2015 Nebraska Soccer Guide | Page 54

2015 Nebraska Soccer 11 ncaa tournament appearances 290 all-time victories 10 conference championships Emily O'Neal freshman | 5-7 | defender | dallas, texas (highland park) High School Emily O’Neal competed at Highland Park High School in Texas as a defender under Coach Stewart Brown. She helped the team win the state title in 2012 and achieve runner-up honors in 2013. In 2014, Highland Park finished second at regionals. A team captain, O’Neal was on the National Honor Society, National English Honor Society and the Jacksonian Historical Honor Society. Other Information O’Neal played club soccer under Coach Antonio Percorari with Sting ’98 ECNL. She helped her team earn the 2013 Texas Conference Championship before finishing seventh at nationals. In 2014, the team took second place at the conference 52 tournament before finishing fourth at nationals. O’Neal was named to Top Drawer’s Best XI (Fort Worth ECNL) in 2014. Personal Information Emily is the daughter of Mike and Lynn O’Neal and was born on Aug. 2, 1997. She has three sisters, Rachel, Sarah and Megan, and has one brother, Joseph. Emily plans to major in pre-law at Nebraska. O’Neal on Nebraska “I chose Nebraska because this university has both athletic and academic excellence along with an unparalleled support system. The dedicated coaches create an enriched environment for pursuing success both on and off the field.” 2 Lauren smith freshman | 5-6 | goalkeeper | glenview, ill. (loyola academy) High School Lauren Smith made 26 starts and played in 43 games overall during a three-year stretch at Loyola Academy. The goalkeeper won 22 of the games she started, and earned 19 shutouts in the process. Smith set a school record with a 0.257 goals against average. Her team captured three consecutive regional championships from 2012 to 2014 and the 2013 sectional title. Smith garnered all-conference, all-sectional and all-state accolades during her high school career. An honors student, Smith was cocaptain and Team MVP of the JV basketball team. Other Information Smith played club soccer for FC United under coaches Seong Ha and Craig Snower. In 2012, her team won the state cup title. Personal Information Lauren is the daughter of Amy and Gene Smith and was born on Dec. 23, 1995. She has one sister, Cailin Smith. Lauren is majoring in psychology at Nebraska. Smith on Nebraska "I knew before I visited Nebraska how prestigious the school is in terms of academics and athletics. When I visited the university, I immediately fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere. I feel like Nebraska will help me to become the best student, athlete, and person I can possibly be and to provide me with the tools to help me achieve success in life. I am blessed to be able to represent the University of Nebraska." 2015 NEBRASKA SOCCER I HUSKERS.COM I @NEBRASKASOCCER 23