Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Sign Three For Fall 2012 Class
2/9/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Feb. 9, 2012
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's soccer team has signed Jenai Davidson, Katie Dry and Taylor Waters to National Letters of Intent, head coach Tony da Luz announced Thursday.
The three incoming freshmen will provide depth to a Wake Forest squad that will return all 11 starters from the team that advanced to the NCAA College Cup in 2011.
"I think that all three of them can help us not only to give us quality depth going into this fall, but I think that a couple of them, if not all three, have a chance to push starters for playing time," said da Luz. "It's a small class, but it's quality over quantity. We only lost three players to graduation last year, so we didn't need that much, but they give us a lot of athleticism."
Davidson, a forward out of Deer Park, N.Y., is rated as a four-start recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and is ranked as the sixth-best prospect from the state of New York. She helped lead Deer Park High School to three league championships while earning All-County honors in 2010 and 2011.
"Jenai plays up front and is good with both feet, so she can play on either side or up the middle. She's is super athletic with great speed and size and good technique," said da Luz. "Jenai is going to surprise a lot of people. She is up in Long Island and has been kind of under the radar, and I think she can be a really dangerous player in the ACC. She gives us another dimension athletically up front to compliment Katie Stengel, Rachel Nuzzolese and Marisa Park, and she is going to compete for playing time for sure.
Dry is a versatile athlete that will bring blazing speed to the Wake Forest squad. The Minden, Nev. native had a distinguished prep career, totaling 51 goals and 35 assists while helping lead Douglas High School to back-to-back 4A state championships in 2009 and 2010. In addition to her successes on the pitch, she also earned two varsity letters in basketball and one in track.
""Katie is a super-versatile kid. She can play anywhere in midfield, preferably wide, she can play in the back as an outside back or center back and she can play up front in a wide position," said da Luz. "Her biggest strength is her unbelievable speed. She may be our fastest player. She's a very athletic player and is very smart on the ball. She plays simple and makes good decisions, and I think she has a good chance to help us."
Waters is a local product from Mooresville, N.C. who played her club soccer for Twin City Youth Soccer. A creative attacking midfielder, she helped lead Lake Norman High School to conference championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the state quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010 while scoring 65 goals and 28 assists during her high school career. Waters was named the 2010 I-MECK 4A Conference Player of the Year.
"I've known Taylor since she was 12 years old," said da Luz. "Her biggest strength is her ability to shoot from distance, which is a weapon that we don't really have right now, and she has scored a lot of goals that way. She is creative, has good vision and a good engine, and is really going to add to our midfield."
Jenai Davidson - F - 5-9 - Deer Park, N.Y. - Deer Park HS - East Meadow SC
Background:
Played four years for coach Ian Kyranakis at Deer Park High School, helping lead the Falcons to three league championships ... A four-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer ... Ranked as the No. 86 prospect in her class nationally and the sixth-best from New York ... No. 93 on ESPNHS' Top 150 College Prospects list ... Earned All-County honors in 2010 and 2011 ... Totaled 11 goals and six assists in high school while playing primarily in the midfield ... As a freshman and junior, scored the winning penalty kick to send Deer Park to the second round of the playoffs ... Played club soccer for coach Jeff Gross at East Meadow SC
Personal:
Born Aug. 12, 1994 in St. Petersburg, Fla. ... Daughter of Troy and Nicole Davidson ... Member of the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society ... Ranked in the top 10 percent academically in her high school class
Katie Dry - M - 5-4 - Minden, Nev. - Douglas High School - Heat FC
Background:
Three-sport athlete at Douglas High School, competing in soccer, basketball and track ... Played soccer for four years under coach Lorrarine Fitzhugh, helping lead the Tigers to back-to-back 4A state championships in 2009 and 2010 ... Totalled 51 goals and 35 assists in her high school career, helping her team to a 85-9-6 combined record ... Named the 2009 Sierra League Defender of the Year and 2011 Sierra League Midfielder of the Year ... Earned All-Sierra League First Team honors in all four years playing at Douglas ... Three-time member of the Nevada State ODP Team ... Won the USYS U-16 Nevada State Championship with her club team Neusport FC '94 Green under coach Paul Karver ... A three-star prospect by Top Drawer Soccer ... Has earned four varsity letters in soccer, two in basketball and one in track
Personal:
Born Feb. 6, 1994 in Lancaster, Calif. ... Daughter of Tim and Shannon Dry ... Father Tim played football and mother Shannon ran track, both at Azusa Pacific University ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Has a perfect 4.0 high school GPA ... Four-time Nevada All-State Academic Soccer Team member, two-time Nevada All-State Academic Basketball Team member and one-time Nevada All-State Academic Track Team member
Taylor Waters - M - 5-6 - Mooresville, N.C. - Lake Norman HS - NC Fusion
Background:
Played for coach Jon Mertes at Lake Norman High School ... As co-captain, helped lead the Wildcats to conference championships in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and the state quarterfinals in 2009 and 2010 ... Scored 65 goals and had 28 assists in her high school career ... Named 2010 I-MECK 4A Conference Player of the Year ... Selected as 2010 Regional Player of the Year and member of 2010 All-State Team ... Winner of Lake Norman Offensive MVP in 2009 and 2010 and Co-MVP in 2011 ... Co-Captain on 93' Fusion under coach Chad Lorentz that won 2011 NCYSA State Championships and 2010 Disney Showcase Championship ... Member of the 1993 North Carolina ODP State Team
Personal:
Born on October 2, 1993 in Durham, North Carolina ... Daughter of Steve and Stephanie Carol Waters ... Sister Erica was a swimmer at NC State ... Named to high school Academic Honor Roll
