YouthCollegeAdultPro

Eleven players return to Destiny for 2008 in Richmond

11 May, 2008

The Richmond Kickers Destiny of the USL W-League announced the return of 11 key players to the 2008 squad - the fifth year for the club. Carter Blair, Sarah Curtis, Kylie Davies, Mary MacKenzie Grier, Lauren Hardison, Sarah Hilt, Chantel Jones, Sarah McAulay, Caitlin Miskel, Michelle Schuler and Amanda Stewart all commited to return pending USL/USSF approval. 

The Destiny also annoucned the addition of newcomers Kristin Lescaleet, Molly McKeon and Kathleen Russell, who are former Richmond Strikers youth players, also pending USL/USSF approval. 

The Destiny open the 2008 season this Sunday, May 18th when they host the Carolina RailHawks at 6:00 pm at First Market Stadium on the campus of the University of Richmond.    
 
Grier has been a stalwart in the midfield since the Destiny’s inception, making 38 appearances, starting 28, over the past four seasons.  Tallying 2,498 minutes in a Destiny uniform, Grier has notched two assists.   She recently completed her senior season at William & Mary where she accumulated 10 career goals and seven career assists for 27 points in 86 career appearances.  A native of Midlothian, Virginia, Grier was named Team MVP, first-team all district, all region and all-metro her senior year at Midlothian High School, leading the squad to three state tournament appearances, two regional titles and one district championship.  
 
Goalkeeper Chantel Jones returns in 2008 after protecting the nets with the Destiny for the past three seasons.  A rising University of Virginia sophomore, Jones has made 16 appearances with the Destiny, splitting time with the U-20 National Team, as she was called up last summer for the Pan Am Games.  The redshirt freshman at UVA started all 23 games played, posting three shutouts and allowing just 10 goals, good for a goals against average of 0.41.  She earned VaSID Women’s All-State First Team honors for her efforts.  The native of Midlothian, Virginia has also worn a United States uniform at the U-16 and U-17 levels and was earned NSCAA Youth All-American honors, leading Clover Hill High School to the 2003 state final.    
 
Jones’ teammate at UVA, Miskel re-joins the midfield for her second season with the Destiny.  A late-season addition in 2007, she made an immediate impact, tallying three goals and one assist for seven points in eight games played.  A rising junior at UVA, she has made 45 appearances over two seasons, registering four goals and 10 assists.  A two-time Gatorade Florida Player of the Year, from Boca Raton, Florida, Miskel earned NSCAA Youth and High School All-American honors while leading her high school to two state championships and the 2004 National Championship.  
 
University of Richmond defender Sarah Hilt enters her fourth season with the Destiny, making 22 starts in 28 appearances over the past three seasons.  The Richmond local is a graduate of Clover Hill High School and played club soccer with FC Richmond.  She earned VaSID All-State Second Team honors last year at U of R.  
 
Former Richmond Strikers youth players and rising freshmen Molly McKeon, Kristen Lescaleet and Kathleen Russell are new to the Destiny roster this season.  The 2006 Richmond Times-Dispatch Metro Player of the Year and First Team All-State selection McKeon is slated to attend UVA next year while First Team All-Metro honorees Lescaleet and Russell have committed to the University of Richmond.          
 
Off-Season Transactions
During the off-season, former Destiny defender Becky Sauerbrunn earned a spot on the US Women’s National Team roster and traveled to China for the Four Nations Tournament.  This call-up represented the first to the full National Team for Sauerbrunn who had represented the US at the U-21, U-19 and U-16 levels.  Sauerbrunn has committed to play with the Washington Freedom this season, alongside former Destiny forward and 2007 All-Conference and All-League honoree Jennifer Parsons.    
 
About the W-League
Since the team’s inception in 2004, the Richmond Kickers Destiny have compiled an overall record of 30-23-4.  Finishing second in the Atlantic Division in 2007 with a franchise high 9-3-1 record, the Destiny qualified for post-season play for the second time in the team’s four year history.  An under-23 amateur women’s league, the W-League provides the most complete women’s player pool in the world and is recognized as North America’s best women’s developmental organization.  The W-League offers the nation’s best college players the opportunity to play alongside established international players while maintaining their collegiate eligibility. 

« Back to full list of Youth

• Oct 03, 2008
• Sep 30, 2008
• Sep 26, 2008
• Sep 23, 2008
• Sep 19, 2008
• » more