The Bay Area Breeze have announced the signing of seven players for their 2012 Women’s Premier Soccer League roster. Joining the team will be midfielder Jennifer Ruiz-Williams, defender Gina Woodward, midfielder Kristina Hall, goalkeeper Lorna Brownlie, defender Louise Arseneault, midfielder/defender Abby Grafft and forward Elina Johansson. Woodward, Johansson and Hall are all returning Breeze team members.
Ruiz-Williams, who signed professionally after an abbreviated amateur season with the Breeze in 2011, is the first player on the 2012 roster with National Team experience. She participated as a part of the Mexico National Team at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers in Vancouver in January, scoring two goals. Ruiz-Williams also played collegiate soccer for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
Darin Preszler, Head Coach of the Bay Area Breeze, feels Ruiz-Williams’ National Team experience is an excellent supplement to the Breeze talent, “Jennifer Williams is an amazing player who brings international experience to the team. Her story is an inspiration to everyone. She took time off from the game to have a family, so to be back and playing at such a high level is extremely inspiring. She brings a significant amount of experience to the team and is a leader both on and off the field. Jennifer is an important addition to this organization.”
University of Mobile graduate and Gulf Coast Texans alum Brownlie experienced a stellar season in 2011, becoming an integral force in the Texans’ first WPSL season win over the South Florida Strikers and contributing to a record two shutout wins in a row on the road. Fellow University of Mobile alumni Arseneault made Ram history by finishing Second Team All-GCAC in her sophomore year.
Preszler is proud to welcome former WPSL “Team of the Week” member Brownlie, and Arseneault to the Breeze. “They [Brownlie and Arseneault] are eager to play and took the most important step – the first one – toward advancing their careers. They took a chance, came to California to try out, and it paid off. Both are international players, Brownlie from Scotland and Arseneault from Canada, and bring a wide range of experience to the team.”
Preszler says of the other team members, “Abby Grafft is an elite player who doesn’t just play, she gives back to the game, and she exemplifies the values on which we are building the Breeze. She shares the team’s vision and mission to give back at the grassroots level and work hard from the ground up. Also, Elina Johansson, Gina Woodward, and Kristina Hall, three important returning players, bring consistency and international experience back to the club in a sport where longevity and stability are hard to find. These players are back again partly because they enjoyed the team environment that was created last season and are looking forward to the same experience this season.”
Grafft played college soccer at University of Montana, while Hall and Johansson have both spent time on the Swedish circuit. Hall played for KIK Sweden while Johansson was with Eskilstuna United – Sweden. Defender Woodward played her college soccer at the University of California, Berkeley.
Breeze General Manager, Maria Lashinger, feels positive about the upcoming season, and the future of the club as a whole, “The Breeze is committed to women’s soccer in this area, not just at a professional level and not just for the duration of the upcoming season. The Bay Area Breeze is committed to sustaining the team year round both on the field and in the community, giving fans more opportunities to be engaged beyond the WPSL season.”
The Bay Area Breeze kicks off the 2012 season on the road in their first WPSL conference game on May 26 against the California Storm in Folsom, CA. The team has scheduled home games in Dublin/Pleasanton, CA, and trains in Berkeley at the Gilman Soccer Fields in the Tom Bates Regional Sports Complex, and Pleasanton, CA.
