Feb. 18, 2008

PITTSBURGH--Pitt women's soccer head coach Sue-Moy Chin has announced the incoming freshman class for the 2008 season.  Five players were signed to a national letter of intent while the other three are promising recruited walk-ons. Klarissa Ames, Shannon Cody, Dorie Heald, Maura Lacey, Kelsi Morris, Brittany Pfaff, Kristina Rioux and Katelyn Ruhé complete Chin's class of 2008. The class will provide both offensive and defensive depth to the Panthers next fall.

 

"I am really excited about our 2008 freshman class," said Chin. "There are a number of players in this class that can come in and make an immediate impact this fall. I can't wait for them to step on campus and join the great group of girls we already have in our program." 

 

Klarissa Ames (Rio Rancho, NM/Rio Rancho) hails from New Mexico as a decorated forward and outside midfielder. Ames was a four-year letterman at Rio Rancho High School where she led her team in scoring all four years, tallying 70 career goals and 17 assists. Ames led her team to two state quarter-final finishes in her freshman and junior campaigns, as well as a semi-final match as a sophomore. As a senior, Ames led her team to a 21-3 overall record and the school's first-ever high school State Championship title for women's soccer after a three-score comeback in the final 15 minutes of regulation.

 

She garnered multiple honors over her four-year career, including four-time All-Metro First Team and four-time District 5A mentions. Ames was also named Second Team All-State as a freshman and a three-time First Team All-State honoree. She was named the 2007 All-District 5A Player of the Year as a senior and the 2007 All-State Player of the Year.

 

Ames also played for the New Mexico Sate ODP traveling team for three years, was a member of the three-time New Mexico State Cup Champion RVCF Club team and was a member of her high school swimming team. Ames also earned a spot on her high school's All-Academic team four-straight years.

 

Shannon Cody (Novi, Mich./Novi) joins the Panthers as a three-year letterman at Novi High School in Michigan, where she served as the team captain in her senior campaign. Cody led her team to three District, Regional and State Championship titles, losing just one game over the course of her career to finish with an impressive 71-1-2 overall record. She was also honored to the All-District team, as well as an All-Conference honorable mention and Second Team All-Area honoree.

 

Cody was a nine-year member of the four-time State Champion Michigan Hawks Club team under head coaches Tim Ernst and Dough Landefeld. She also helped the team to a 2007 Regional Championship title and was named the 2007 State Cup MVP for her efforts.

 

Cody was also a member of her varsity volleyball and basketball teams, leading the basketball team to a 2007 District Championship Title. She garnered Academic All-Conference honors and made the honor roll for three consecutive years. Cody also served as a member of the T.V. news at her high school.

 

Dorie Heald (West Chester, Pa./West Chester) served as captain of her high school soccer team in her junior and senior seasons as a defender at West Chester High School. She garnered First Team All-Chestmont and Second Team All-Area as a junior, while being named First Team All-Chestmont and First Team All-Area as a senior.

 

Heald was a two-year member of the USL Super V League ODP National Select Team in 2006 and 2007. She also played for the West Chester United Spartans for 10 years, leading the team to 2005 State Cup Quarterfinals, 2006 Sate Cup Semifinals and 2007 State Cup Finals, while also serving as a team captain.

 

While in high school, Heald was also a member of the National Honor Society and served as an officer for the French National Honor Society. She was also named the Rotary Club Student of the Month for February 2007.

 

Maura Lacey (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) hails from nearby Peters Township and will join the Panthers' midfield in 2008. Lacey led her high school soccer team to three consecutive Section Championship Titles, while going undefeated in 43-straight section games and 50-straight regular season games. The powerful Peters Township High School team garnered a No. 1-ranking in the state and No. 7-ranking in the nation in Lacey's senior season as she served as the team's captain. She also led the team to three WPIAL Semifinal appearances and three State Quarterfinal appearances.

 

Lacey was named All-Section and All-WPIAL in soccer as a senior, scoring eight goals and notching 16 assists. She was also a member of the Century United Club team for seven years.

 

Aside from her success on the soccer field, Lacey garnered All-Section honors on the basketball court as well, where she was a four-year letterman and team captain for three seasons. Lacey was also a WPIAL finalist in the 100-meter hurdles. She was a two-year member of the National Honor Society and made her high school honor roll for four-straight years.

 

Kelsi Morris (Bowie, Md./Bowie) adds the Panthers' list of out-of-state players as she joins Pitt from Bowie, Maryland. She was a four-year letterman on her high school soccer team, leading the team to County Championships in 2005 and 2006, as well as a South Regional Championship title and State Semifinal appearance in 2005. Morris tallied 73 career goals at Bowie High School, while leading the team to a 43-4 record during her four-year career.

 

Morris was named the Gatorade Rookie of the year in 2005, while garnering three-straight Defensive Player of the Year honors in her sophomore, junior and senior years. She was also named First Team All-County in 2006 and 2007.

 

A four-year member of the Maryland ODP team, Morris led her team to an unprecedented, four-consecutive Region 1 Championship titles and a 2006 National Championship, while only losing one contest during her time with the team. She was also a member of the Region 1 Premier League.

 

Morris was one of two original members of the Freestate Shooters for Champions team. Over her eight-year career with the team, Morris not only served as the team's captain, but led the team to multiple titles, including the 2008 Disney Tournament Finals, the 2007 Raleigh Showcase finals and a Championship title at the Bethesda Showcase. The team was also the 2007 WAGS Tournament Champions and the 2007 US Club Soccer Champions, among other honors.

 

A three-year letterman on her high school swimming team, she received top honors in her freshman and sophomore campaigns. Morris also found success in the classroom, garnering multiple honors, including College Board AP Scholar, Maryland Minds in Motion for High Honor Athletes and Summit Scholar honors. She was also a member of the Athletic Honor Roll, Principals Honor Roll and AIP Honor Roll as well.

 

Brittany Pfaff (South Park, Pa./South Park) joins the Panthers from nearby South Park High School as a four-year letterman on her soccer team as a forward. She led the team to four-consecutive Section Championships, as well as two WPIAL Championship titles in 2006 and 2007 and a State Title in 2007, as she scored 28 goals and tallied 19 assists as a senior. Pfaff notched a total of 53 goals and 54 assists over her career, while leading South Park to a 76-16-5 record.

 

Pfaff garnered multiple awards for her performance on the soccer field. She was named All-Section, All-WPAIL and All-State as a senior, as well as garnering Who's Who Among High School Student Athletes honors. She was named the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Player of the Year in 2007 and the Tribune Review Player of the Year in 2007 as well.

 

A six-year member of the Century United of Pittsburgh Club team, Pfaff led the team to three State Championship titles in 2003, 2004 and 2006 as well as a Regional Championship title in 2006 and a Nationals participant that same year.

 

Pfaff was also a 2007 All-Section selection in basketball and a member of the National Honor Society, while maintaining High Honors. She was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, competing at the Regional Level where she received third-place honors as a junior and first-place honors as a senior.

 

Kristina Rioux (Montreal, Canada/Faribault) becomes the Panthers' second international women's soccer player in school history, as she joins Pitt from Montreal, Canada. Adding depth at goalkeeper for the Panthers, Rioux was named the 2006 Athlete of the Year, as well as garnered MVP honors in Hockey that same year.

 

Rioux competed on two clubs teams, the FC Laurentides and the MVP Soccer Club at LCC, leading the FC Laurentides to a Quebec Cup bonze medal. She was named a Top-5 player in Rugby, leading her team to a GMAA Semi-Final appearance.

 

She as also a four-time honor roll recipient, garnering honors in the classroom as a junior and senior.

 

Katelyn Ruhé (Frederick, Md./Ijamsville)  joins the panthers as a midfielder from Ijamsville High School in Maryland. Ruhé was a four-year letterman on the women's soccer team, tallying 11 career goals and 10 careers assists for 32 points. She led her team to two Regional Finals in 2004 and 2005. As a junior, Ruhé and her teammates captured an MVAL Conference Championship title, repeating as the Conference Champions the following season and earning a State Championship title as well.

 

Ruhé was a three-time All-Area and All-Conference First Team selection. She also received All-Area honors and Second Team All-Metro honors as a senior, as well as being named the 2007 Frederick News Post Defensive Player of the Year.

 

A member of multiple Club teams, Ruhé played for the F.C. Frederick as well as the Freestate Shooters with future Pitt teammate Kelsi Morris. Ruhé was also a member of the ODP Maryland team, winning multiple Regional Championship titles and a 2006 National Championship.

 

Ruhé was a member of the National Honor Society and Maryland Minds in Motion for High Honor Athletes.