CEDAR CITY, Utah– The Southern Utah University women's soccer team and Head Coach Kai Edwards are excited to announce the addition of 11 new student-athletes to the Thunderbird program on the opening weekend of national signing day.
Out of the 11 signees, five are from California, and four will stay in the state of Utah for their collegiate career. Three of these recruits Pyper Cuff, Kaitlin Bustos, and Kailia Tone will be immediately joining the program this January.
Bryanna Perry, Goalkeeper, 5'9", Las Vegas, Nevada. (Desert Oasis High School) @bry.perry @AlbionVegas
Bryanna Perry will be joining the Thunderbird soccer program from Nevada powerhouse Desert Oasis High School and Albion Soccer Club Las Vegas Girls Academy.
Perry was named 5A All-conference and second-team All-Southern Nevada during her 2022 senior season. She was also named to the Albion National Elite team for 2021-2022 and attended the Southwest Girls Academy ID Camp in 2021. During her career in goal for the Diamondbacks, she racked up 116 total saves and only allowed four goals. She was also named team captain for four straight years during her prep time with Albion SC.
Coach Edwards on Bryanna
"Bryanna is an explosive Goalkeeper that can make big-time saves. She is an infectious, fun-loving personality which adds great value to the goalkeeping core. She is extremely technical and her distribution from her feet will add an extra dimension when playing out of the back. We expect Bryanna to compete for the starting spot from day one."
Jenna Grider, Centerback, 5'9", San Diego, Calif, (Mt. Caramel High School) @jenna.grider
@AlBION_SanDiego
Following a prep career at Mt. Caramel High School and with Albion Soccer Club San Diego Girls Academy, Jenna Grider will be joining Southern Utah soccer from San Diego, California.
Grider had an impressive prep career playing for Albion Soccer Club San Diego Girls Academy. She was named to the Albion National Elite team for 2021-2022 before playing for the Dutch Lions in the Women's Premier Soccer League this summer. Grider also attended the Southwest Girls Academy ID camp in November of 2021, which featured some of the best high school soccer players in the united states.
Coach Edwards On Jenna
"Jenna is a true competitor and a technically gifted center-back with a quality vision that allows her to play calmly under pressure. She is one of the most supportive teammates I have ever seen of her current team, her incoming classmates, and her friends. Her personality is infectious and lights up a room. Jenna will add a threat to score points on set pieces with her heading ability and can impact the game with her strength in building out under pressure. Her experience playing in the WPSL Semi-Pro league this past summer defending some of the best college players in the country, as well as scoring goals, is an exciting addition to the Thunderbirds."
Sydney Davis, Center back, 5'6", Mapleton, Utah. (Maple Mountain High School) @syddavis16 @UtahStormSoccer
Staying in Utah for her collegiate career, Sydney Davis will join the Thunderbirds from Maple Mountain High School and the Utah Storm soccer club.
Davis was a two-year starter at Maple Mountain and was a staple in a Golden Eagles backline that won two 5A Region nine regular season championships during her last two years. Davis is also a 4.0 student and a second-degree blackbelt.
Coach Edwards on Sydney
"Sydney is athletic and competitive. She is a black belt in taekwondo and the discipline and competitive spirit show she gets from that shows in her game. She can defend the top athletes in the conference and will battle for her team at every moment. She is a captain of her club team and that leadership and love for her team shows itself both on and off the field. We look forward to the value Sydney will add to our back line."
Kailia Tone, Holding Midfielder/Centerback, 6'1", Huntington Beach, CA (Edison High School & Coast High School) @kailatoneee @LegendsFCSoccer
Another future thunderbird making the move from California, Kailia Tone will be joining the SUU soccer program after playing for Edison High School, Coast High School, and Legends Football Club.
Tone competed in the USA Olympic Development program from 2016-2018 and attended the Youth Soccer National Training Center from February 2019 through September 2020.
Coach Edwards on Kailia
"Kaila was the first player to verbally commit in this class and has been an all-in Thunderbird from day one. She graduated a year early, taking online courses so that she could train more on her own to prepare. She is an elite ball manipulator and can strike a ball with precision on set pieces and in the run of play at a top level. Her ability to play out of pressure along with her ball striking are two of the things that make her a functionally dominant midfielder. We are excited to have Kaila join us in the winter semester this year and grow with the team throughout the spring."
Liz Orubor, OutsideBack, 5'9", Calgary, Alberta. (Bishop Carroll High School) @ElizabethOrubor @CSWUSoccerClub
Making the long journey from Canada to Cedar City, Utah, Liz Orubor will join the T-Birds following a prep career with Bishop Caroll High School and Calgary Southwest United.
During her time at Bishop Caroll High School, Orubor was a crucial part of their school's Division l City Championship title. She was also a member of Team Alberta in the Canada 2022 Summer Games and was named to the Canada Games All-Star Team.
Coach Edwards on Liz
"Liz is an athletic, dynamic, and competitive left-footed player from Canada. She can play any multitude of positions in the back line, midfield, and upfront. Her strength of running at players, ball striking, and her competitive nature make her an exciting player in our conference. Liz also brings a fun-loving personality to our locker room, adding value off the field as well to the Thunderbird program. With a good season at Southern Utah University, she has the ability to be looked at by the Canadian and Nigerian youth national teams. "
Skylar Cano, Forward, 5'8", Newport Beach, CA. (Mater Dei High School) @skylarrbleu @PATEADORES_
Continuing the California trend, Skylar Cano will join the Thunderbirds from storied Mater Dei High School and Pateadores Academy Elite Clubs National League.
Cano had an outstanding prep career at one of the best high schools in the nation. She was a large part of three of the Monarchs Trinity League Championships from 2020-2022. Cano was named First Team All Trinity League, First Team CIF, Trinity League Offensive MVP, and Mater Dei Offensive MVP during her senior year.
Coach Edwards on Skylar
"Skylar is a top-talent striker. She plays for one of the best high schools in the country and one of the top clubs and at both, does a great job of scoring goals and collecting assists. Her club coach Randy Dodge is one of the best developers of talent in the country and she has benefited from his experiences. She is a top-level ball striker with great vision and she uses those talents to get her teammates in with a dangerous final pass. Her desire to win games shows through her consistent ability to help her team get points. Skyler has an infectious personality that has teammates gravitating toward her. She has the personality and ability to challenge and break records as a Thunderbird."
Kiersi Fietkau, Outside Back, 5'4", Pleasant Grove, Utah. (Pleasant Grove High School) @kiersi.fietkau @UtahCelticFC
Staying in-state for her Division I career, Kiersi Fietkau will join the Thunderbird program from Pleasant Grove High School and Celtic soccer club.
Fietkau is a two-time Utah State Cup Champion and the 2020-2022 team captain for Utah Celtic FC and Plesant Grove High School.
Coach Edwards on Kiersi
"Kieri is a left-footed, dynamic wide player that can play up the left side of the field or be inverted as a right-sided attacker. She comes to the Thunderbirds from a strong club and high school background in the state of Utah. Her dynamic ability to get forward out of the back creates stress for opposing teams due to her ball striking and ability to manipulate the ball. Whether it is bending a ball, driving a pass 40-50 yards, or dynamically connecting 4-5 yard passes to break lines, Kiersi has the skill set to create issues for the opposition."
Lily Shaden, Forward, 6'1", Ventura, CA. (Foothill Technology High School) @lily_shadden @eaglessoccerclub
Lily Shaden will be joining Southern Utah's program from Foothill Technology High School and Eagles ECNL.
Shaden was named First Team All-League, Rookie of the year, and Offensive player of the year for Foothill Tech. She was also named to the 2022 Elite Club National League Regional Selection Program and received an invitation to the Olympic Development Program.
Coach Edwards on Lily
"Lily is a dominant presence in the target striker role. Coming out of a top high school and club program, she has shown her ability to score goals. She is imposing in the air but also technically gifted at collecting balls under pressure while holding off defenders. Her movement off the ball creates opportunities for herself and her team to earn points around the goal. Off the field, Lily is one of the most awesome people and will be a valuable addition to our locker room."
Pyper Cuff, CenterBack, 5'9", American Fork, Utah. (Salt Lake Community College & Snow College) @pypercuff
Pyper Cuff will join the Thunderbird program after two previous seasons of collegiate experience at Snow College (2021) and Salt Lake Community College (2022).
Cuff started 28 total games for the Badgers and Bruins while totaling four combined goals for both programs. Before heading to college she was a big part of American Fork's 2019 state championship run and their second-place finish in 2020.
Coach Edwards on Pyper
"Pyper is a strong center-back coming from the top junior college program in the state. She is imposing in the air and can stretch the field with her distribution. Her experience coming in as a sophomore with college soccer experience along with her coming semester to start with the team this spring allow her to hit the ground running and grow with the team in preparation for the fall. She is competitive and athletic and we expect her to bring that competitiveness to our backline."
Kaitlin Bustos, Goalkeeper, 5'9", Beaumont, California (Beaumont High School) @kaitlinbustoss @ArsenalFcEcnl05
After wrapping up her prep career at Beaumont High School and Sporting Arsenal ECNL, Kaitlin Bustos will join Southern Utah's program from Beaumont, California.
Bustos was called up to the Mexican National Team two times in her prep career. First in 2017 to the U15s and second in 2019 to U17s. She was also named the 2020-2021 All-Citrus Belt league.
Coach Edwards on Kaitlin
"Kaitlin is a goalkeeper with good experience from SoCal SNL level play. She is from a supportive family that helps her drive a good distance to play at a high level. Her ability to make big saves and her experience with the Mexican national team system will help her transition smoothly to the college game. Solid distribution skills with her feet will unlock the start of the attack from the back."
Teya Snowder, Midfielder, 5'11", Sandy, Utah (Hillcrest High School) @teya_snowder @7elitesaba
Circling back around to the Utah trend, Teya Snowder will join SUU soccer from Hillcrest High School and 7 Elite Academy.
Snowder played varsity for all four years and led all of 5A in 2022 with 14 goals her senior year, totaling 25 goals in her career. She was also named first-team All-Region, Hillcrest HS Player of the Year, and Hillcrest Team Captain during her last two seasons.
Coach Edwards on Teya
"Teya is an athletic, technical footballer with the creative ability to be dangerous with the ball at her feet as well as in distribution. Her soccer IQ gives her the ability to play out of tight spaces and she adds link-up play ability whether in the midfield or the wide space. Teya's goofy, fun-loving personality will also be a great addition to our locker room atmosphere."
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