Feb. 8, 2007

LAS VEGAS - Eight players have signed national letters of intent to play women's soccer for UNLV starting in the fall of 2007, head coach Katherine Mertz announced on Thursday. UNLV signed a total of three players from Utah, two from California, a pair from Las Vegas, and one from Indiana.

Amanda Forrester is the Rebels' first local recruit, as the 5-4 native of Las Vegas is also a starting midfielder for Bishop Gorman. Named a Top 200 recruit by Soccer Buzz, Forrester earned all-state, all-region, and all-district honors while scoring 15 goals and adding 22 assists in 2006. Forrester also plays for the Rebels Select Soccer Club '89, which has won the state championships the last four years, and was in the 2006 Olympic Development Regional Pool (ODP).

Kristen Shim meanwhile will play her second year as a starting forward at Palo Verde after two years at Kuaui High in Hawaii. The 5-4 forward helped Palo Verde to the regional and state championships as a senior, and was the leading scorer for Kuaui as a sophomore. She has also played for Rebels Select the past two years, and was part of the ODP State Team in both Nevada and Hawaii.

LaChere Anglin, a 5-6 defender from South Jordan, Utah, earned first-team all-state honors as a senior and helped Bingham High to one state championship and three regional championships in her four seasons. The four-year starter also played forward, and was named the team's Most Offensive Player this past year. She played for the Avalanche Premier club team which has won 6 State Cup Championships, and Anglin was also in the 2006 ODP Regional Pool. A star on the track team as well, she holds both the school record in the 200m (25.66) and on the 4x100m relay.

Elizabeth Jacobs, 5-3 midfielder and forward from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, was a second-team all-state and all-region selection this past season. In her two seasons playing for Brighton High, she helped them to the state championship in 2005, and a runner-up in the region this past season. Her freshman year she played in a Women's League Division 1, and her sophomore year for the U-15 Boy's team instead of on the high school squad. Jacobs currently plays for Sparta '89, on which she is the team's assist leader for the 2006 State Cup Champs

Sarah Naranjo is a 5-5 midfielder and native of Layton, Utah. A four-year starter for Northridge High, she was first-team all-state as a senior and second team her junior season while leading the team to the state quarterfinals both years. A four-time first-team all-region player and all-area as a junior, she also helped Northridge to the regional championship as a sophomore, and is a teammate of Jacobs on the Sparta '89. Naranjo started at guard on the basketball team her sophomore and junior years as well.

Brittney Flores, a 5-3 midfielder, signed with the Rebels out of Cypress, Calif., and is currently playing for Cypress High, which has finished second in its conference her first three years. Her club team is the Cypress Elite, which is ranked fifth in Southern California and 26th in the nation. Flores also runs track, having made the state finals all three years thus far in the 400m, taking fourth in 2004 and 2005 and sixth in 2006.

The second California recruit is Danielle O'Neil. The 5-4 forward and native of Torrance, O'Neil was a four-year starter and earned all-league honors three times. She helped Bishop Montgomery to the CIF Finals both her freshman and junior seasons, and plays for the Palos Verde Breakers club team.

Rachael Reid is a 5-3 native of Indianapolis, Ind., and earned second-team all-state honors this past year while leading Plainfield High to its fourth-straight conference championship. The second-leading point scorer in school history, Reid was a four-team all-conference and three-time first team all-district selection. She was also all-academic in both 2005 and 2006. Reid has shined in club play as well, named 2004 Gatorade Player of the Year while playing for Crossfire, five-time State Cup Champs and two-time Regional Finalists. Reid is also captain of the Indiana State ODP Team.

"I'm excited to have such a talented group of young ladies join our Rebel family," said Mertz. "They bring with them a lot of experience, especially at the club level, and we are looking forward to working with them this fall."

UNLV made its third-ever, and third straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2006 after winning the Mountain West Conference Tournament for the second straight year, this time over 11th-ranked Utah. The Rebels then fell at eventual national championship runner-up UCLA in the NCAA first round.