Wake Forest Athletics
Women's Soccer Announces Five New Signees
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
February 17, 1999
WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Five women's soccer players, including All-American midfielder Katie Johnson (Virginia Beach, VA), have signed a national letter of intent to play at Wake Forest, head coach Tony da Luz announced today. All five student-athletes will enroll at Wake Forest in the fall of 1999.
The four other Demon Deacon signees are forward Joline Charlton (Stone Mountain, GA), defender Liz McDowell (Lakewood, CO), midfielder Lindsey Griffin (Englewood, CO), and midfielder Gabi Lieb (Greensboro, NC). "We've built a good foundation for the future because we have brought in two really good classes in a row," said da Luz. "This group is very balanced in terms of positions where they play, but they are also a very versatile group, too. I expect all of these players to help our team improve next fall."
Johnson is an NSCAA/adidas All-American and Academic All-American and was named the 1998 NSCAA Virginia Player of the Year. She was also a two-time All-Tidewater and All-Group AAA selection as well as a six-year ODP player. She attended the adidas girls elite camp and was selected to its 24-member all-star team during the summer of 1998. Charlton has been a member of the Georgia State ODP team since 1994 and a member of the Region III South Team since 1996. She was named county Player of the Year in each of her four years at Redan High School, and led the county in goals for two straight seasons. Her club team, the Stone Mountain Spirit, captured the WAGS Champions U16 "B" Flight in 1996 and were Open Cup Runners-up in 1996 and 1997. McDowell will provide depth to the Wake Forest defense as she was a four-year starter at Wheat Ridge High School and a team captain in her last three years at the school. She was named to the Jefferson County 5A All-Conference in three seasons. Her club team, the Colorado Rush Soccer Club, won the Colorado State Cup in each of the last four seasons and finished fourth in the nation in 1997.
Griffin is a midfielder who brings a number of credentials to the Demon Deacon program. She was an All-State selection in 1997 and 1998 and was the leading scorer in the conference during her each of her last three years at Cherry Creek High School while being named team MVP in 1997 and 1998. She teamed with fellow Wake Forest newcomer Liz McDowell on the Nike Rush Soccer Club in leading the team to the Colorado State Cup Championship in 1998.
Lieb, who has been a starter for Greensboro Day School since the eighth grade, was a member of four straight state championship teams in 8th-11th grade and will be looking for a fifth straight title this spring. She has earned All-State, All-Region and All-County honors during her career and led Greensboro Day to a #1 national ranking by USA Today in 1998. These five newcomers join 12 returning letterwinners from Wake Forest's 1998 team that finished with a record of 13-7-1 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
1999 WAKE FOREST WOMEN'S SOCCER SIGNEES
Joline Charlton F 5-4 Stone Mountain, GA/Redan Lindsey Griffin MF 5-4 Englewood, CO/Cherry Creek Katie Johnson MF 5-1 Virginia Beach, VA/Kempsville Gabi Lieb MF 5-4 Greensboro, NC/Greensboro Day Liz McDowell D 5-8 Lakewood, CO/Wheat Ridge
