Coach Mounce and his staff added two talented student-athletes for the 2007 Gardner-Webb Team

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Head coach Kevin Mounce and the athletics department announced the signing of two student-athletes, Melissa Battista and Ashley Scott, to national letters of intent. Battista and Scott will play for Mounce’s women’s soccer team beginning in the fall of 2007.

Battista hails from Heathrow, Fla., where she attends Lake Highland Preparatory School. The 5’3” midfielder helped her school to the 2006 class 3A state championship. She led them to the finals in 2005 and to the final four this year. A member of the FC America Kumba club team, Battista has been a premier player since 1999. In 2004, she helped guide her team to the FYSA State Cup finals and to the semifinals in 2005. In August 2005, Battista traveled to Denmark and trained with Odense Boldklub.

A four-year starter on her high school team, she has been a standout on the basketball court as well. A four-time team MVP, she has played AAU ball on the state and national level.

“Melissa is a very solid athlete with good technical skills,” Mounce said. “She is someone who will be able to come in and help out in the midfield right away. She wanted to be here at Gardner-Webb and we look forward to having her here.”

Scott, a native of Reidsville, N.C., currently attends Reidsville H.S. The 5’8” goalkeeper established a school record her junior season with 236 saves. She is a three-time first-team all-conference selection. During her junior campaign, she was the conference player of the year. Scott was also named first-team all region, Greensboro News and record all-area team and the NCSCA regional goalkeeper of the year. She has yet to play her senior year at Reidsville.

Scott’s 2004 and 2005 club team won the N.C. Youth Soccer state championship’s regular season. In 2004, she was named an N.C. ODP pool player.

“Ashley has the ability to come in right away and challenge for a starting position,” Mounce said. “ She is a good shot stopper and controls the box well. She is a welcomed addition to the team.

“We want to welcome both girls to our program and look forward to having them be a part of our University.”

GWU finished 9-8-3 in 2006 and return all but one starter for the upcoming season. The Bulldogs kick off the season on August 25 when they play host to Winthrop at 7 p.m.