Pali Blues News Release - www.bluessoccerclub.com
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA -- The roster for the Pali Blues Soccer Club steadily grows, and the level of U.S. National Team involvement is on the rise. Today, the Blues announce the signing of midfielder Jill Oakes, midfielder Brittany Klein and forward Elizabeth Bogus.
“The Pali Blues are very excited to have all three of these players on board,” Blues head coach Charlie Naimo stated. “They will all be critical pieces to our season and future plans.”
Jill Oakes earned her first cap with the full U.S. National Team at the 2005 Algarve Cup in Portugal. Oakes was a member of the U.S. Youth National Teams starting in 2001, and she was a top contributor to multiple championship teams. She played with the 2001 U-21 Nordic Cup championship team in Norway, 2002 U-19 FIFA Women’s World Championship, 2004 U-21 Nordic Cup championship in Iceland and the 2005 U-21 Nordic Cup championship in Sweden.
The former All-Pac-10 first teamer and NSCAA All-American at UCLA was named the Gatorade National High School and the Parade Magazine Player of the Year in 2001 following her senior season at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles.
Oakes joins the club after playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps last season, seeing action in all 12 games. She previously played under Naimo with the New Jersey Wildcats in 2006, registering two assists in nine games.
“Jill is an extremely composed defensive player, and she is a perfect match for the style of play that the Blues will be playing,” Naimo commented. “She handles herself like a professional, and she will be a great role model for not only our young players, but also all youth players in our community.”
Brittany Klein also brings valuable national team experience to the Pali Blues. She played with the U-23 national select team at The Home Depot Center, and she was a pool member of the U-19 and U-20 national teams. Her national team experience started with the U-17 squad.
In four seasons at Santa Clara University, she netted 15 goals and eight assists for a total of 38 points. Prior to her collegiate career, she was a McDonald’s and Parade All-American in high school.
“Brittany is an exciting player who will become an immediate fan favorite, and she will definitely grab a critical role for us in the middle of the park,” Naimo remarked. “What I love about her game is she works equally as hard on both sides of the ball. Although she will make people stand up with her flare, she will also slow the game down and play it as simple as needed.”
Elizabeth Bogus was a member of the U-21 National Team pool in 2004. Bogus is an experienced W-League player with three seasons of action on her resume. She joins the Blues after playing 11 games for the Mile High Edge last season, registering a goal and three assists. She began her W-League career in 2004 with the Chicago Cobras, helping guide the team to the W-League Semifinals by finishing tied for ninth in the league in goals with 14. She also had four assists. The following year with the Arizona Heatwave Bogus posted seven goals and three assists in 11 games, helping guide the team to the Western Conference Final.
The Arizona State University graduate tallied 31 goals and 18 assists for 80 points over her four-year career with the Sun Devils. The 2002 Gatorade Utah High School Player of the Year will join former ASU teammate Manya Makoski with the Blues this season.
“Bogi is another player that will bring some youth national team experience to our group, and her experience in a competitive environment will make her another great leader by example,” Naimo said. “She possesses exceptional pace and athleticism and she will certainly be causing serious problems for the Western Conference.”
The Pali Blues Soccer Club will play the first game of their inaugural USL W-League season on the road against the Ventura County Fusion on Saturday, May 10. The following weekend, the Blues will play their inaugural home contest at the “Stadium by the Sea” when they host the Los Angeles Legends on Saturday, May 17. Tickets for home match ups are only $10 for adults ($8 with student ID) and $5 for kids under the age of 12.
