Soccer: 17 girls from TSA ’95 Girls Red to play at the next level
by Andy Morales on Jan. 12, 2013, under Sports
Courtesy Photo.
With 17 of their current athletes either signed or committed to play college soccer, Todd and Amy Garelick have done something that has put them in a class all by themselves.
The girls all play for the Tucson Soccer Academy ’95 Girls Red squad under the direction of the Garelicks. They were ranked in the top 10 and won the state cup last May by destroying the SC Del Sol ECNL of Phoenix 4-1.
“This group is very special,” explained Todd Garelick. “For one team, whether from Arizona or Southern California or anyplace else in the country, to have that many signings is completely unprecedented. These girls have worked so hard over their club and high school careers and it is wonderful to see the fruits of their labor.”
It is, as Garelick said, “unprecedented.” A few softball clubs have five or six a year, with some of those actually committing to a college team while playing for other softball clubs, and baseball teams have two or three at the most from one team but you would be hard pressed to find 17 from one team.
Garelick is the current athletic director at Mountain View but he also has four high school championships to his credit while coaching in the Phoenix area. 2001, 2003 and 2004 coaching girls at Scottsdale Horizon (2002 runner up) and a 1997 title while coaching the boys at Shadow Mountain.
“Each of the (college) coaches that will have our ’95 girls coming to play for them will be very pleased as we have worked hard to prepare them to compete at the highest level,” added Garelick.
“The girls were always up to the task and that is evident by their state championship run last year, their four straight top three finishes in the Far West Regional League, a third place at Far West Regionals as well as their success at all major tournaments.”
ROSTER
Shannon Shields (Sabino) Sam Houston State
Justene Kesterson (Mountain View) Arizona
Karina Gabino (Mountain View) Arizona
Laura Pimienta (Mountain View) Arizona
Priscilla Pimienta (Mountain View) Arizona
Madison Kinzer (Ironwood Ridge) Oklahoma
Madison Irwin (Catalina) New Mexico
Madison Parker (Catalina Foothills) New Mexico
Laura DeMers (Catalina Foothills) New Mexico
Asia Suarez (Buena) Long Island University Brooklyn
Kaylee Gambadoro (Desert Vista) Loyola Chicago
Jasmine Stokes (Palo Verde) Cal Baptist
Morgan Rooney (Catalina Foothills) Concordia Oregon
Lizzie Valenzuela (Salpointe) Pima CC
Annie Batik (Salpointe) Pima CC
Savannah Quintana (Tucson) Paradise Valley CC
Alexis Torres (Palo Verde) Paradise Valley CC or Dixie State
Shannon Shields suffered a stress fracture in her lower spine and will be missing the rest of her senior year at Sabino. Shields was on target to collect over 100 goals in her high school career (she has 86) and had scored eight goals in eight games before her injury was discovered in early December.
The Garelicks will be hosting a signing party on February 6 at 7:30 am in the Mountain View auditorium. It will be a perfect opportunity for the local media to catch up on this major accomplishment.
