Miami Signs Two Soccer Players
April 21, 1999
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head women’s soccercoach Jim Blankenship has announced the signing of Samantha Hernandez(Miami, FL/Gulliver Prep) and Allison McWhinney (Danvers, MA/DanversHS) forthe 1999 season.
Hernandez, a 5’3″ left-footed defender from Gulliver Prep inMiami, is a two-time first-team All-County selection by the Miami Herald.As a senior, Hernandez scored 11 goals to lead Gulliver to a runner-upfinish at the state championship. As sophomore, she was namedto thefirst-team All-State team as Gulliver advanced to the finals of thestatechampionship. Hernandez played on the state Olympic DevelopmentTeam in1998 and is a three-year veteran of the Miami Premier Soccer Club.
“We are very excited to have Samantha come to the Universityof Miami,” said Blankenship. “She is a local product out of GulliverPrepand the state’s Olympic Development Program. Samantha is a left-footedfullback which has been a need for our team. Her speed and athleticismmakeher a defensive weapon.”
McWhinney, a 5’4″ striker from Danvers High School inDanvers, Massachusetts, is a six-year veteran of the state OlympicDevelopment Program team. An all-state high school selection,she was theleading scorer in Eastern Massachusetts. McWhinney, the NortheasternConference’s Most Valuable Player, was named a Eastern MassachusettsAll-Star. An excellent student, she was named to the Boston GlobeandBoston Herald’s All-Scholastic teams.
“Allison should be able to step in and contribute to ourteam immediately,” said Blankenship. “Allison plays very well around thegoal and can effectively defend. Allison is one of the top players to comeout of the Northeast. We are very fortunate to have her at Miami.”
Hernandez chose Miami over Southern Methodist University,while McWhinney selected UM over a list of schools that included UCONNandBoston College.
Hernandez and McWhinney become the sixth and seventh playersto sign with UM women’s soccer for the 1999 season. They joinLisa Gomez(Boca Raton, FL/Spanish River HS), Alexis MacKenzie (Plantation,FL/University of Florida/St. Thomas Aquinas HS), Liz Swinson (BocaRaton,FL/Louisiana State University/Boca Raton HS), Ashley West (Allen, TX/AllenHS) and Laura West (Allen, TX/Allen HS).
Miami completed its inaugural season in 1998 with a 11-7-1record. UM’s 1999 season begins on September 4 at Maine, whilethe homeopener at the Cobb Stadium of Soccer, Track and Field is September10 vs.Florida Atlantic. In ’99, the Hurricanes join the BIG EAST Conferenceforwomen’s soccer.
