GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University women's soccer team will add seven international student-athletes and two transfers to its roster for the fall 2022 season, head coach Mike Joy has announced.
The group will supplement the depth of the incoming freshman class, which was announced in November by Joy, who will begin his 26th season as head coach of the Pioneers this fall with 281 victories. He is the winningest coach in South Atlantic Conference history in terms of overall wins with 258 and in conference wins with 113.
"We are very excited about those early signings, as we really are bringing in some quality players and the majority will help us be a better attacking team," said Joy. "We felt that looking at our program, we believed we really needed to improve the level of depth in our midfield, find a replacement for a graduating center back, and a find quality keeper to throw into the mix with young talented goalkeepers. We believe these international players will provide an instant impact to those areas of need."
The international players who have committed to the Pioneers:
*Rosy Wodhams is a 5'9" central defender from England who is graduating from Loughborough University. Wodhams played for Arsenal Ladies in the Women's Super League and was a three-time club Player of the Year for Stevenage Ladies.
*Makensie Metzger is a central midfielder who comes to Tusculum from Auckland, New Zealand where she was Player of the Year while playing for Three Kings United and Otumoetai. Metzger was nominated for the WaiBOP Women's Player of the Year Award.
*Emily Metaschk is a 5'7" goalkeeper from Germany who played this past season for FC Iserlohn U-17 in the junior Bundesliga. Metaschk appeared in 10 of the team's 18 matches during the 2021-22 season.
*Sterre van Aanholt is an outside midfielder or winger from the Netherlands who was signed for the 2021 season but was unable to attend. Van Aanholt played for VV Baarlo in the junior First Division and scored eight goals during the 2021-22 season.
*Wilma Axelsson is a 5'7" center midfielder from Sweden who is currently playing for Ytterby IS in the Northwest Gotaland Division II league, where she scored three goals in the team's first nine matches. Her father, PJ, played 11 seasons for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1997 to 2009 and scored 103 goals in 797 games.
*Adriana Netskos is a 5'7" deep lying midfielder from Sarnia, Ontario who is currently playing for Whitecaps London in League 1 Ontario. Netskos also plays in the Ontario Regional Player Developmental League.
*Marja Enste is a 5'7" defender from Aachen, Germany who played First Division for TSV Alemannia Aachen.
Joining Tusculum as transfers with sophomore eligibility:
*Kira Schulte, a 5'6" defender from Germany who played for Bryant & Stratton College in Syracuse, New York and helped the Bobcats to the USCAA Small College national championship in 2021. Schulte started all 12 matches on defense for the Bobcats and recorded two assists, while helping the team to a 36-13 goal differential during the season. Schulte was named to the All-Tournament team as the Bobcats outscored their opponents 7-1 at nationals, including a 1-0 win over Maine-Fort Kent in the championship match.
*Macy Vermillion is a 5'5" winger and Greeneville High School graduate who played four games for USC Aiken last season. Vermillion helped the Greene Devils to state championships in both 2019 and 2020, scoring 31 goals and 21 assists in those two seasons while earning All-District, All-Region and All-State honors.
The Pioneers are scheduled to open their 2022 season on Thursday, August 25 at King.
