Atlanta Silverbacks News Release - www.atlantasilverbacksfc.com
Saturday, June 21, 2014
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Atlanta Silverbacks signed Erin Holt to a one-day contract for their game against the Charlotte Eagles Saturday, honoring her as the 12th starter during pregame festivities.
On November 1, 2013, Holt was critically injured after being run over by a truck driven by a drunk driver. She spent several weeks in a coma after being diagnosed with severe brain trauma. She was first brought to Memorial Hospital in Savannah before being transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. She was released from the center in mid February and is still undergoing extensive physical therapy on the road to complete recovery.
“[Holt] is an inspiration to us all, from the management all the way down to the players,” General Manager and Head Coach Chris Adams said. “Hosting Erin and her family is the least we can do to show how much we appreciate her continuing passion for soccer and her fight to recover completely.”
The Silverbacks held a signing ceremony at midfield before pregame warm-ups Saturday night. During the ceremony, Holt and her parents sat with the entire Silverbacks team and received Silverbacks apparel and accessories, including her game jersey with the number 25 and her last name on the back.
Holt also received a Nike game ball, a white training top, a Silverbacks rain jacket and a Silverbacks backpack.
During the pregame festivities, Silverbacks forward and one of Holt’s former teammates at Armstrong Atlantic State University, Morgan Mitchell, rolled Holt out with the starters to midfield as the honorary 12th starter. Holt was greeted with a huge standing ovation from the more than 1,000 fans in attendance.
“We are extremely grateful to have been able to have [Holt] as our guest tonight,” said Adams.
For more information on Holt and updates on her recovery, fans can visit pushforward25.com.
Charlotte Lady Eagels 2, Silverbacks 0
The Silverbacks struggled offensively and fell 2-0 against the Lady Eagles Saturday night.
The Silverbacks were outshot by the Lady Eagles 24-10 overall on the night as Atlanta had trouble possessing the ball in the attacking half. Charlotte picked up three points in the win, putting them in first place in the W-League's Southeastern Conference, ahead of Carolina Elite and Gulf Coast.
In the 29th minute of play, Charlotte forward Jade Montgomery took a pass from forward Summer Lanter and drove it hard off the crossbar with the ball bouncing down and across the goal line for the first goal of the match.
Charlotte midfielder Leah Fortune scored the second goal for the Lady Eagles off a long pass from Montgomery in the 65th minute. The one-touch volley into the back of the net gave Charlotte an insurance goal.
Atlanta had two corners in stoppage time, both of which came dangerously close to the Silverbacks getting on the scoreboard, but Charlotte’s defense held strong to preserve the shutout.
Prior to the match the Silverbacks signed Erin Holt, a former standout soccer player at Armstrong Atlantic who was in a car accident in November 2013, to a one-day contract, and she was named the honorary 12th starter for the Silverbacks.
The Silverbacks will finish the season with three road matches, starting at Gulf Coast on Saturday, June 28. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. ET.