Feb. 7, 2008

Contact: Brian McCann

Complete Release in PDF Format

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Five high school student-athletes, three of which are from high schools in the Greater Cleveland area, have signed national letters of intent to attend Cleveland State and play women's soccer beginning in the fall of 2008. Head coach Derrek Falor made the announcement on Thursday.

Signing with the Vikings are Nikki Bevilacqua (Cortland, OH, Lakeview), Natalie Daniels (Olympia, WA), Jordan King (Silverdale, WA, Central Kitsup), Sammi Salamon (Northfield, OH, Walsh Jesuit) and Marina Taylor (Richmond Heights, OH). Each player will enter CSU as freshman with four years of eligibility.

"This was a very important class for us because for the first time, the players will have to replace graduating seniors," Falor said. "I think that we did a nice job of addressing our needs and finding players who could step into our program and contribute immediately.

"This group of players follows the formula of the 2007 class in that they are quality people of the highest caliber, first and foremost.

"One of the most exciting things about this group is that four of the players have won, or played for, a national championship in either club or high school soccer in the past three years. Adding to this experience to our roster is absolutely vital to us as we begin our climb towards the top of the Horizon League," Falor added.

The signing class is heavy in midfielders as three of the five are experienced at the position. One is primarily a defender, a second split time between defense and midfield and the final student-athlete plays at forward.

"One area that held us back last season was the lack of depth at midfield," Falor said. "This recruiting class addresses thatb area of concern."

Complete biographies on each of the five signees are below:

Nikki Bevilacqua
5-4, Fr., Forward
Cortland, Ohio (Lakeview H.S.)
High School: First team all-state choice as a senior at Lakeview High, playing for coach Shawn Varley. . . scored 34 goals with nine assists (77 points) as a senior to earn team MVP and finish as the runnerup in district player of the year voting. . . tallied 13 goals with six assists (22 points) as a freshman, nine goals with six assists (24 points) and 24 goals with three assists as a junior (51 points) to finish career with 80 goals and 24 assists (184 points) during her career. . . two-time all-district and three-time team ofensive player of the year choice. . . helped team to a 54-16-5 record during her career, winning three-league titles. . . lettered four times in soccer and three in track. . . earned most outstanding sprinter award as both a sophomore and junior in track. . . played club soccer for four years for the Trumbull County Rockers.

Personal: Born June 11, 1990 in Warren, Ohio. . . daughter of David and Lynn Bevilacqua. . . has one younger sister (Julie). . . was a member of the National Honor Society in high school. . . also participated in the Interact Club, the Ski Club and the yearbook. . . received an Outstanding Academic Achievement award. . . interested in majoring in physical therapy.

Coach Falor's Comments: "Nicole is a bonafied striker through and through. She's confident finishing chances in the box and has excellent speed both on and off the ball. There is a scrappiness to her play that will serve us well when the games come down to winning 1 vs. 1 battles. She gives us a very mobile threat up top to compliment our current forwards and should immediately improve how dangerous we are in transition."

Natalie Daniels
5-5, Fr., Midfield
Olympia, Wash. (Olympia H.S.)
High School: Two-time all-state choice at Olympia High, playing for coach Tessa Effland. . . scored 21 goals with 15 assists (57 points) as a senior to earn first team honors and 17 goals and 14 assists (48 points) as a junior en route to receiving second team accolades. . . scored at least one point in 16 of her 19 matches as a senior to earn area player of the year recognition. . . four-time all-league selection, earning second team as a freshman and first team the other three years. . . played club soccer for Washington Premier Football Club, helping team to the state finals as a sophomore and the semi-finals as a junior. . . played with fellow signee Jordan King on the WPFC team that advanced to nationals last June.

Personal: Born Dec. 20, 1990 in Olympia, Wash. . . daughter of James Daniels and Brenda Diettrich. . . has one older sister (Anastasia) and one younger brother (Daniel). . . was involved in FCCLA in high school. . . undecided on a major.

Coach Falor's Comments: "Natalie is a sophisticated central mid who has a very cerebral approach to her game. She's a very clean and technical player who can dictate tempo, create assists, and score in a variety ways against high levels of competition. We haven't had a player like her on our roster since our inception, so I'm excited to see how much she improves our possession and opportunities on goal against our better opponents. I expect that her most immediate impact will be in the creation of more quality scoring chances in the final third for us."

Jordan King
5-7, Fr., Defense-Midfield
Silverdale, Wash. (Central Kitsup H.S.)
High School: Four-time all-league choice at Central Kitsup High, playing for coach Vicky Webb. . . earned first team all-league accolades as a junior and senior, second team as a sophomore and honorable mention as a freshman. . . first team all-county and team captain as a senior. . . tabbed as the squad's most valuable defender as both a junior and senior. . . scored game-winning goal on a penalty kick as a freshman to send team to the quarter-finals of the state tourney for the first time ever. . . played four years of club soccer for Washington Premier Football Club. . . played on squad that advanced to nationals in June, 2007.

Personal: Born June 16, 1990 in Bremerton, Wash. . . daughter of Zivin and Carla King. . . .has one younger brother (Kailan). . . worked as a olunteer at Harrison Hospital in Bremerton. . . interested in being a pre-med or nursing major.

Coach Falor's Comments: "Jordan is an energetic and physical flank player who attacks well at speed and shows some serious grit to her defending. She's capable of physically dominating one side of the field both in the air and on the ground and is versatile enough to play as a wide mid or wing defender. She strikes a very sound crossing ball so we'll do everything we can to put her in positions to serve from the flank. Technically she will excel in helping us break down opponents in the middle third during build-ups, and should present a significant defensive presence at all times."

Samantha Salamon
5-5, Fr., Midfield
Northfield, Ohio (Walsh Jesuit)
High School: Team MVP as a senior at Walsh Jesuit High, playing for coach Dino McIntyre. . . played on teams that compiled an 82-4-3 record during her four seasons, winning state titles as both a freshman (2004) and junior (2006) and a national title in 2006. . . four-year letterwinner. . . voted team MVP and served as team captain as a senior. . . tabbed as the MVP among first year players as a junior when she broke into the starting lineup on defense, helping team to a perfect 23-0-0 mark and the national title. . . played club soccer for Cleveland United.

Personal: Born December 9, 1989 in Garfield Heights, Ohio. . . daughter of Judy Salamon. . . has two older sisters (Kelly & Rebecca). . . was a member of the honor roll during all four years in high school. . . active in the Justice League and SADD in high school. . . is interested in majoring political science, history or psychology.

Coach Falor's Comments: "Sammi is a fierce competitor who does a great job of anticipating passing lanes and movement patterns both in the attack and on defense. She consistently shows the ability to put the right texture and pace on the final pass in the attacking third. She's the kind of teammate that demands success from herself and those around her every time she's on the field. I love her courage and toughness and know that she will be an outstanding addition to our midfield."

Marina Taylor
5-3, Fr., Defense
Richmond Heights, Ohio (Richmond Heights)
High School: Two-time team MVP at Gilmour Academy, earning the honor as both a freshman and sophomore. . . transferred to Richmond Heights High, which did not offer girl's soccer, prior to her junior year. . . third team all-city choice as a sophomore at Gilmour. . . lettered in volleyball as a senior at Richmond Heights. . . played for the Ohio ODP team (Ohio North) as a freshman. . . played club soccer for the Cleveland Soccer Academy, starting at defender on the teams that advanced to nationals as both a sophomore and junior.

Personal: Born Feb. 6, 1990 in Cleveland. . . daughter of Lisa Taylor. . . has two younger sisters. . . was active on the Student Council and Recycling Club in high school. . . has volunteered time at the Cleveland Food Bank and tutoring fourth graders. . . interested in majoring in physical therapy.

Coach Falor's Comments: "Marina embodies all the characteristics that we desire in a wing defender. She's fast, physical, and never gives up in defending situations. There's a super aggressive side of her game that will immediately give our defense some more bite out wide. She's very capable of helping us build out and serves wonderful long balls that make a forward's job much easier. Marina will certainly be an injection of energy and tactical awareness on our backline from day one."