LAKE CHARLES—McNeese head soccer coach Drew Fitzgerald has finalized his 2022 roster with the addition of six players (Salma Elhaimer, Anouk Linders, Mia Staley, Matilde Tesgaarde, Talliah Keenan-Powell, Dominika Ducal) who will bring a ton of talent just in time for the start of the season. The six will join four early signees.
 
"It's taken a while to get this class completed, but it is one we are incredibly excited about," said Fitzgerald.
 
Salma Elhaimer, Freshman, Forward, Tomball, Texas (Tomball Memorial High) 
Salma comes to us as a top ECNL player from Challenge Soccer Club.  She plays the game with real force and is gifted in the air.  We project her coming in as a forward who will add even more grit and tenacity to an already talented front line. Elhaimer is capable of taking players on to create and she excels at getting on the end of crosses.  Her personality matches her play, and we expect her enthusiasm to rub off on her teammates.  One of my favorite things about Salma is that she has worked to climb the ladder within her club.  She's stuck with the club and that hard work has paid off. 
 
Anouk Linders, Freshman, Midfielder, Emmerich, DE (Germany)/Universal School)
Anouk comes to us from Germany and V.V. Borussia Bocholt 1960 where she has been an incredibly versatile player.  At 5'10" she can play center back, center mid or anywhere up the right flank.   We project her as a central midfielder who will help fill the gaps left by last year's graduating class.   She has already shown the ability to compete at a very high level in Bundesliga 2 and I think she'll make a smooth transition to college soccer and believe that she'll be able to help us right away.  
 
Mia Staley, Junior, Defender, St. Augustine, FL. (North Alabama) 
Mia is transferring in from North Alabama where she played a lot of outside back on the left side of the pitch.  We are hoping to put her technical ability and clever left foot to work for us on that side of the field.  Mia played with current Cowgirl standout Morgan Schooley on the Florida Elite Soccer Academy ECNL team where she started on an incredibly talented squad.  We are really excited to add her to our team.
 
Matilde Tesgaarde, Freshman, Midfielder, Odense, N. Denmark (Universal School) 
Matilde is our first player from Denmark and comes to us from Odense Q, one of the leading women's teams in Denmark.  She is very athletic and can cover box to box when asked but is also very comfortable in a holding center mid role.  She is strong in the air, and really excels at distributing the ball and breaking lines with her passing.   At 5'8" she brings a strong build to our center midfield and, like Linders and Keenan-Powell, I think the transition to this level will be fairly smooth.   Her composure really sets her apart from many of her peers and I think her calm demeanor, even under pressure, will really help us.    
 
Talliah Keenan-Powell, Freshman, Defender, Trowbridge, Great Britain (Universal School) 
Talliah adds England to our list of home countries.  She is a talented left back and left midfielder who we expect to vie for playing time and a starting role immediately.   She is a strong athlete who excelled at Bristol City FC Academy and has represented England at the U15, U16 and U17 levels.   Her ability to get forward and join the attack is only matched by her excellent one on one defending.  Her work ethic and natural athleticism will serve her well at our level.  We are thrilled that she chose McNeese and can't wait to see her on the field.
 
Dominika Ducal, Freshman, Midfielder, Bullard, Texas (Brook Hill High)
Dominika is from Poland but has spent the last two years at The Brook Hill School, a boarding school near Tyler, TX.  She was a first team all-state in 2020 and was a dominant player at that level.  She plays on the flank and uses her pace to create opportunities.  She's unafraid to take defenders on and work to create, and she has scored a lot of goals.  I'm excited to get to work with Dominika and believe that her game will translate to this level once she adjusts to the physicality.  Her ceiling is incredibly high, and her peers and coaches only had great things to say about her.  We know she's going to be a great teammate and a good fit for what we are building.