April 28, 2008

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The JU women's soccer team announced their first wave of 2008 recruits as they added Kelli Brougham of Middleburg High School and Alexa Rooney of Peoria Notre Dame High School to next year's squad.

"I am excited to have two players of this caliber joining our players for next season," said JU head coach Brian Copham. "I think they are both hard working and will both be a good fit with our team. They both have the ability to come in and compete and contribute right away."

Brougham was a four-year starter for Middleburg where she became the school's all-time leading goal scorer after she tallied 101 goals and 65 assists in her career. This year she led Middleburg to a district championship victory after she scored two goals in the final. She earned all-conference honors her junior and senior seasons and was named first team all-county as a senior. She recently competed in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Soccer Classic and was selected to the all tournament team in the Fort White Christmas Tournament her junior season. She played her club soccer for the Jacksonville Fury and led her team to the finals of the Tampa "Score at the Shore" Tournament.

A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Brougham is the daughter of Scott and Joe Ann Brougham and has a younger sister named Lindsey. She was recently selected to be in the National Society of High School Scholars.

"Kelli is a technically gifted and crafty forward who is very dynamic," Copham said. "She has the ability to great goal scoring chances and the ability to score big goals."

Rooney, a team co-captain, was a four-year starter for Peoria Notre Dame where she earned all-conference honors her junior and sophomore seasons as well as being voted all-sectional goalkeeper her junior year. She led her team to conference, regional and sectional championships her junior and sophomore seasons. Her sophomore year didn't end there as Rooney led Peoria Notre Dame to a sectional championship and the elite eight of the Illinois IHSA State Tournament where she set a record by allowing no goals the whole postseason. She has a .40 goals against average her season, which is still in progress. She played her club soccer for John Gasper 89' Girls Elite, where she led her team to a victory in the Palatine Celtic Cup after not allowing a goal the entire tournament.

A native of Peoria, Ill., Rooney is the daughter of Michael Rooney and Kellie Fleeman and Scott Fleeman. She has two younger sisters, Savanna and Chloe and a twin sister, Brittan, who will be playing soccer for Loras College. Rooney, who also participated on her high school basketball team, is a member of the National Honor Society and was a member of the honor roll all four years.

"Alexa is an athletic goalkeeper that finds a way to make saves," said Copham. "She is aggressive in goal and fearless when she comes off her line."