Futebol Universitário: Duas Portuguesas rumam aos EUA

Laura Luis (right), one of the new recruits for Scorpion women's soccer.

Six international student-athletes have signed Red River Athletic Conference Letters of Intent to join the UTB/TSC women's soccer team, as Coach Nik Barjaktarevic winds down his 2011 recruiting class.

The incoming class includes two players from England, two from Portugal, and one each from Canada and Spain.

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Laura Luis, Funchal, Portugal, transfer forward
Luis played club soccer for SC Maritimo as well as represented Madeira and Portugal National Team in the UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship under tutelage of Coach Monica Jorge. She majored in Sports Science at the University or Maritimo and will pursue the same academic interest at UTB/TSC.

Coach Barjaktarevic: "Laura is a proven goal scorer who will make an immediate impact on our team. She brings tremendous leadership and experience being a captain for U19 Portugal National team and has been highly recommended, along with her teammate Monica Mendes by Coach Monica Jorge and other coaches involved in her move to UTB/TSC."

Luis: "I would like to make a career in football but also to continue school and get my degree, something that guarantees me a job when I stop playing soccer. Support for women's soccer in the United States is a big plus for me, I'm excited for this great opportunity and I will do everything to help the team."

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Monica Mendes, Almada, Portugal, freshman defender

She is a multi-sport athlete who is also a national champion in Karate, competing at the national level for both karate and soccer. She plays club soccer for 1 Dezembro and is a regular for Portugal U19 National Team. Mendes is a teammate of Luis on the U19 National Team for Portugal. She plans to major in Exercise Science at UTB/TSC.

Coach Barjaktarevic: "What a great athlete and a fierce competitor in everything she does. Monica plays on the most competitive club in Portugal, as well as the U19 selection and knows what it means to be under pressure all the time, although she is a very young player. I like winners on our team and she is one, and we are so excited to have her."

Mendes: "I'm excited about this new challenge, a unique experience as a player and a student. I hope to learn new things with new methods of training so that I can acquire the most skills for the future that can make all my dreams come true."

Notícia: utbathletics.com