Hurricanes Introduce 2004 Recruiting Class
June 8, 2004
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Head Soccer Coach Tricia Taliaferro along with the University of Miami announced the five-member class of the 2004 spring signing period Tuesday.
Entering their inaugural season in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004, Taliaferro and the Hurricanes bring five newcomers to a team that posted an overall record of 9-9-1 in 2003.
The 2004 class includes defender/midfielder Lauren Berardicurti, forward Cynthia Dongo, midfielder Jessica Gillman, goalie Lauren McAdam and forward Akilah Moore.
Berardicurti, a 5-3 defender/midfielder, comes out of Atlanta, Ga.’s Chattahoochee High School where, as a sophomore, she led her team to the Georgia State Quarterfinals. Throughout high school she has competed with the Concorde-Fire Soccer Club, serving as a team captain in 2002 and 2003 and played on the Georgia Olympic Development Program (ODP) state team from 2001 to 2003
A native of Davis, Calif., Dongo is a 5-7 forward at Davis Senior High School where she guided the Blue Devils to the 2002 Capital Athletic League Championship and the 2003 Monticello Empire League Championship. Dongo served as a member of the Davis Impact club team and the Cal-North ODP state team in 2002 and 2003.
Gillman, a 5-9 midfielder, hails from Plano West Senior High School in Dallas, Texas. A four-year letterwinner at Plano West, she led her team to the Texas State Championship in 2001 and 2002, drawing a national No. 1 ranking in each of those seasons. As a senior Gillman was named to the Texas All-State team in 2004 and was a three-time All-District selection during her high school career. She has also competed on the D’Feeters ’86 club team and the North Texas State ODP team for the past four seasons.
At 5-8 from Simsbury, Conn., McAdam is the lone goalkeeper in the class. As a freshman she led her high school to a state title and as a sophomore placed second in the state. A four-year letterwinner, she posted an overall record of 61-6-10 in the net with 44 shutouts during her career. Throughout 1999-2003, she played on the Connecticut ODP state team and led her Yankee United Pride club team to a state championship in 2003.
Moore, a 5-6 forward from Evanston, Ill. was a four-year letterwinner at Evanston Township High School. At Evanston Township, Moore was a two-time All-Conference selection and a member of the All-Sectional Team in 2003 and 2004 while leading Evanston Township to a state title as a sophomore. She spent time on the Windy City Pride club team in 2000-01 and the Eclipse Select club team in 2001-04 and was a member of the 1986 Select ODP state team in 2000.
