A&M women’s soccer signs initial players
Article Courtesy of the Texarkana Gazette By Josh Richert Assistant Sports Editor
The Texas A&M University-Texarkana women’s soccer team has begun its inaugural roster for this fall.
Eagles head coach Steve Golas signed Washington, Mo., seniors Arika Elliott and Megan Kalish to national letters of intent Wednesday. Washington is 25 miles west of St. Louis, and the Lady Blue Jays return 14 seniors this spring off last season’s 12-12-1 team.
"Both of these girls are tremendous student-athletes, and it was almost fitting for them to be the first signees in the history of this university since their initials are A and M,” Golas said. “Hopefully, this is just the start of a steady stream of great players we bring in and build something special.
Elliott, a midfielder, has played with the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Soccer Club and been on Golas’ recruiting list for a couple of years, and Kalish, a defender, stood out during recruiting trips. Elliott scored four goals and had five assists as a junior, playing the majority of its schedule against larger schools in the St. Louis area.
“Arika is a great student and has been around the game at a high level of instruction and play,” Golas said about Elliott. “She is the embodiment of what you want as a recruit, and with her play can be the cornerstone of building a solid team. She has been on my recruiting radar for a couple of years.”
Kalish’ toughness and work ethic caught Golas’ attention quickly, and he said it was an added bonus to be able to recruit two players from the same program.
“Megan is a hard-working, scrappy defender,” the TAMU-T coach said. “She is the type of player who would go through a wall. She is one who will be able to set the tone in practices for us, how to play hard on the field, and how to handle yourself off. To be able to have two coming in who have played together and have a camaraderie, especially since they are moving all the way to Texas, is a bonus for us. This is a great start to our recruiting.”
The Eagles women’s soccer team is joined by the Texas A&M-Texarkana men’s and women’s tennis teams as the first intercollegiate sports programs this fall, and the A&M-Texarkana athletic program has applied for admission to the NAIA.
