Women’s soccer announces class of signees

Published 11:15 am Tuesday, November 15, 2022

JOHNSON CITY – With the 2022 campaign ending a couple of weeks ago, the ETSU women’s soccer team and head coach Jay Yelton announced the signing of five players during today’s national signing period.

The 2023 class of signees includes forward Megan Burleson (Johnson City, Tenn.), defender Molly Cason (Ringgold, Ga.), forward Reagan Fitzgerald (Ovideo, Fla.), forward Ava Mathern (Gulf Breeze, Fla.) and defender Ella Parker (Jefferson, Ga.).

“I am really excited about the overall quality of this class and what it will bring to next year’s team,” said Yelton. “We have again been able to add a quality group of players that will raise the standard of our team and will continue to help us develop in our quest for a championship.”

• A 5’6” center forward from Science Hill High School in Johnson City.

• Two-time Forward of the Year in 2021 and 2022.

• District Tournament MVP in 2020 — her freshman year.

• Two-time first-team all-region, all-conference and all-state.

• All-time leading goal scorer at Science Hill with 89 career goals.

• Plans to major in Sports Medicine

“Meg has been a consistent goal scorer in her club and high school career. She’s one of the top players coming out of the state of Tennessee in this class and we are very excited that she is staying close to home and coming to join us at ETSU. We believe she has a bright future in front of her and are looking forward to having her join us as an early enrollee and having her with us during the spring season.”

I chose ETSU because of the great environment that I was surrounded by. The girls on the soccer team are great people and I have become close with multiple of them. They feel like a family and I haven’t even started playing with them yet. Another positive of going to ETSU is that it is close to home and all of my family will still be able to come and watch me play. ETSU also has great therapeutic and rehabilitative sciences program which is what I am looking at to study.”

• A 5’6” defender from Heritage High School in Ringgold, Ga.

• Led her team to a final-four appearance in the 2021 state tournament and an elite eight finish in 2022.

• Lettered all four years in high school.

• Scored 20 goals in two seasons as a defender.

• Played under Joe Schneider at FC Alliance.

• Plans to major in Elementary Education.

“We believe Molly is a player who has a tremendous amount of potential to help our program. She’s a hard-nosed and gritty player who also has a very good technical base to her game. What I love the most about Molly is her competitiveness as she consistently brings her best every time she steps on the field and those attributes will carry her far as a Buc.”

“I chose ETSU because of the educational opportunities in the elementary education program. In addition, I have the opportunity to continue playing soccer at the collegiate level.”

• A 5’5” forward from Oviedo High School in Oviedo, Fla.

• Four-year letter winner at Oviedo High School.

• Team’s leading goal scorer and First Team All-County.

• Brother, Bryce, plays baseball at Flagler College. Father, Michael, played basketball for Greensboro College and mother, Karen, played soccer at the University of South Carolina.

• She played pop warner football growing up.

“One of the things we have lacked over the last two seasons is the ability to consistently get the ball in the back of the net. We are hoping Reagan will be a key part of us fixing that in 2023. She’s been a top goal-scorer with one of the top clubs out of Florida and we look forward to seeing her continue to develop those skills while wearing the Blue and Gold.”

“I love the family atmosphere Coach Jay and Matt have created. Loved my teammates on my visit who made me feel comfortable right away. There is an opportunity to do something special here at ETSU.”

• A 5’7” forward from Gulf Breeze High School in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

• Four-year letter winner in high school.

• 2021 FYSA State Cup winner and 2021 FYSA Goal of the Year.

• FHSAA Semifinalsit in 2021-22.

• Scored 10 goals and six assists her senior year of high school.

“Ava is another exciting addition to our attacking group of players. She’s tremendously athletic and her speed will be a welcome addition to our team. She’s also a very crafty player who can create brilliant moments with her technical skill and I can’t wait to have her become a part of our team.”

“I chose ETSU because of the relationship I built with the coaches and current players. The location and how everyone is treated there also really stuck out to me.”

• A 5’6” defender from Jefferson High School in Jefferson, Ga.

• 2022 Most Valuable Player and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year.

• First team all-region in 2021 and 2022.

• Single season record holder for most assists in 2022.

• Four-year letter winner in soccer and a letter winner in basketball.

• Plans to major in Business Management.

“Ella is going to bring another level of athleticism to our team. She also can play in multiple roles and has the ability to excel in all of them. One of the things I appreciate the most about Ella is how she leads her team during a match. She’s constantly involved in the play and setting the example for her teammates. I am certainly convinced that she is going to do big things as a Buccaneer.”

“During the recruiting process I was looking for a school that felt like home, offered a major I was interested in, gave me the opportunity to play collegiate soccer, and a coaching staff that would continue to support and help me develop. ETSU checked all of these boxes.”