibition match of the spring on Saturday, it will do so with some new faces as the team has announced its newest additions for the upcoming season.
"I first want to thank my assistant coaches, Steve Shelton and Katy Etelman, for all their hard work on the recruiting trail," head coach Craig Roberts said. "They have been diligent in identifying players that will fit into our culture and will drive the program to new heights. Last season's MAC Freshman of the Year was identified and recruited to Ball State. It would not surprise me if we did not have another competitor in this new batch as well."
In 2019, the Cardinals add to their roster Andrea Rabanales, Maitane Bravo, Alexis Smith, Elizabeth Philibin, Samantha Musick and Tiffani Torres. Also eligible after a year with the team is Tatiana Hawkins-Dabney. Information on each recruit, along with comments from coach Roberts, can be found below.
ANDREA RABANALES
A native of Guatemala, Rabanales attended school at Colegio Guatemalteco Bilingue and graduated in 2016. She is a transfer from Navarro Junior College where she played for two years while compiling 19 goals and 31 assists. Rabanales was named to the all-region team as a freshman. She also has experience playing on the Guatemalan national team. She will enter Ball State as a junior and plans to major in psychology.
COACH ROBERTS ON RABANALES:
"Andrea Rabanales has an immense amount of experience from playing with the Guatemalan national team. She has excellent distribution due to her vision but also has the ability to change the tempo of the game and score winning goals. Coach Alicia Wilson has done a great job of advancing her game. It is our turn to work with this player with much potential."
MAITANE BRAVO
Bravo joins Rabanales as the two were teammates at Navarro Junior College. Bravo is originally from Basauri, Spain where she attended Urbi Institutua. She will play goalkeeper for the Cardinals as she did in both Spain and at Navarro. In her last season playing in Spain, Bravo helped her team advance to the playoffs in Spain's first division of soccer. She was named team MVP as a freshman at Navarro. Bravo enters as a sophomore and plans to study biochemistry.
COACH ROBERTS ON BRAVO:
"Maitane Bravo is another product from coach Alicia Wilson who brings exemplary performances on and off the field. Maitane is highly athletic and reads the game very well. This player is a very hard worker and has a strong desire to be better. She is dedicated and committed, and this is evident in her 21 shutouts over the past two years."
ALEXIS SMITH
Smith comes to Ball State as a transfer from Georgia State University. She attended high school at Rochester High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and played club soccer for the Michigan Hawks where she was a two-time ECNL National Champion. As a defender at Georgia State, Smith compiled 18 starts and scored one goal to go with one assist.
COACH ROBERTS ON SMITH:
"Alexis Smith is a versatile, athletic player that has the ability to play in the back, middle or on the front line. She is a strong, determined competitor, which will replicate the Ball State values. I see Alexis having an immediate impact and providing us with various options of attack. She has been coached by some of the best club coaches in the USA at Michigan Hawks. This foundation will help her flourish at Ball State."
ELIZABETH PHILIBIN
Philibin arrives at BSU as a transfer from Michigan. She attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where she was part of the National Honor Society and on the honor roll all four years with a 3.9 GPA. As a midfielder, Philibin was a three-year letter winner while guiding her team to 44 wins in that stretch. She took her junior year off to play club soccer. She was named All-Central Region and First Team All-State as a senior. In three seasons, Philibin totaled 87 goals and 53 assists.
COACH ROBERTS ON PHILIBIN:
"Elizabeth Philibin is an outstanding defender. She has quickness and tenacity to close attackers down. She has a clear understanding of the game and knows when to push forward. I believe her work rate and commitment will be relentless and will cause many problems for the opposition this season."
SAMANTHA MUSICK
Musick hails from Royal Oak, Michigan where she attended Royal Oak High School as a four-year honor roll student. She played for club Vardar ECNL for 12 years and was a captain for three seasons while also leading the team in goals scored three times. Musick led her team to a series of championships during her time as a forward and midfielder.
COACH ROBERTS ON MUSICK:
"Sam Musick is another versatile strong player. She will battle in the midfield but then will have the ability to turn defense into attack. She has played as a forward for her club as well as midfield. Her overall athleticism, skill and work rate will only complement the others already here at Ball State."
TIFFANI TORRES
Torres joins Ball State after a successful career at Fraser High School in Clinton Township, Michigan as a midfielder, Torres won letters in all four years she competed and was all named to the all-district team. She served as a team captain as a senior and was a three time all-conference academic team honoree. Torres guided her team to a district championship while also competing in basketball and cross country. She plans to study pre-med and biology at Ball State.
COACH ROBERTS ON TORRES:
"Tiffani Torres comes to us from a great club team. As of late she has played on the back line for her club but has previously shown expertise with playing on outside further up the field. Her desire to take players one-on-one is outstanding. I believe her tenacious athleticism and strong desire to beat players or simply get a shot on goal will only add to the attacking threat we will have this season."
TATIANA HAWKINS-DABNEY
Also eligible for the Cardinals this season is Tatiana Hawkins-Dabney. Hawkins-Dabney transferred in from South Florida after spending time there and at Western Carolina. Hawkins originally hails from Atlanta where she was an all-state performer.
COACH ROBERTS ON HAWKINS-DABNEY:
"Tatiana is going to be the definition of an impact player for us this season. Having a year to be around the team and learn the culture here will give her an edge as she prepares to do big things for us this season."
Ball State has won the most matches among its Division I peers in Indiana over the last three seasons, and its recruiting classes have been a large reason why according to Roberts. "Last year we started five or six freshmen every game and they served us very well. I believe by adding these new additions we will have the ability to take the program to even greater heights."
For all the latest on Ball State soccer, follow @BallStateSoccer on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.
"I first want to thank my assistant coaches, Steve Shelton and Katy Etelman, for all their hard work on the recruiting trail," head coach Craig Roberts said. "They have been diligent in identifying players that will fit into our culture and will drive the program to new heights. Last season's MAC Freshman of the Year was identified and recruited to Ball State. It would not surprise me if we did not have another competitor in this new batch as well."
In 2019, the Cardinals add to their roster Andrea Rabanales, Maitane Bravo, Alexis Smith, Elizabeth Philibin, Samantha Musick and Tiffani Torres. Also eligible after a year with the team is Tatiana Hawkins-Dabney. Information on each recruit, along with comments from coach Roberts, can be found below.
ANDREA RABANALES
A native of Guatemala, Rabanales attended school at Colegio Guatemalteco Bilingue and graduated in 2016. She is a transfer from Navarro Junior College where she played for two years while compiling 19 goals and 31 assists. Rabanales was named to the all-region team as a freshman. She also has experience playing on the Guatemalan national team. She will enter Ball State as a junior and plans to major in psychology.COACH ROBERTS ON RABANALES:
"Andrea Rabanales has an immense amount of experience from playing with the Guatemalan national team. She has excellent distribution due to her vision but also has the ability to change the tempo of the game and score winning goals. Coach Alicia Wilson has done a great job of advancing her game. It is our turn to work with this player with much potential."
MAITANE BRAVO
Bravo joins Rabanales as the two were teammates at Navarro Junior College. Bravo is originally from Basauri, Spain where she attended Urbi Institutua. She will play goalkeeper for the Cardinals as she did in both Spain and at Navarro. In her last season playing in Spain, Bravo helped her team advance to the playoffs in Spain's first division of soccer. She was named team MVP as a freshman at Navarro. Bravo enters as a sophomore and plans to study biochemistry.COACH ROBERTS ON BRAVO:
"Maitane Bravo is another product from coach Alicia Wilson who brings exemplary performances on and off the field. Maitane is highly athletic and reads the game very well. This player is a very hard worker and has a strong desire to be better. She is dedicated and committed, and this is evident in her 21 shutouts over the past two years."
ALEXIS SMITH
Smith comes to Ball State as a transfer from Georgia State University. She attended high school at Rochester High School in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and played club soccer for the Michigan Hawks where she was a two-time ECNL National Champion. As a defender at Georgia State, Smith compiled 18 starts and scored one goal to go with one assist.COACH ROBERTS ON SMITH:
"Alexis Smith is a versatile, athletic player that has the ability to play in the back, middle or on the front line. She is a strong, determined competitor, which will replicate the Ball State values. I see Alexis having an immediate impact and providing us with various options of attack. She has been coached by some of the best club coaches in the USA at Michigan Hawks. This foundation will help her flourish at Ball State."
ELIZABETH PHILIBIN
Philibin arrives at BSU as a transfer from Michigan. She attended Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown, Ohio, where she was part of the National Honor Society and on the honor roll all four years with a 3.9 GPA. As a midfielder, Philibin was a three-year letter winner while guiding her team to 44 wins in that stretch. She took her junior year off to play club soccer. She was named All-Central Region and First Team All-State as a senior. In three seasons, Philibin totaled 87 goals and 53 assists.COACH ROBERTS ON PHILIBIN:
"Elizabeth Philibin is an outstanding defender. She has quickness and tenacity to close attackers down. She has a clear understanding of the game and knows when to push forward. I believe her work rate and commitment will be relentless and will cause many problems for the opposition this season."
SAMANTHA MUSICK
Musick hails from Royal Oak, Michigan where she attended Royal Oak High School as a four-year honor roll student. She played for club Vardar ECNL for 12 years and was a captain for three seasons while also leading the team in goals scored three times. Musick led her team to a series of championships during her time as a forward and midfielder.COACH ROBERTS ON MUSICK:
"Sam Musick is another versatile strong player. She will battle in the midfield but then will have the ability to turn defense into attack. She has played as a forward for her club as well as midfield. Her overall athleticism, skill and work rate will only complement the others already here at Ball State."
TIFFANI TORRES
Torres joins Ball State after a successful career at Fraser High School in Clinton Township, Michigan as a midfielder, Torres won letters in all four years she competed and was all named to the all-district team. She served as a team captain as a senior and was a three time all-conference academic team honoree. Torres guided her team to a district championship while also competing in basketball and cross country. She plans to study pre-med and biology at Ball State.COACH ROBERTS ON TORRES:
"Tiffani Torres comes to us from a great club team. As of late she has played on the back line for her club but has previously shown expertise with playing on outside further up the field. Her desire to take players one-on-one is outstanding. I believe her tenacious athleticism and strong desire to beat players or simply get a shot on goal will only add to the attacking threat we will have this season."
TATIANA HAWKINS-DABNEY
Also eligible for the Cardinals this season is Tatiana Hawkins-Dabney. Hawkins-Dabney transferred in from South Florida after spending time there and at Western Carolina. Hawkins originally hails from Atlanta where she was an all-state performer.COACH ROBERTS ON HAWKINS-DABNEY:
"Tatiana is going to be the definition of an impact player for us this season. Having a year to be around the team and learn the culture here will give her an edge as she prepares to do big things for us this season."
Ball State has won the most matches among its Division I peers in Indiana over the last three seasons, and its recruiting classes have been a large reason why according to Roberts. "Last year we started five or six freshmen every game and they served us very well. I believe by adding these new additions we will have the ability to take the program to even greater heights."
For all the latest on Ball State soccer, follow @BallStateSoccer on social media and visit BallStateSports.com.
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