University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Lady Eagle Soccer Announces Signees
2/15/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Feb. 15, 2007
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss Lady Eagle Soccer
| Name | Pos. | Ht. | Hometown/HS/JC |
| Avery Buffington | D/MF/F | 5-4.5 | Jackson, Miss./Jackson Prep |
| Sarah Brusco | D | 5-4 | Dallas, TX/Marcus High School |
| Amy Skeet | F/MF/D | 5-11 | Lewisville, TX/Marcus in Flower Mound, TX |
| Jana Mason | MF/D | 5-5.5 | Tupelo, Miss./Tupelo High School |
| Leigh-Ann Levens | F/MF | 5-7 | Long Beach, Miss./Long Beach High School |
Avery Buffington (D/MF/F; 5-4.5; Fr.; Jackson Prep; Jackson, Miss.)
Four-year starter at Jackson Prep ... Named all-state by The Clarion Ledger ... Selected to the MAC All-State First Team ... Selected as an MPSA All Star as a senior ... Named most valuable player and team captain as a senior ... Chosen as best defensive player as a junior ... Received coaches' award freshman and sophomore seasons ... Received all conference honors as a freshman, junior and senior ... A member of the MPSA championship team in 2003, 2005 and 2006 ... Helped lead team to MPSA finals in 2002 ... Named the senior favorite on the Rankin Ledger's first team ... Honor Roll ... TOP Soccer volunteer ... YMCA volunteer soccer coach ... Club Soccer: Played for Coach Kevin Johns and the Jackson Futbol Club ... Served as team captain U-12 through U-18 ... Mississippi Champions in 2004 ... Finalist in 2006, 2005, 2003 and 2002 ... Premier League Champions in 2006 ... Personal: Daughter of Phil and Sarah Buffington.
"Avery will provide great depth and cover at the back," Southern Miss Head Coach Gail Macklin said. "We are very excited to have her here. She is a great ball-winner and shows tremendous hunger and determination. Her speed and strength will help her adjust to the collegiate level."
Sarah Brusco (D; 5-4; Fr.; Marcus HS; Dallas, Texas)
Played defense for Marcus High School ... Helped lead team to the 2004 Regional Finals ... A member of the 2005 Texas State championship team ... 2006 Texas State Semi-Finalist ... Named captain of the 2007 varsity team ... Served as a member of EHS in 05-06 ... Selected as the Foreign Language Student of the Year 05-06 ... Club Soccer: Played for Coach Cara Kunitz on the D'Feeter's '89 ... A member of the Premiere League championship team in 2005 ... Personal: Daughter of Dan and Su Brusco.
"Sarah is not only a fantastic defender, but she distributes the ball well and is technically sound," Macklin said. "We expect her to make an immediate impact at center-back. We are looking forward to seeing Sarah grow as a leader in this position."
Amy Skeet (F/MF/D; 5-11; Fr.; Marcus in Flower Mound; Lewisville, Texas)
Played center midfielder for Marcus HS in Flower Mound, Texas ... Named MVP of JV2 ... Selected captain of JV2 as a freshman and JV1 as a sophomore ... A member of the 5A' State championship team in 2005 ... Helped lead team to 5A' State semifinals in 2006 ... Club Soccer: Played left defender for Coach Ashley Gordon and Coach Aaron Gordon for the FC Dallas 90' ... Helped lead team to many tournament titles ... Personal: Daughter of Alan and Linda Skeet.
"Amy is very versatile player," Macklin said. "She can play at the back, but we look for her to compete at the forward position. She brings size and strength, displays good attacking movement off the ball and finished well."
Jana Mason (MF/D; 5-5.5; Fr.; Tupelo HS; Tupelo, Miss.)
Played midfielder and defender at Tupelo High School ... A member of the MSHAA 5A soccer champion team in 2004 and 2006 ... Helped lead team to 2007 MSHAA 5A soccer finals ... Also lettered in cross country ... A member of the MSHAA 5A cross-country champion team from 2003-06 ... Named all-state in 2005 and 2006 ... A member of the Nike Team National XC team in 2006 ... Rotary Scholar 2003 - 2007 ... Club Soccer: Played for Coach Kevin Johns and the Jackson Futbol Club '89 ... A member of the Premiere League championship team in 2006 ... Helped lead team to state finals in 2005 and 2006 ... Personal: Daughter of Garry & Marie Mason.
"Jana has a tremendous engine, working box to box," Macklin said. "She can play at the back or at center-mid. She shows good awareness, is clever on the ball, and understands the game very well. We look forward to Jana's contribution and believe she will continue to get better and better."
Leigh-Ann Levens (F/MF; 5-7; Fr.; Long Beach HS; Long Beach, Miss.)
A four-year letterwinner at forward and midfield for Long Beach High School ... All-time leading scorer ... Named best offensive player all four years ... All-Coast player all four years ... Ranked in top five percent of graduating class ... Club Soccer: Played for Coach Kevin Johns and the Jackson Futbol Club 88' ... Personal: Daughter of Earl and Cindy Levens.
"Leigh-Ann will look to contribute at the forward position," Macklin said. "She never stops working off the ball and is always causing problems for defenders. She has a lot of potential which we hope to unravel."
