FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason head coach Todd Bramble has announced the addition of six new student-athletes that have signed their letters of intent to join the Patriots for the fall of 2018.

Naja Ashman | Stanton College Preparatory High School | Jacksonville, Fla.

Ashman, a 5'-10" defensive midfielder, was named a Gateway Conference All-Star while playing with the Blue Devils.  She was a four-year starter and team captain. 

Ashman was also a two-time member of the ODP Florida State Team.  Naja's club development was with the highly successful Jacksonville Armada program and her team was coached by Eric Dade.

"We discovered Naja late in the recruiting process as she was out her junior year of school with an injury," Bramble said.  "She is a versatile player with the ability to play a variety of positions.  Naja is a very good athlete who is always aware of her surroundings on the field.  She has the potential to be an excellent player in the A-10."

To compliment her on-field accomplishments, Ashman was a member of the National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, English Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society.

Dacheka Kolcum | Tuscarora High School | Leesburg, Va.

Kolcum, a 6'-0" forward, earned four letters while playing for the Huskies.  Her coach at Tuscarora is former George Mason player Kimmy Moss.

Kolcum was a two-time member of the VHSL all-conference team and also earned all-state honors.  In addition, she competed in the Donosti Cup in San Sebastian, Spain.  Kolcum spent the past several years playing club soccer with Herdon United coached by another Mason alum, Todd Hamlin.

"We have been tracking Dacheka's progress for a couple years now," said Bramble.  "She is an attacking presence that is a threat to score goals whether the ball is at her feet or in the air.  We look forward to her transitioning to the demands of the college game quickly and making an impact on our team."

Off the field, Kolcum was a member of the A and B Honor Roll and All-A Honor Roll.

Gabriela Rivera | University of Florida | Alpharetta, Ga.

Rivera, a 5-6 midfielder, comes to George Mason after playing two years at the University of Florida.  She redshirted in 2016 in an attempt to participate in the U20 World Cup with Mexico.

Rivera was a member of the under-20 Mexican National Team and traveled with Mexico's Senior Team to China for the 2017 Four Nations Tournament.  Rivera also attended the United States under-14 National Team camp in 2011.

"I watched Gaby as a youth player in Atlanta and knew she had a bright future," Bramble said.  "She finished her undergraduate degree in 3 years at the University of Florida and after sitting out one season on duty with Mexico's U20 National team, will come to George Mason with 2 years of eligibility and enroll in the prestigious Schar School of Policy and Government.  She is a mature young woman who has ambitious goals in soccer and beyond.  We are eager to get her on campus in August and see her begin working with our team."

Off the field, Rivera is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Southeastern Conference Honor Roll.  She also earned International Baccalaureate Diploma at Atlanta International School.

Emma van der Vorst | Calandlyceum, Amsterdam | The Hague, Netherlands

Van der Vorst, a 5-9 midfielder/forward, has earned 24 caps for the Dutch National youth teams at the U15, U16 and U17 levels. She was the Kurstadt Cup captain in games in both 2015 and 2016.

"Emma will arrive on campus well prepared to make the transition to university life," said Bramble.  "She moved away from home at age 14 to an elite academy program called CTO Amsterdam that very closely mirrors the way of life of a college student athlete.  She has good academic credentials, is emotionally intelligent and will undoubtedly bring an attacking presence to our team.  She has come up through the U15, U16 and U17 National Teams of the Netherlands."

Lena Wicker | Luisenschule | Muelheim, Germany

Wicker, a 5-8 defender, is set to join the Patriots for the 2018 season.

"Lena is playing at a very good level with SGS-Essen in Germany," Bramble said.  "She fills a need for us in this class along the back line.  She has all of the soccer and personality traits that will allow her to transition successfully to the college game.  She is a bright student and has set ambitious goals for herself both on and off the field.  We look forward to welcoming Lena into our team this fall."



 Keri Yoon | South County High School | Fairfax Station, Va.

Yoon, a 5-6 defender, was named All-Conference Honorable Mention in 2016 and All-Conference Second-Team in 2017 while playing for the Stallions.  A member of the 2017 ODP Region-1 Champion, Yoon also won the Virginia State Cup championship with Annandale United FC.

"Keri fills a need in this class and will serve a very specific role as she is most comfortable on the left side of the field either in the back or midfield," Bramble said.  "Keri possesses excellent running speed and is comfortable on the ball under pressure.  She has been in an excellent club training environment the past 2 years with BRYC Elite."

To compliment her on-field accomplishments, Yoon was a four-year member of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and earned the Scholar Athlete Award and Academic Letter 2015-'17.

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