University of Regina women’s soccer head coach
Bob Maltman announced Tuesday that recruits Adrianna Bonutti, Meagan Cormier, Jessica Meyer, Keisha Riddell, and Madalina Sonea have all committed to the Cougars and will join the team for the 2009 season.
Cormier, Meyer, and Riddell all hail from southern Saskatchewan, while Bonutti is from Calgary and Sonea hails from Greater Vancouver. They are the first five members of Maltman’s 2009 recruiting class.
“Overall, I am very excited about the collective skill sets, athleticism, and flexibility that this group will add to our program,” Maltman said. “Most importantly, we expect that these players will provide the desire to put balls in the back of the opposition’s net while continuing to reduce the goals against.”
Cormier, a 5’5” forward attending Campbell Collegiate, spent last summer with the Edmonton Angels of the Alberta Major Soccer League. She was a starter for the Angels, who finished in second place in the league with a 9-4-1 record. Cormier, who was Campbell’s MVP during the 2008 season, has been a member of numerous Saskatchewan provincial and all-star teams and has participated in the Canadian Soccer Association’s National Training Centre program. A long-time member of the RE United club program, she will be a member of Team Saskatchewan at the 2009 Canada Summer Games in Prince Edward Island.
“We expect Meagan to add much needed strength to the Cougar attack,” Maltman said. “She has great confidence and vision with the ball at her feet, is very comfortable in 1-v-1 situations and is more than willing to strike the ball at any opportunity. She’s had good success in front of the goal in recent years and we look forward to this continuing with the Cougar program.”
Meyer, a 5’6” midfielder out of Vanier Collegiate Institute in Moose Jaw, is a versatile player that has also played at left back at the provincial level. Meyer played club soccer with the Moose Jaw Bandidos – where she worked with former U of R head coach Jason Jones – before joining RE United in Regina. Meyer, who was named VCI’s MVP following both the 2007 and 2008 seasons, has participated in the Regional Training Centre program based in Regina. Like Cormier, Meyer will play with Saskatchewan at the 2009 Canada Summer Games.
“Jessica’s ability to play at both the midfield and fullback position will provide added depth and flexibility to our program,” Maltman said. “Her technical abilities and game intelligence will allow her to adjust quickly to the pace of the game. We look forward to having Jessica as a critical part of our program.”
Riddell, a 5’5” defender who will graduate from O’Neill in June, has already been training with her future Cougar teammates. A product of the AC Tigres program, Riddell has played at the club and provincial levels over the past six seasons and was an integral part of O’Neill’s defence.
“As an outside fullback, Keisha has good defensive attributes and has shown great progress in her willingness to attack in recent months,” Maltman said. “She’s an intelligent player and her awareness of both teammates and opponents is excellent. We expect Keisha to continue her development and become a consistent performer on the pitch as a Cougar.”
Bonutti has had good success at both winger and striker with Chinook United, her Calgary-based club team. Maltman is excited about the pace and desire that the product of Central Memorial High School will bring to the program.
"Adrianna is able to maintain control under pressure, which is essential at the CIS program," Maltman said. "She also showed some great chemistry with Meagan (Cormier) at our ID camp, which was great to see considering that the two had never played together before."
Sonea, a 5'3" midfielder from Pitt Meadows, will become the first British Columbian on the Cougar roster since Sarah Schermerhorn, who played in 2006. She comes to the U of R from Pitt Meadows Secondary and played her club soccer with Golden Ears Sporting.
"At our ID camp, Madalina demonstrated a great change of pace, intelligence with the ball at her feet, a desire to compete, and an ability to play multiple positions," Maltman said. "With these skills, we look forward to Madalina adding to the quality and depth of our squad."
All five recruits are expected to make their debuts with the Cougars when the Canada West schedule begins in mid-September.
2009 University of Regina Women’s Soccer Recruiting Class
F Adrianna Bonutti (5-6, 1st) – Calgary, Alta. – Central Memorial HS / Chinook United
F Meagan Cormier (5-5, 1st) – Regina, Sask. – Campbell Collegiate / RE United
MF Jessica Meyer (5-6, 1st) – Moose Jaw, Sask. – Vanier Collegiate Institute / RE United
D Keisha Riddell (5-5, 1st) – Regina, Sask. – Archbishop M.C. O’Neill HS / AC Tigres
MF Madalina Sonea (5-3, 1st) – Pitt Meadows, B.C. – Pitt Meadows Secondary / Golden Ears Sporting