EDINBURG – University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women's soccer head coach Glad Bugariu announced on Thursday the signings of 5-11 forward/midfielder Diana Ansah, 5-5 forward Sarah Bonney, 5-4 defender Tehya Peterson, 5-4 forward Megan Schulze, and 5-11 goalkeeper Kinga Szemik for the 2016-17 academic year.
 
"This is our third recruiting class and it is comprised of players who are highly experienced and have proven success at the highest level," Bugariu said. "We have an excellent group of returning players who not only understand the challenge of building a program from the ground up, but have completely bought into our methods, our athletic department and our university. We are excited to combine these two groups into what we think will be a competitive team"
 
Ansah and Bonney join the program from Ghana, were they are part of the U20 National Team pool. Both were previously part of the U17 National Team Pool.
 
"We will look everywhere for players that can move this program forward quickly and we are fortunate that Sarah and Diana have decided to continue their academic and athletic careers at UTRGV," Bugariu said.
 
Peterson comes to the program from San Diego Mesa College, where she was the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year, a First Team All-Conference selection, a California Community College Soccer Coaches Association All-State and All-Region selection, a Sophomore Showcase selection, and team captain as a sophomore, Peterson anchored a defensive unit that limited opponents to 1.05 goals per match while helping the team to finish 13-8-1. Offensively, Peterson scored one goal with two assists for three points.
 
She was a First Team All-Conference selection as a freshman as well, helping to hold opponents to 0.83 goals per match en route to a 13-8-1 record. Offensively, Peterson scored four goals with four assists for 12 points.
 
Originally from Chula Vista, Calif., Peterson is a graduate of Hilltop High School. She played her club soccer with the Nomads of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
 
"Tehya is a player that can play any position.' Bugariu said. "She is very versatile and will be able to immediately make an impact in our conference."
 
Schulze joins the program from Paradise Valley Community College, where she earned NJCAA All-American First Team, NJCAA Region I Player of the Year and Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors after scoring 25 goals with 12 assists for 62 points in 20 matches to lead her team to an 18-3-1 record. Schulze posted a .325 shooting percentage and a .649 shot on goal percentage.
 
Schulze played her freshman season at Air Force, ranking second on the team with five goals to go with three assists for 13 points.
 
A graduate of Beckman High School in Irvine, Calif., Schulze played her club soccer for West Coast FC. 
 
"Megan is a proven NCAA Division I goal scorer and she has joined a team where she will receive numerous opportunities to score," Bugariu said. "Once she is eligible, she has the potential to be a very effective goal scorer in the WAC. We are very blessed that she has decided to sign with UTRGV and I am confident her contribution will be immense."
 
Szemik comes to the program from Pietrzykowice, Bielsko, Poland, where she has been the starting goalkeeper on the U20 and U17 National Teams, leading the U17 team to the 2013 gold medal at the European Championships. A three-time honoree as the "best young goalkeeper" in the country, Szemik was chosen for the 2016 Ekstraliga Dream Team, made up of the best players in the Polish League.
 
"There have been a number of players in NCAA Division I that have played in the U17 European Championship over the years, but I am not sure if anyone has ever signed a starting player from the champions," Bugariu said. "We believe Kinga brings a certain standard and will be a strong addition to what is already a strong goalkeeper staff."
 
Season tickets for the 2016 season are on sale now and can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com, or by contacting UTRGV Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Operations & Sales David Riggs at (956) 665-3747 or david.riggs@utrgv.edu.

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