Soccer Announces Four Signees For 2007

OXFORD, Miss. Four high school recruits have signed national letters of intent to join the Ole Miss soccer team for the 2007 fall season, head coach Steve Holeman announced Thursday.

Lily Crabtree (Columbus, Ga.), Taylor Cunningham (Louisville, Ky.), Erin Downing (Stafford, Va.) and Macie Williams (Panama City, Fla.) will arrive in Oxford after highly successful prep careers.

“The current players at Ole Miss have committed themselves to being the best they can become through hard work, discipline and perseverance, and the four players who join them are no different,” said Holeman of his newest incoming class. “Each of these players brings with them a special quality, but all have the common denominator of a great work ethic.  This group of young players will certainly make us more competitive and help us continue to be successful at the highest level.”

The quartet will join a returnee group that includes three 2006 All-SEC selections in midfielder Chrissy Strini (first team), midfielder Jennifer Hance (second team) and defender Danielle Johnson (second team), along with six more returning starters.

Despite a disappointing 8-7-5 overall record a year ago, the Rebels lost just two matches in Southeastern Conference play en route to finishing one point behind Auburn in the SEC Western Division standings. Ole Miss won the SEC West crown in 2005.

Lily Crabtree

 

Crabtree will arrive at Ole Miss after a successful prep career at Harris County High School. The Columbus, Ga., native is a three-time team captain for the Tigers. Entering her senior season, the 5-foot-4 defender has already been named to the All-Region first team three times and All Bi-City twice. She is the three-time team Defender of the Year and has helped Harris County to two state playoff berths.

“Lily is extremely athletic and fearless and has a tenacity about her that will help her excel at the next level,” Holeman said. “She is a hard-nosed defender with a great left foot who has a chance to come in and make a difference right away. Lily's best days are still ahead of her and when placed in a competitive environment on a daily basis she is only going to get better. We are looking forward to her joining our team and having a chance to see her develop over the next four years.”

Crabtree is a member of the Columbus Redstar club team, of which current Rebel goalkeeper Jackie DeNova is an alum. The daughter of Alison and Edward Lammens has also played for the Georgia ODP team and participated in ODP Region camp.

An active member of the community, Crabtree has volunteered as a coach for younger children at the Columbus State University summer camps and co-founded a program to send care packages to overseas military on holidays.

Taylor Cunningham

 

Cunningham is the latest in a long line of Rebels from the Louisville, Ky.-based Javanon Soccer Club, including former Ole Miss stars Hillary and Lindley Beckman, Kristal Menard and Amy Sample. The 5-foot-7 forward has helped Javanon to six state titles during her time with the team. She has also been a member of the Kentucky ODP squad for seven years.

“Taylor is from a soccer family,” Holeman noted. “The enthusiasm and support that her entire family shows is exciting to see. As a player, Taylor is excellent with her back to pressure and has a great presence about her in front of the goal. We saw her score some quality goals last year and we know that she can bring that finishing ability here. There is another level in Taylor that she has yet to achieve, and we hope to bring out the best in her the next four years. We are confident that with her abilities and her work ethic she will contribute immediately to our talented front line.”

The daughter of Steve and TamBrey Cunningham has been a standout player for Ballard High School since her freshman year, scoring 80 career goals and dishing out 43 career assists. She was an All-State honoree each of her four years of high school, while also garnering All-District accolades three times and team MVP honors three times.

As with many Ole Miss soccer recruits, Cunningham has excelled in the classroom and community, as well. She has been a member of the Ballard Honor Roll, Beta Club and YoungLife, while having made the cut for Who’s Who Among American High School Students.

Erin Downing

 

A native of Stafford, Va., Downing has been a key member of Colonial Forge High School during her three seasons as a center midfielder for the Eagles. A team captain as a junior, the 5-foot-7 Downing was the team MVP and helped the Eagles win the 2006 Commonwealth District title after going undefeated against league foes. She has also helped the club to three regional quarterfinals and a regional semifinal appearance.

“Erin, first and foremost, is an outstanding student and person,” Holeman said. “She has excelled in the classroom in one of the best academic environments in the country. She will have an opportunity to come in and compete for quality playing time right away. She is crafty and creative with the ball at her feet, and she has been a stellar midfielder on one of the top club teams in the country. We look for her to bring that experience and winning mentality to our program as a freshman. Erin has a competitive spirit and willingness to constantly battle for an entire game, and we look for her to contribute immediately to our team in many facets.”

As a member of the BRYC (Braddock Road Youth Club) Fury, the versatile athlete who can play center mid and center back helped the team to four straight Virginia State Cup titles, as well as the 2004 WAGS (Washington Area Girls Soccer) Tournament Championship.

The daughter of Gary and Susan Downing has been a member of the Colonial Forge Honor Roll each of her four years of high school, as well as receiving Academic-Athletic Awards for her contribution in the classroom and on the field. She is also the first ever Virginia native to sign with Ole Miss Soccer.

Macie Williams

Williams has been a successful goal scorer at the youth and high school level in Panama City, Florida. A member of the Bay United Soccer Club, the 5-foot-4 forward has scored 262 career goals and has 37 career assists since joining the club team in 2001. In 2003 and 2004 she helped her squad to a pair of National League Directors Final Four berths, as well as two Region III Directors Cup titles and FYSA President’s Cup championships. She also helped the team to five Region D’s Cup titles from 2001-05.

“We are thrilled to have a player like Macie join our program,” Holeman said. “She has excellent speed and agility and is one the quickest players I have seen with the ball at her feet. Macie has been a prolific goal scorer at all levels and we look for her to do the same in the SEC. She is very competitive and embraces the challenge of playing and succeeding at the highest level. Her ability to turn on a dime, run at players 1 v 1 and create off the dribble will make her a threat to any defense we face. There is no question that she has the potential to come in right away and make an immediate impact on our program.”

In her four years of prep soccer, Williams was key to Mosley High School’s 2006 District Championship, as well as a pair of County titles as a freshman and senior. She scored 109 goals and racked up 42 assists during her career, including 35 goals as a freshman and 32 as a senior. She was named All-District and All-County, as well as the team’s offensive MVP, during each of her first three years.

The daughter of Ray and Cindy Williams, the quintessential all-around athlete has been a three-year member of the volleyball, basketball and track teams at Mosley, as well as a one-year stint on the softball team. She has received various team awards with those sports, as well. In the classroom, Williams is a member of the MAPPS (Mosley Advanced Placement Program) and received the Scholar-Athlete Award in 2002.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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