By Tom Leiss, Fredericksburg.com
Monday, February 28, 2011
WOODBRIDGE, VA – Former Northern Virginia Majestic standout Kerri Butler has signed a contract with the Atlanta Beat of Women’s Professional Soccer. Butler was a mainstay on the Northern Virginia roster from 2006 through 2009, starting her first game as Majestics goalkeeper at the age of 16.
Butler, now 21, is a senior at West Virginia University. She will have to leave school to play for Atlanta. She plans to return in the fall to complete her final semester and graduate with a degree in exercise physiology.
Injury kept Butler from playing in the 2010 W-League season, as she opted to remain in Morgantown to build back her strength.
Butler gathered with teammates and her parents in January to follow the WPS draft online but was not one of the 24 players selected.
Undaunted, Butler traveled to several open tryouts. Included was a car trip to New York in January. That was followed by a drive halfway to Philadelphia that ended because of a snowstorm, then a flight to Atlanta earlier this month. None of those trips resulted in an offer.
"It was definitely frustrating when people call and e-mail you and then you don’t hear back," she said.
But the Beat’s coaches were impressed and eventually called to offer Butler a contract last Wednesday.
Butler said when the call from Beat assistant coach Russ Stroud came, she was studying for a quiz.
"I was very excited when I got the call," she said. "[Stroud] called and said the team would really like to bring me onto the roster to gain experience because they saw a lot of potential."
Butler started 80 of her 82 games in four years at WVU. The goalie set school records for shutouts in a season (14 in 2010) and a career (44), and was second all-time in minutes played with 7,559 - including playing every minute of every game in her senior season.
She also helped the Mountaineers win Big East Conference Championships in 2007 and 2010.
Butler said she will start off as the third goalie on the Beat’s roster behind veterans Allison Whitworth and Allyson Lipsher.
The Beat also boast several players with national team experience, such as defender Cat Whitehill. Buter said she’s looking forward to playing with veterans of that level.
"It’ll be a great experience not only to meet the girls, but to play with them as well," she said.
Butler has set and reached many short- and long-term goals. But, just getting on the roster doesn’t mean she has reached her ultimate goal.
"This is just another step to reaching my main goal, which is to get to play [professionally]," she said.
The WPS is entering its third year of play with teams currently based in Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
Atlanta opens its season April 9, at home against the Boston Breakers.