Women's Soccer Welcomes Six Newcomers During NCAA Signing Period

JACKSONVILLE - North Florida head women's soccer coach Eric Faulconer announced the signing of six players to national letters-of-intent for the Fall 2021 class. The group features a pair of goalkeepers, a duo of defenders and two forwards.

Joining the Ospreys this fall will be Sarah Barrentine, Jersi Dadah, Sofia Miliancano, Kiki Slattery, Allyna Thurston and Lauren Weiss.

"Quality of play, tremendous athleticism and character defines our 2021 recruiting class. Our staff feels really good about this group of excellent student-athletes. The first noticeable thing is every one of them is extremely competitive. In the recruiting process, you quickly learn about players that want it given to them and those that want to earn it. You are successful in building a sustained winning culture with individuals that have a burning desire to be their very best. All six of our recent signees have that trait. Our staff works tirelessly on the recruiting trail and I want to thank my assistant coaches Devin Zvosec and Morgan Luckie for their commitment to building this class. I also want to thank our athletic administration, support staff and the faculty members on campus who continue to take the time throughout the year to meet with our potential student-athletes. UNF is a fantastic institution and we are quickly building something special here in Jacksonville. I look forward to seeing the all-around development of our 2021 class and I am excited to see them excel both on and off the field." -- Head Coach Eric Faulconer

Sarah Barrentine

Goalkeeper | Dunedin, Fla. | Dunedin High School | Tampa Bay United

Notables
Barrentine is a four-year varsity starter at Dunedin, where she has been selected as the program's most valuable player three straight seasons. She also serves as the team's captain for the past two seasons. Barrentine has been selected as an All- County First Team member for North Pinellas County her last two seasons. She is a five-year member of the Tampa Bay United (TBU) ECNL club, playing the last three years as an Under 19 player for Coach Jim Cote. She is currently captain of her TBU club team. An excellent student, she currently ranks in the top 11% of her academic class.

Quotables
"Sarah has a tremendous work ethic. She is always striving to improve and fine-tune her game. She has a demanding presence in the box and she is willing to take physical risks to make a save or a play on the ball. Sarah's coaches talked about her tremendous upside and that has been evident over the past several seasons. Our staff believes her best soccer is ahead of her and we are extremely excited about her joining our program."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"Sarah has grown tremendously over the past several years both on and off the field. She has become a role model for our younger goalkeepers and comes to training each day wanting to get better. She is going to make a positive impact on all of her future teammates and coaches from Day 1."
- Tim Mann, Goalkeeper Director, Tampa Bay United ECNL

Jersi Dadah

Forward | Eustis, Fla. | Eustis High School | Florida Kraze Krush ECNL

Notables
The very athletic Dadah will provide a tremendous amount of pace and goal-scoring prowess on the Osprey front line. She has been the captain of her high school team the past two seasons and has earned the Golden Boot Award during both her sophomore and junior campaigns. Dadah was selected to the All Lake County First Team in 2019 and 2020. She has been equally successful in the classroom. Prior to moving to Florida, Dadah represented the USYS Midwest 2003 Olympic Development Program (ODP) team at the 2018 Thanksgiving Interregional event in Boca Raton. She is a club teammate with fellow Osprey signee Allyna Thurston.

Quotables
"Jersi is a high work rate, extremely quick forward that is going to have the ability to put our opponents under a lot of pressure. She is a proven goal scorer and plays with a lot intensity. Our staff believes Jersi is going to add another dimension to our attack and we are absolutely thrilled that she will be a part of our program next fall."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"Very happy and excited for Jersi to continue her soccer career at UNF. Her constant drive to improve and coach ability are defining characteristics that have helped her to get to this point. She's going to have a significant impact at UNF throughout her entire career."
- Mark Hansen, Florida Kraze Krush ECNL

Sofia Miliancano

Goalkeeper | Miami, Fla. | The School for Advanced Studies - South | Team Boca

Notables
One of two very talented goalkeepers in the 2021 class. She plays her club soccer with Team Boca under Florida Atlantic University coach Patrick Baker. Miliancano helped lead her Team Boca Team to the 2018 USYS Southern Regional Championship and was honored with the Golden Glove Award for the tournament's most outstanding goalkeeper. She was a member of the USYS South Region 2003 Olympic Development Program (ODP) team at the 2018 Thanksgiving Interregional event in Boca Raton.

Quotables
"Sofia is going to be an excellent addition to our program. She has strong presence in front of the net and has continuously come up big for her club team in critical situations. She is technically very sound and possesses very good footwork. To be selected as the top goalkeeper at USYS Southern Regionals tells you a lot about her ability. She is continuously striving to fine tune her game and we expect her to be a wonderful addition to our program."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"Sofia is a tremendous student athlete and I'm excited to watch her collegiate career at UNF. She will grow and develop under Coach Faulconer's guidance. Sofia has a bright future in Jacksonville. She came to our team in 2018, made an immediate impact as the team repeated as Florida State Champions, captured the Southern Regional title, and advanced to the USYS National Championships. Sofia is a well-rounded keeper and a very good shot stopper, but equally as good with her distribution. She is extremely coachable and eager to learn. UNF got better today with Sofia's commitment."
- Patrick Baker, Team Boca Coach and Head Women's Soccer Coach Florida Atlantic University

Kiersten "Kiki" Slattery

Forward | Venice, Fla. | Venice High School | Tampa Bay United ECNL & Braden River

Notables
Slattery is a very athletic, technical and hard working front-runner. She has excelled in both the classroom and on the playing field for Venice High School. A four-year varsity letterman as a starter, Slattery has been tabbed as the captain of her team for the current 2020-21 season. She has been an integral part helping Venice to Three District 6A-7 Championships, a Regional Championship in 2020 and the Florida Class 6A state runner up in 2020. She is a three-time All-Area selection and qualified for the Florida State 4 x 800 track championship. Slattery is an excellent student and is a member of the National Science Honor Society. She is a four-year member of the Florida State Olympic Development Program state team (ODP) and a two-time ODP South Region selection. She was selected to represent the ODP South Region Team for the 2020 ODP International England trip that was canceled due to COVID-19.

Quotables
"Kiki has a burning desire to be the best that she can be and that shows every time she steps on the field. She is willing to do the little things that makes a player successful. She is very quick, willing to track down every ball and most importantly, she produces goal-scoring opportunities. She is extremely fit and that allows her to play with a great amount of intensity. No one is going to outwork her. I am certain she is going to make a huge impact on our team and she will fit in well in our overall attacking philosophy."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"I have been coaching/training Kiki for six years. Knowing her goal to play Division I soccer, has been achieved at UNF, is incredible. They are getting a player that can come in and make an immediate impact on their program through her hard work, dedication to the game, and commitment to her team. Kiki is a dynamic player and has a knack to finish when presented the opportunity. There isn't another player that wants to succeed on and off the field as much as she does and is willing to do whatever it takes to succeed at a high level."
- Lynley Hilligoss, Owner/Operator of Hilligoss SunCoast Training and Venice HS Assistant Coach

Allyna Thurston

Defender | Caselberry, Fla. | Lake Howell High School | Florida Kraze Krush ECNL

Notables
A very talented central defender that is a club teammate with fellow Osprey signee Jersi Dadah. Thurston excels both on and off the field at Lake Howell. She is a two-time First team All-Conference selection and a two time Defensive MVP. She also serves as her team's captain. She has received the Principal's honor roll all four years of high school and is a member of the National Hispanic Honor Society, National English Honor Society, and National Honor Society. She has been a force in the backline for Florida Kraze Krush throughout her youth career. Thurston was selected to the 2018 ECNL Southeast PDP event in Atlanta, a collection of the top players from the ECNL's Southeast conference. She has also been a past Florida Olympic Development team selection. She is currently co-captain of her club team.

Quotables
"Our staff feels strongly that Allyna is going to make an immediate impact in our backline as a central defender this upcoming fall. She is tactically smart and possesses tremendous pace. She is dominant in the air and a leader both on and off the field. She has all the attributes you look for in a center back and we feel she has an extremely bright future in our program and the ASUN."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"Allyna is a great soccer player and even better young lady. Her athleticism, aerial ability, and defensive awareness make her a dominant player in the back on the field. Her commitment to her teammates, caring and honesty make her a great young lady that will help take the UNF program to new levels."
- Mark Hansen, Florida Kraze Krush ECNL

Lauren Weiss

Defender | Green Cove Springs, Fla. | St. John's County Day School | Florida Elite

Notables
A local product that has made a big impact under Coach Mike Pickett as an outside back for both her club team at Florida Elite and her high school at St. John's County Day School. At St. John's, she has helped her team win five straight FHSAA state championships and a 2018 National Championship. An excellent student, Weiss is home schooled and dual enrolled at St. John's River State College.

Quotables
"We are excited to add another local standout to our program. It is something that we will always be committed to doing. Lauren is a combination of an old school hard-nosed defender and the modern attacking outside back. She has an incredible engine and is tenacious. Our staff has seen her mark Florida State's Jamaican international Jody Brown and do about as good a job as we have seen dealing with someone of that talent level. Coach Mike Pickett well prepares players for the next level and Lauren has been under his guidance for a majority of her youth career. We are excited about Lauren's commitment to UNF and can't wait to have the opportunity to work with her."
- Coach Eric Faulconer

"Lauren might be smallish in stature, but has a huge heart that is full of grit and desire. A lockdown defender, Lauren reads the game well and is difficult to break down. She is a great teammate and puts her team first on and off the field. I look forward to following her success at UNF".
- Mike Pickett, North Florida Soccer Academy, St. John's Country Day School.