April 21, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State soccer head coach Heather Cairns has announced that midfielder Allie Maduell has signed to compete for the Aggies in the 2008 season. Maduell joins nine other incoming freshmen that have signed with USU earlier this year. She is a native of Pleasanton, Calif. and attends Foothill High School.

Maduell, a native of Pleasanton, Calif. (Foothill HS), was named to the East Bay Athletic League second-team as a senior and served as team captain, as she led her team to the state championship game in each of the last two seasons. Maduell was also a member of the Livermore Arsenal Club during her last three years of high school, where she led the team to two undefeated seasons. Maduell was also on the Olympic Development team and lettered two years in basketball.

"Allie is a great late find for us! She is a smart, hard working midfielder and knows how and when to keep possession and can balance that with playing dangerous balls to create scoring opportunities for her teammates," Cairns said. "Her leadership is evident as she served as captain of her high school, club and basketball teams. She is respected by her teammates because she is the type of player that prides herself on making her teammates look good."

USU's signing class is now at 10 players as Maduell joins freshmen, Brittany Boyack, Shantel Flanary, Molli Merrill, Megan Rhoads, Chandra Salmon, Marissa Sanchez, Danielle Shorts, Summer Tillotson and Alexis Venable.

Utah State returns nine starters and 17 letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 10-11-0 record, tying the most-ever wins in the program's 12-year history. Utah State's 5-2-0 conference record ties the previous program-record mark of five league wins set in 2006. This year, USU also set records for most points in a season (114), most goals in a season (40) and most assists in a season (34).

Utah State Soccer 2008 Signing Class

NAME              	POS  	HOMETOWN (HIGH SCHOOL)
Brittney Boyack    	F    	Las Vegas, Nev. (Spring Valley HS)
Shantel Flanary   	F    	Highland, Utah (Lone Peak HS)
Allie Maduell	        M	Pleasanton, Calif. (Foothill HS)
Molli Merrill      	GK   	Bountiful, Utah (Bountiful HS)
Megan Rhoads       	D    	Sandy, Utah (Brighton HS)
Chandra Salmon     	M    	Provo, Utah (Provo HS)
Marissa Sanchez 	F   	Twins Falls, Idaho (Twins Falls HS)
Danielle Shorts	        F	Gilbert, Ariz. (Highland HS)
Summer Tillotson   	D    	Sandy, Utah (Alta HS)
Lexi Venable       	D    	Layton, Utah (Northridge HS)