Lady Lions Roster Completed
DAYTON, Ohio – Dayton Dutch Lions FC has put the finishing touches on a roster that is ready to compete in the USL W-League Southeastern Conference in 2015. The squad is primarily composed players that hail from Dayton and the surrounding regions, but Head Coach Gavin MacLeod has also recruited talent from around the globe.
Brittany Persuad returns to Dayton after a successful stint playing professionally in Europe for clubs including Kungsbacka SC, ADO Den Haag, Telstar SC, and Reiger Boys. The midfielder played collegiately for Wright State University and is the single-season and career record holder in assists for the Raiders.
“I’m hoping to learn and grow as a player, as well as, an individual, with a new team and program,” said Persuad. “I’m looking forward to playing back home again.”
Persuad will have Big Ten help in the midfield from the University of Wisconsin’s Micaela Powers and the University of Minnesota’s Jossee Stiever. Powers was the Ohio Division 1 Player of the Year at Beavercreek High School and scored her first goal as a college player in the 2014 NCAA Tournament. Stiever was named to the 2013 Big Ten Freshman Team and has tallied 9 goals and 5 assists in her career with the Golden Gophers.
“I am very excited to be back with the Dutch Lions in my hometown. The competition will be great and our roster seems to be awesome so it seems like we have a lot of fun ahead of us but also a lot of work,” said Powers.
Stiever added, “I'm so grateful for this opportunity to spend my summer with the Dayton Dutch Lions. I'm excited to compete in the W-League with new coaches and teammates from around the world and I can't wait to bring back what I learn to Gopher Soccer next fall.”
Ashley Pafko also made her way to the Dutch Lions via the University of Minnesota. The defender has three goals and six assists to her credit with Minnesota and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on September 29.
“I am looking forward to playing with the Dayton Dutch Lions this summer. I feel this will be a great opportunity for me to focus my summer on soccer and develop as a player,” said Pafko. “The coaching staff and team seem like a great fit for me, and I am excited to learn from them so I can not only come in ready for the 2015 Gopher soccer season, but also further my skills.”
The University of Dayton will be represented by two players in the Dutch Lions’ lineup, Libby Leedom and Meghan Blank. Leedom is a midfielder who appeared in 16 games for the Flyers and was named to the Academic All-Ohio team. Blank, a forward from Springboro, OH, has notched five goals and six assists for UD in 44 appearances.
Leedom said, “Through this W-league experience, I hope to develop my personal and team skills through playing with and against highly skilled individuals. I look forward to coming together and competing with girls from across the many great universities across the nation.”
Other players on the Dayton roster include Ayanna Parker (GK), Zoe Pchobradsky (GK), Haley Gribler (GK), Vanessa Gilles (D), Nicole Hopkins (D), Randi Delong (D), Sydney Lovelace (D), Michele Christy (M), Happy Orere-Amadu (M), Liz Slattery (M), Amy Dean (F), and Hannah Farley (F).
The Dutch Lions open the W-League season at home on Saturday, May 16 against Braddock Road at Xavier University in Cincinnati. First kick is scheduled for 4 p.m.