Pacific Palisades, Calif. (Monday, April 28, 2008) – The Pali Blues Soccer Club announced today the acquisitions of midfielders Erika Prado, Katy Cross and forward Rachelle Snyder. The group joins the Pali Blues for their inaugural season in the USL W-League that opens this May.
Prado comes to the Blues after a prolific collegiate career at Cal State L.A. She finished her senior season for the Golden Eagles this past December by tallying eight points on a pair of goals and four assists. The playmaking midfielder is the single-season (8) and all-time (17) assist leader in school history, and she finished her collegiate career with back-to-back NSCAA/adidas All-Far West Region accolades.
“Erika is an extremely crafty and technical player,” Blues head coach Charlie Naimo stated. “She earned a spot on this team with an MVP performance in the Vegas event, and she will be a nice option in the midfield for us.”
Cross has served as an assistant coach for the University of Pennsylvania for the past three seasons after a brilliant playing career for the Quakers. She was a four-time All-Ivy First Team selection, and she was the first All-American in school history. She was named the 2001 Ivy League Rookie of the Year after assisting Penn to their first Ancient Eight title. She followed up that season in 2002 by receiving Ivy League Player of the Year accolades after hitting a school record 14 goals. She registered 54 goals and knocked in three-or-more scores in a single game five times during college.
“Katy is another player that has had an impact in the preseason,” Naimo said. “She can be very dangerous, and we are expecting a productive season from her.”
Snyder is also a University of Pennsylvania alumna. The San Diego native scored four goals in a single game during her freshman season, and she played alongside Cross throughout her collegiate career. The former All-Ivy League selection also scored the fastest goal in school history, netting a tally a mere 14 seconds into a contest.
“Rachelle is a great utility player,” Naimo remarked. She was a big part of our undefeated preseason and will serve various roles for us during the season.”
The Blues will play the first game of their inaugural USL W-League regular season on the road against the Ventura County Fusion on Saturday, May 10. The following weekend, the Blues will play their inaugural home contest at the “Stadium by the Sea” when they host the Los Angeles Legends on Saturday, May 17. Tickets for home match ups are only $10 for adults ($8 with student ID) and $5 for kids under the age of 12.
Stay tuned to the team website at www.bluessoccerclub.com for all updates regarding the Blues.
