Pali Blues News Release -- www.bluessoccerclub.com
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Pali Blues are pleased to announce the addition of four top college prospects for the 2012 W-League season. Anisa Guajardo will return to the Palisades along with fellow Pepperdine teammates Lynn Williams, and Michelle Pao. Cal State Fullerton’s Ann Tangorra, a transfer from Cal State LA, will add to the attack for Pali.
Freshman forward, Williams, earned All-Freshman First Team honors from Soccer America for the 2011 NCAA season and was named the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. She started 19 of 20 matches played, scored six goals and added a team-leading 11 assists for the Waves.
“Coming off a great freshman season, we expect great things from Lynn,” said Pali Blues head coach Charlie Naimo. “We plan to further develop her has a target because she has that strength. She is a professional prospect that I know will score some big goals this season,” he added.
Teammate Pao is a sophomore who can play either as an outside defender or forward. She started all 21 games for Pepperdine at the outside right back position where she helped the defense to a .57 goals against average, a school record. She also scored her first two career goals last year, while assisting on five.
As a defender who likes to get involved in the attack, Naimo is excited about her future contributions to the team this year.
“Michelle is a very unique player who caught my eye about five seconds after watching her,” he said. “She is extremely busy, has great pace, and a great engine. She will be extremely dangerous attacking out of the back in our system. Michelle will also be dangerous on set plays for us.”
The last of the Waves is no stranger to Pali Blues fans. Guajardo was heavily involved in the Blues' attack last year, and she led the team with 11 points, from four goals and three assists.
“Anisa is a very strong player that can strike the ball extremely well,” Naimo said. “Between her involvement with the Mexican National Team and Pepperdine, I am confident she will come back even stronger. Our goal is to get her in better positions to score this year.”
Guajardo has played with Pao for two years at Pepperdine, and one year with Williams. However, Williams and Guajardo have played together before in their hometown of Fresno, Calif. She looks forward to sharing the field with players she already has chemistry with.
“I know that Charlie is building a strong team with many talented players, but it's just a confidence boost to know that not only will I be playing alongside two of my teammates, but also two of my closest friends,” she said.
Lastly, Ann Marie Tangorra, a 5-foot7 junior forward who played two Division II seasons Cal State LA, is now gearing up to play her second Division I season at Cal State Fullerton. Tangorra stood out to Naimo last year when she played with the Santa Clarita Blue Heat, where she scored three goals and had three assists.
“She has a professional upside, and I knew that if I came back to coaching Pali, I wanted her on the team,” said Naimo. “I always evaluate players based on if I would have drafted them for WPS (the LA Sol or Chicago Red Stars), and she caught my eye.”