Feb. 21, 2007

PITTSBURGH-Pitt women's soccer head coach Sue-Moy Chin has announced the signing of four players to a national letter-of-intent for the 2007 season. Liz Carroll, Rebecca Fraser, Christina Nicassio and Kat Weiler are joined by Laura Berbert and Katheryn Kunugi to complete Chin's class of 2007.   The class will provide both offensive and defensive depth to the Panthers next fall.

Laura Berbert (Germantown, MD/Germantown HS) comes to Pitt as a midfielder from Germantown high school in Germantown, MD. As a junior, Berbert led her high school team to its first-ever 3A Montgomery County Championship with a team leading 13 goals and 7 assists.  She went on to tally 27 goals and 19 assists over her four-year, high school career.

Berbert also led the Bethesda Rapids to Maryland Sate Cup Championships in 2005 and 2006, as well as to the Region I National Championship Semi-Finals both years. As a senior, Berbert played for nearby Seneca Valley high school where she was named the team MVP and garnered All-Gazette second team honors. She was also a member of the National Honors Society and was named an AP Scholar and Maryland Distinguished Scholar.

Liz Carroll (Alexandria, VA/ Bishop O'Connell HS) is a forward and midfielder form Alexandria, Va. She was a four-year member of the Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School varsity soccer team and helped her team to three WCAC Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2006. She also contributed to a 20-0 record and No. 1 national ranking in 2004.

Carroll posted a total of 99 career goals and 50 assists. She currently holds her high school's record with 35 goals in a single season. She was an All-WCAC first team selection in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and an All-MET first team honoree in 2005 and 2006. In her senior year, Carroll was named the All-MET Player of the Year and earned All-America honors. Carroll is also a 4-time State Champion with her club team, BRYC Fury. 

Rebecca Fraser (Baltimore, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) comes to Pitt from Baltimore, MD as a four-year defensive starter for the Institute of Notre Dame varsity soccer team, where she recorded 29 career goals and 38 career assists. She led her team to four consecutive winning seasons while earning numerous accolades.

Fraser was named the Baltimore City Player of the Year and earned first team all-state and first team all-metro honors as a senior. She was a three-time First Team All-Baltimore City selection, as well as a two-time First Team All-LAAM Conference selection. Fraser was also a two-time selection to the first team All-LAAM Conference honors for indoor soccer. She was also a member of the National Art Honors Society.  Fraser plays club soccer with the Baltimore Bays.

Katherine Kunugi (Madison, WI/Madison Memorial HS), a midfielder from Madison, WI, joins the Panthers as a three-year starter for Madison Memorial high school. After tendonitis kept her from playing her freshman year, Kunugi recovered to score 12 goals, four of which were game-winning tallies, and seven assists during her sophomore and junior seasons. She led her team to back-to-back winning seasons, including regional and city championships in 2005 and 2006, as well as a conference championship in 2005.

Kunugi was named her team MVP as a junior and earned all-conference honorable mention that same year. She was also a four-year member of the Wisconsin State ODP team.

Christina Nicassio (Pittsburgh, PA/Plum HS) joins the Panthers from nearby Plum high school as a defender. A four-year letter winner for the women's soccer team, Nicassio helped the Mustangs to four consecutive fourth-place conference finishes. She was a two-time all-section first team selection in 2005 and 2006. She was also honored with the Student-Athlete Scholar Award all four years.

As a member of the Penns Forest Nighthawks, Nicassio helped the team to a 2005 PA West state championship title. She also led her team to a PA State ODP Region I second-place finish in the Ryder Cup.

Kat Weiler (Fairfax Station, VA/Burke HS), a defensive midfielder from Fairfax Station, Va., comes to Pitt as a four-year starter at Burke High School. She led her team to the State Championships in her junior year. Her team also earned a No. 12 national ranking that season by adidas. The previous season, Weiler contributed to a Northern Region Championship title for her team.

She earned all-district second team honors as a sophomore and garnered a number of awards during both her junior and senior seasons, including a 2006 all-district second team nod. Weiler was also a member of the four-time state champions BRYC Fury for four years, where she served as the team captain and a six-year member of the BRYC Sting where she helped the team to four consecutive appearances in the state tournament. She was also a member of the National Honors Society and the Athletic Honor Roll.

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