BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

UCI women’s soccer

adds seven recruits

First-year UC Irvine women’s soccer coach Scott Juniper announced seven players have signed national letters of intent to play for the Anteaters next season.

The players include midfielders Gilly Acedo, Alyssa Humphrey and Milana Shabestari, defenders Nicole Forrest and Elle Gjerde, goalkeeper Danielle De Seriere and forward Tanya Taylor.

Acedo is from Pasadena High, while Humphrey competed at Santa Margarita High and Shabestari is from Mira Costa High in Manhattan Beach.

“[Acedo] is a player who will bring an extremely dynamic component to our team,” Juniper said. “She can play on either side of the midfield or anywhere across the forward line. She loves to run at defenders and will not be an easy player to defend.”

Jupiter said Humphrey has played at the highest levels of club soccer in Southern California and that she “has the ability to connect through the midfield and has impressive insight to play the dangerous passes.”

Juniper said Shabestari is creative with the ball at her feet and is a true attacking midfielder who can generate scoring chances for herself.

Forrest could add defense in the back line or the midfield, said Juniper, who expects the Upland High product to contribute right away.

“The hardest part will be working out where on the field [Forrest will play],” Juniper said.

Gjerde, from Los Osos High in Alta Loma, is, Juniper said, a tough, aggressive defender whose infectious personality will bring a lot to the team chemistry.

De Seriere, out of Mayfair High in Lakewood, plays with courage and shows great instincts for the position, Juniper said.

Taylor, out of Sunny Hills High, shared Orange County Player of the Year laurels in one publication and Juniper called her “quick, explosive and fearless with the ball.

“Tanya will add a real cutting edge to our attacking play and while she can certainly create opportunities for others, she also has a natural eye for the goal, Juniper said. “The most exciting thing about Tanya is that she is getting better and better every time she plays.”

Juniper, a former assistant at UC Riverside, took over in mid-December for April Heinrichs, who left after a 3-13-1 campaign in 2006 to take a job with the United States Olympic Committee.

The Anteaters were 0-6 in the Big West Conference and were outscored, 20-0, by conference foes.