DETROIT (5/13/2013) --University of Detroit Mercy women's soccer head coach Mike Lupenec has announced that eight individuals will join the UDM women's soccer team for the 2013 season.
 
Caitlin Carey (Walker, Mich./Kenowa Hills), Aubrey Formica (Cambridge, Ont./Preston), Mary LeAnnais (Ferndale, Mich./Royal Oak), Anna Mindling (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian), Carley Rice (Richland, Mich./Gull Lake), Laura Taylor (Brighton, Mich./Brighton), Kristen Tobin (Bay City, Mich./John Glenn), and Kaitlan Vossen (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow) are set to join the team for the upcoming campaign.

“Overall, I'm pleased with this class,” said Lupenec, who will be in his 21st year as the only head coach in the history of the program in 2013. “They add depth in positions of need for us with our seniors leaving, but just like every freshmen class, there will be a learning curve and by conference time, I think these girls can be a great asset for us.”

Caitlin Carey (Walker, Mich./Kenowa Hills) is a goalkeeper who played four years of soccer for the Knights at Kenowa Hills and she holds the school record for the most career shutouts. Academically, she has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years and she also spent time as an intern for the City of Walker Police Department.

“She is a goaltender that has some great athletic ability and I'm looking to have her come in and compete with us to make our team better,” said Lupenec.

Aubrey Formica (Cambridge, Ont./Preston) hails from Cambridge, Ontario in Canada and played four years of soccer at Preston High School. She earned the school's Rookie of the Year honor in her first year and she was also named the Athlete of the Year in back-to-back seasons. She has been part of Cambridge Youth Soccer for nine years and in 2011, she was promoted to Ontario Youth Soccer League (OYSL) and was part of a championship team at the 2011 Robbie International Tournament.

“Aubrey is an athletic forward who gives us more depth out wide and give us more scoring punch. I'm looking for her to be an impact right away and she can give us valuable minutes in her first year,” stated Lupenec.

Mary LeAnnais (Ferndale, Mich./Royal Oak) played for the Ravens of Royal Oak and was named the 2012 Team MVP. Her senior season also included a number of other awards as she was named All-District, All-Region, and All-State honorable mention while helping her team to a league championship. She played club soccer with Vardar U14 and U17 helping the U14 squad to be National Cup IX Champions in Virginia Beach in 2010.

“She is an offensive midfielder who can score goals and is great on set pieces. We're looking for her to be a playmaker and help us transition the ball up the field,” added Lupenec.

Anna Mindling (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) was a four-year starter with the Eagles of Grand Rapids Christian High School. Her junior season saw the Eagles make a regional championship appearance after winning a conference and district championship. That season marked the second-straight year that she garnered All-Conference, All-District, All-Region, and an All-State honorable mention. She started on a Super Y team for two years traveling to nationals twice with U14 and U15 teams. She played club soccer with the Michigan Fire Juniors for nine years capturing second place in the Premier U18 Championship.

“Anna is a strong athletic individual that can play various roles either as a midfielder or a centerback. With our seniors leaving, we're looking for her to come in and compete for a spot. She is good in the air and has great tactical knowledge of the game,” said Lupenec.

Carley Rice (Richland, Mich./Gull Lake) was a two-year varsity captain and earned All-Conference first team, All-District, and All-Region honors two straight years at Gull Lake. She was also an All-State honorable mention her junior year, an All-State third team her sophomore year and All-District, All-Region, and to the All-Conference second team as a freshman. She was part of the Olympic Development Program for soccer being on the state team in 2010 and 2011 and then in the regional pool in 2011. She has played club soccer with the Kalamazoo Kingdom for the past six years and helped her team to the State Cup Semifinals in 2012. She also attended the Super Y Nationals in the fall of 2009.

“Carley Rice is a quick offensive midfielder who can play wide or in the interior of the midfield. She has a great soccer brain and will be another offensive threat in our frontline,” said Lupenec.

Laura Taylor (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) is a goalkeeper who has been a member of the Michigan Gators club team for the past nine years. She helped the Gators to a 2012 and 2013 State Cup Championship and also the prestigious 2012 Disney Showcase title with a 6-0 victory.

“Laura is an athletic goaltender with great presence in the air and with our goaltending coach can compete for some minutes next year,” said Lupenec.

Kristen Tobin (Bay City, Mich./John Glenn) played four years with the Bobcats at John Glenn High School serving as a two-year captain. She was a three-time All-District honoree, and in 2012 earned All-Region honors in 2012 and took home All-State honorable mention recognition. She was the team's MVP for the 2011 and 2012 seasons and played club soccer with Vardar North for seven years.

“Tobin is a midfielder who can play wide or in the middle of the field as a playmaker. She has a great soccer sense and adds more depth to our current program giving up options to use her as a forward or a midfielder,” said Lupenec.

Kaitlan Vossen (Midland, Mich./H.H. Dow) was born in St. Paul, Minn., but now calls Midland home. She was part of three district and conference championships from 2010-2012 and helped the team to a regional championship appearance in 2012. She garnered All-District honors twice during her time with the Chargers. She has been part of club soccer with Vardar North for the past seven years and was part of a State Cup Semifinal team in 2011.

“Kaitlan is an athletic centerback who is very good in the air and can come in and contribute to our back line right away,” said Lupenec.

This year's Titans earned a share of the Horizon League regular season title and the No. 2 seed entering the conference tournament. The stingy Titan defense allowed just 12 goals on the season, a new program-best, and had five shutouts in seven conference match-ups.