Women's Soccer Completes 2003 Roster
May 12, 2003 | Soccer
The latest additions bring the total number of new players for ECU to 10.
McCullough, a native of Fairfax Station, Va., is a 5-10 goalkeeper that has a strong club background. She currently plays for the PWSI Eclipse coached by Kab Hakim. While playing with the Eclipse, the team advanced to the 2001 Virginia State Cup semifinals and the 2002 Region I semifinals while garnering a No. 12 national ranking. The Eclipse were champions of the 2002 Raleigh Shootout and are currently competing in the 2002 Virginia State Cup finals. Before joining the Eclipse, McCullough competed with the Vista Firestars, which won the Virginia State Cup Championship.
"When I visited ECU it just felt that I belonged there," McCullough said. "The pleasant campus atmosphere, strong Division I soccer program and an excellent education department will allow me to pursue my goals of teaching and playing professional soccer."
"Kari has played at a high level with her club teams," ECU head coach Rob Donnenwirth offered. "She has excellent size, is very good with her feet, and reads the game very well. She will immediately compete for the starting goalkeeper position."
Shaw, a product of Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pa., was a four-year starter for Coach Owen Brown. She was voted the team's offensive player of the year her junior year and ranks among the top 10 all-time scorers at Great Valley. Shaw was voted first team all-league in grades 9-12 and her team was state semifinalist her senior year. She played club soccer for the Nether Providence Nightmares coached by Rob Rooney. She also was a member of the basketball and track teams in high school.
"The campus was so beautiful and the town is so involved with the university," Shaw said of her reasons for choosing ECU. "It's nice to see such a comfortable town and school come together."
"Tara is an athletic left-sided player," Donnenwirth said. "She has good size at 5-10 and is a competitor. She has the potential to be an excellent player to compete in Conference USA."
Howell, a forward, is a product of Davie High in Advance, N.C.
East Carolina's women's soccer program has posted five consecutive winning seasons and matched the program's most wins ever (11) in 2002.
