Brown, Pina Sign Women's Soccer Letters of Intent   

Posted June 26, 2007
Two Texas freshman -- one from the Houston area and the other from the Rio Grande Valley -- have signed Letters of Intent to play for the Scorpions women's soccer team.

Freshman defender Kari Brown from Class 5A state finalist Deer Park and Laura Pina from La Joya are the newest Scorpions. Pina' s La Joya teammates Edith Hernandez and Mayra Solis previously signed with the Scorpions.

Brown and Pina become the 11th and 12th women to sign Letters of Intent to play for the Scorpions.

 

The women’s soccer team begins play Thursday, August 23, 2007 against the Instituto Tecnologico Superiores de Poza Rica Petroleros. 

Kari Brown (defender)

"I am so excited to have Kari join our team and that she found us to be a great fit not only for the soccer but academically as well," Scorpion head coach Nik Barjaktarevic said. "She has a great soccer background coming from Deer Park, as well as playing for United Alliance one of top club teams in Houston area. She is a natural defender, strong and aggressive, who reads the game well. I expect her to transition to the college game quickly and establish herself as one of the leaders on and off the field."

Brown was a big part of a Deer Park team that cruised through District 22-5A, shutting out all 14 opponents and finishing the season with a 28-1 record, its only loss coming at the UIL Class 5A state championship game. The team allowed only three goals all season until the state final. She was a four-year varsity player, captain her senior year, and was named to the All-District 22-5A team.

"I chose UTB/TSC because of the curriculum to be able to pursue a career in dentistry," Brown said. "I am looking forward to playing soccer at the college level and have been working on that goal since I was about 11 years old. I think I can be a contributing factor defensively to the success of the team.

Laura Pina (midfielder)

"Laura is another player from the Valley that I expect a lot from in her career here," Barjaktarevic said. "Although small she is making up all of that on the field with her speed and is almost unstoppable on the field. Her role on the field will be to provide us with a spark in the outside midfield position and be a constant threat to our opponents."

At La Joya, Pina participated in soccer for four years, earning second team All-District 30-5A honors and was chosen to the Rio Grande Valley East-West All-Star Game. She also was a member of the track and cross country teams her freshman and sophomore years and was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Pina plans to major in criminal justice.

"Being selected to be part of the UTB/TSC team has inspired me to go the extra mile, and I’m excited for the upcoming challenge," Pina said. "Having two teammates from high school on the team, I believe will help ease the nerves during pre-season."