March 15, 2005

FAIRFAX, Va. - Six student-athletes have inked to National Letters of Intent to play women's soccer at George Mason University, beginning in the 2005 season, head coach Diane Drake announced Tuesday. Players Jenny Sparks, Nilani Duarte, Colleen Killiany, Mary Raveia, Jessie Hart and Emily Napolitano will join the Patriot program in the fall and make up the class of 2009.

"We are very excited about our first recruiting class to Mason," Drake expressed. "All of these players are capable of contributing immediately for the Patriots in 2005. This is a very diverse group of athletes who will not only complement each other, but will intentionally complement the returning squad. I believe this class is one for the immediate future."

Sparks and Duarte are co-captains at Costa Mesa High School in Costa Mesa, Calif. Sparks, 5-6, and Duarte, 5-5, are slated to play midfield and forward for George Mason. Both are members of Costa Mesa's 2003 CIF championship team and are teammates on the Southern California Slammers FC club team - a unit that is a three-time undefeated league champion and has captured such tournament crowns as the Surf Cup, Score at the Shore, CSL League Cup and the Slammers Classic. Sparks was also a member of the California South Olympic Development Program (ODP) in 2002. Duarte's honors include being named 2004 Golden West League offensive MVP, earning 2003 and 2004 all-CIF first team accolades and selection to the all-league first team three times. Both are members of the National Honor Society.

"Jenny is a very athletic and versatile player who will immediately impact our program in the midfield or perhaps up front," explained Drake. "Nilani is a very creative and technical central midfielder who threads fabulous final passes to her teammates. She could also see some time up front. The duo plays in one the best leagues in the country in Southern California."

Another pair of teammates will be heading to Fairfax this fall in Killiany and Raveia, who both play soccer for 2004 state champion W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Va. Killiany, a 5-5 midfielder/forward, plays club soccer for the BRYC Aurora squad. A four-year starter at Woodson, she was selected to the ODP state team and the Region I ODP pool, and garnered second-team all-district honors. Another four-year starter and team captain at Woodson, Raveia, a 5-10 defender, is also the team captain of her Herndon Heat club team. She received Washington Post all-Metropolitan honorable mention in Spring 2004. An AP scholar, Raveia is also a published author.

"Colleen is a very fit and tenacious player with above average speed and very quick feet," Drake mentioned. "I expect her to give us good minutes at both forward and midfield this fall. Mary is phenomenal in the air, unbelievably aggressive and fearless. She will make an instant impact to our program."

Hart, a 5-7 defender from nearby Hayfield Secondary High School in Springfield, Va., is a Washington Post Spring 2004 first-team all-Metropolitan honoree and a Spring 2003 honorable mention selection. The 2003 and 2004 Hayfield varsity soccer MVP, Hart plays for the Reston FC Milan club team, which has been USYSA national semi- or finalists in three of the past five years. She has also earned first-team all-region accolades and was a member of the Virginia ODP.

"Jessie is a very cultured soccer player with great experience in many positions," stated Drake. She is physically tough, very technical and will immediately help our program."

Napolitano received first-team all-Patriot Conference honors at Bordentown Regional High School in New Jersey, where she also earned a spot on the 2004 Region I ODP pool. The 5-8 defender and 2000-04 New Jersey ODP product plays club soccer for the Players Development Academy (PDA) Stampede.

"Emily has a great defensive presence, strong technical game, good service strength and exceptional athleticism," commented Drake. "She will be an immediate contributor to our squad."

George Mason played solidly all season for new head coach Diane Drake. After starting the year 2-4-1, the Patriots rebounded to go 8-3-2 down the stretch, winning at least 10 regular season games for the first time since 2000 and posting four wins a row for the first time since 1998.

The fifth-seeded Patriots fell to No. 4 seed James Madison 1-0 in the first round of Colonial Athletic Association Women's Soccer Tournament. Mason also registered a 2-0-3 overtime record in 2004, extending its unbeaten overtime streak to 17 games (Mason is 8-0-9 in OT games since Oct. 19, 2001).