JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State head coach Julie Davis Carlson announced Tuesday the signing of six standouts that will join the Gamecock soccer program beginning with the 2012 season.

JSU inked Briana Boutziouvis (F; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada), Kelsey Bright (F; Kingwood, Texas), Kathryn Dowd (MF/D; Kingwood, Texas), Taylor Hammond (GK; Suwanee, Ga.), Sydney Keller (D; Huntsville, Ala.) and Alexis Rodriguez (F; Tampa, Fla.)

"I am delighted to add these talented young women into the mix of our returning player talent,” Davis-Carlson said. “They make us even more athletic, faster, stronger and skillful. They each bring their own unique ability that will integrate well into our system and style."


Brianna Boutziouvis – F – 5'8” – Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Attended Louis-Riel High School on Ottawa, Ontario, Canada … Primarily a striker during club and on the prep level with 37 career goals for the Rebelles of LRHS … Played in 55 matches through her first three seasons in high school as she preps for her senior season that starts this March … Accounted for nine game-winning goals and dished out 26 assists … Served as captain of the junior varsity at LRHS … Helped lead The Rebelles to the Woodroff Tournament title … A member of the Ottawa Fury U17 Girls squad who claimed the Super Y League Championship … The Fury ranked fifth in the Gothia Cup International Tournament in Sweden.

Carlson on Boutziouvis: "Brianna will be an excellent addition to our outside flank attack. She has speed, creativity, tenacity and is powerful. She has alot of potential for us as not just a freshmen but in the future.  She has shown to excel at both goal scoring and creating goal scoring opportunties. She comes from a great playing background in Ottawa and a talented Ottawa Fury team that had several players come and play in the US, Division I. She specializes in her ability to beat players 1v1. We are delighted to have her interested in coming to the sunny friendly Alabama south."


Kelsey Bright – F – 5'8” – Kingwood, Texas
Prepped at Kingwood High School in the Houston, Texas area … In her first three seasons on the KHS squad, she has played in 78 matches and in the starting line up 72 times … Registered 44 goals and posted 21 assists as she enters her senior year for the Mustangs … Named the Kingwood High School Scholar Athlete of the Month last November … Tabbed to the 2011 First Team All District Team … Awarded the 2011 KHS Coaches Award … Named to the 2011 I-10 Shootout All Tournament Team … Claimed KHS Most Valuable Player honors in 2009 … Teammate of JSU signee Kathryn Dowd.

Carlson on Bright: "Kelsey comes to us at a critical time where scoring goals is so important. Along with Brianna, she has a proven record to score off crosses, set pieces and long range. She is established at most positions on the field and can be instrumental at all of them. She is a very good athlete, very hard working and comes from the Challenge Soccer Club organization in Houston that is known to produce players like Kelsey that impact many programs in the US. She will look to shoot from many effective ranges. She is very good on the ball, good vision and reads the game very well."

Kathryn Dowd – MF/D – 5'6”- Kingwood, Texas
Jax State's second signee from Kingwood, Texas … A dual threat player as a midfielder and defender … A 2012 Preseason All-Greater Houston First Team defender … Named to the 2011 All-Greater Houston First Team defender as a junior in 2011 … Tabbed to the 2011 TASCO Region II All Region Team … Earned the 2011 District 14-5A Most Valuable Defender of the Year … Voted the 2011 KHS Defensive MVP … Claimed 2010 District 18-5A All District Team honors.

Carlson on Dowd: "Katt is a diligent player. She can play both midfield and defender very well. She anticipates significantly well and is mentally very tough. She is deceptive as she is smooth on the ball and has excellent distribution ability. One thing about Katt is that she is super nice person off the field, always smiling but is a very fierce competitor on the field. She demands alot of herself and those around her. She was very well coached technically and tactically through the Eclipse Soccer Club in Houston. We see Katt stepping in and looking to really give us quality depth early in different areas. We see great things here for her collegiate future."

Attended Lambert High School in Suwanee, Ga. … In goal for 43 matches through her first three seasons with the Longhorns' program … Accumulated 155 saves and 31 wins from her freshman to junior seasons … As a junior last spring, she posted 22 saves and a 17-4-1 mark in goal along with 87 stops … Named All County and All Region after her junior campaign … A member of 2010 All County Team and earned the 2010 Coaches' Award at LHS … A two-time team captain in 2010 and 2011 … As a sophomore, Hammond posted ten shutouts and goals against average of .67 … Last season, she tallied ten shut outs and allowed just 1.05 goals per match … Participated in the Georgia Olympic Development Program from 2007-09 and among the pool of participants in the GDP in 2010-11.

Carlson on Hammond: "Taylor is a great individual. She has tremendous character and a tremendous approach to her role as a goalkeeper. I believe she will only continue to excel under Asst. Coach, Andy Swift's watch. She will bring quality depth to the goalkeeping position, which is where we sustained our biggest impact of injuries last season. She is a hard worker, brave, has good hands and comes to us with a real sense of where she is now and where she is willing to go. She has had a successful recent club season with GSA Phoenix and I think that will be valuable to her confidence coming in."

A highly touted player from the state of Alabama and in the city of Huntsville … Attended Grissom High School … A 2011 First Team All-State selection along with receiving 2011 All-Metro honors as a junior … A 2011 Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South Participant … Named GHS's Defender of the Year in 2009 and 2011 … Earned the GHS Tigers Rookie of the Year Award in 2009 … Claimed All-State and All-Metro Honorable Mentions honors as a freshman in 2009 … Has been a four-year starter for GHS with 89 starts in the first three years on the prep level … Guided the Tigers to back-to-back 6A State Championship games in 2009 and 2010 … In 2011, GHS reached the second round of the AHSAA playoffs … Played in Argentina with the Alabama Olympic Development Program in 2009 … She was a high school teammate of current Jax State player Courtney Hurt.

Carlson on Keller: "Sydney fits very well in what we are looking for to strengthen our defense centrally. She is a naturally talented athlete, fast, strong, good in the air, and good on the ball. She has a very good eye with her ability to distribute out. She will need these tools to adjust quickly into the college game and learn how to make quality decisions much quicker than she is used to. We see excellent long term potential in her as she transitions into the college game."


Alexis Rodriguez – F – 5-8 – Tampa, Fla.
Prepped at Sickles High School in Tampa, Fla. … Participated in 31 matches and finished her prep career with 17 goals and 18 assists … As a senior this year, she has handed out six assists and carded three goals for the Gryphon squad.

Carlson on Rodriguez: "Alexis is a strong and powerful presence around the 18 yard box. She will bring the ability to play in a 2 or 3 front system. Her strength of being able to hold the ball up as a forward allows herself the time and space to link other players up into the attack. She anticipates well attacking into the final third and finishing loose balls or quality services. She will improve with this program and grow in the college training environment with her potential."