Feb. 7, 2001

MILWAUKEE - Coach Michael Moynihan today announced four high school seniors have signed letters of intent to attend UWM and play soccer beginning in the fall of 2001.

The group of signees includes Amber Jelinek, Brenda Andrews, Laura Driscoll, and Sara Lewis.

The Panthers continue tapping into the Pius XI-well with 5-foot-4 forward/midfielder Amber Jelinek (Milwaukee, Wis./Pius XI). Jelinek will bring a high level of experience after helping Pius XI to a state championship in her freshman year and playing club soccer for F.C. Milwaukee, one of the top club teams in the Midwest. She was named first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state last season while leading her high school team in scoring. She was also the leading scorer for F.C. Milwaukee, which won the state championship last season.

"Amber is the one of the most competitive players I've seen. She's the type of player that always fights to win and inspires her teammates with her competitiveness. She's got good speed, but more importantly, she's got a nose for the goal," Moynihan said. "The level of play that she was exposed to will really help her in her transition to collegiate soccer. We expect her to come in and have an impact from the start."

A 5-foot-4 defender, Brenda Andrews (St. Paul, Minn./South St. Paul) is a three-year all-state selection and a two-year all-metro selection, and has been named to the all-conference team since her freshman year. Andrews plays club soccer for one of the premiere clubs in the Midwest, the St. Paul Blackhawks, and has helped the team win the state tournament and state cup championships for the past four years.

"Brenda is physically a very strong player and has a great level of experience. She is good with the ball, quite composed, and is very vocal in organizing the defense," Moynihan said. "After graduating our entire starting group of defenders, Brenda will have an excellent opportunity to step in and have an immediate impact. She selected UWM over offers from Iowa State and Ohio University, so we feel fortunate to have her join us."

Laura Driscoll (DePere, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) is a 5-foot-7 midfielder who has been named first team all-conference and all-area honorable mention while playing three years on the varsity team. Driscoll also plays club soccer for DePere Select.

"Laura is a possession-type player who will earn time in the midfield. Her strength is her composure with the ball and her distribution," Moynihan said. "She sees the field well and plays with good insight. If she can adjust to the pace and the physical nature of collegiate soccer, she could become quite a force. Her brother Neil played for our men's team, so she is very familiar with UWM and is excited to be a part of the program."

Sara Lewis (Green Bay, Wis./Notre Dame Academy) is a 5-foot-2 forward and midfielder who has been a first-team all-conference and all-metro performer the past two seasons. She played for Notre Dame Academy's varsity team for all four years of high school, and has been the captain for the past two years. She also plays club soccer for DePere Premiere.

"Sara is a battler and competitor," Moynihan said. "She is strong and quick and could contribute in a number of places. We have been impressed with her development over the last few years, but we really took to her when she visited us. What impressed us about her is her desire. We knew she was athletic, but we found that she has a tremendous passion to play at the collegiate level and be successful. We are very excited to have her in our program, and we look forward to working with that tremendous potential."