University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Southern Miss Soccer Adds Three Transfers to 2019 Class
1/24/2019 4:42:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Hannah Moody, Hailey Pohevitz and Ariel Diaz have joined the Golden Eagles
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss head women's soccer coach Mohammed El-Zare announced the addition of three transfers to the program on Thursday afternoon.
Hannah Moody, Hailey Pohevitz and Ariel Diaz have already arrived on campus and will begin spring workouts with the team in the coming weeks.
Southern Miss head women's soccer coach Mohammed El-Zare's thoughts on the three transfers
"All three of the girls that we have brought in this semester have experience at the Division I level. They understand what is expected of them as Division I athletes and what our expectations and standards are here at Southern Miss. They are a seasoned group that will bring a wealth of valuable experience to our program. By joining us in the spring, we will be able to help them adjust to our program by stressing the importance of our core team values and we will also be able to develop team chemistry with them."
Moody, who comes to Southern Miss by way of South Alabama, will be classified as a junior next season. During her time at South Alabama, Moody was a part of the Jaguars 2017 squad that won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, the Sun Belt Tournament and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Moody starred in the classroom as well, as she was named to the Sun Belt Commissioner's List for the 2017-18 academic year.
As a freshman, Moody started South Alabama's matches against SEC opponents LSU and Ole Miss as a center back. She also played substantial minutes against Alabama and nationally ranked Auburn.
Before attending South Alabama, Moody was a member of both the Florida and Alabama Olympic Development Program teams and the Gulf Coast Texans. She was also a Discovery Player for the Birmingham United Soccer Association and the Gwinnett Soccer Academy. In addition, she was tabbed an ECNL Southeast Conference Player to Watch and she was a USL Super-Y National ODP camp participant.
Moody played her high school soccer for Mary G. Montgomery High School (Semmes, Ala.) where she was a member of the varsity girl's soccer team for four years.
Moody was invited to train at four U.S. Soccer National Training Centers and was a U.S. Club Soccer id2 Program Training Camp participant. In the summer of 2018, Moody played for the Gulf Coast Rangers of the WPSL. The Mobile, Ala. native will bring a lot of versatility to the program with her ability to play the center back, midfield and forward positions.
El-Zare on adding Moody to his Southern Miss squad
"I have known Hannah since she was 10 years old. She is a versatile player that will allow us to adapt to varying systems of play. Hannah is a gritty, tough-minded, hard-working and resilient kid that has the ability to play multiple positions."
The second addition to the Golden Eagles' 2019 class hails from Chatsworth, Calif. Hailey Pohevitz will join the Southern Miss women's soccer program after spending the three previous seasons at Cal State Fullerton.
Pohevitz redshirted during the 2018 season.
As a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton in 2017, Pohevitz appeared in 14 matches. She recorded one assist, kicked three corners and totaled 188 minutes of playing time.
During her freshman season in 2016, Pohevitz appeared in two contests for the Titans. She made her collegiate debut on September 16 against Arizona State and also saw action against San Diego where she recorded a season-high 17 minutes of playing time.
Prior to attending Cal State Fullerton, Pohevitz played varsity soccer at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (Lake Balboa, Calif.). During her high school career, Pohevitz was named a Real So Cal Daily News Top 10 High School Player to Watch. She played her club soccer for Simi Valley Eclipse and Real So Cal.
The addition of Pohevitz comes at a prime time for the Golden Eagles who will lose forwards Stephanie Garcia and Elishah Santiago due to graduation in May.
El-Zare on Pohevitz joining the Golden Eagles
"As a Southern California native, Hailey comes from one of the hottest hotbeds of soccer in the country. She has played at a very competitive level all of her life and in some of the toughest environments. Hailey is an excellent hold-up player and prolific goal scorer who will bring sophistication to our attack."
The third transfer that the Golden Eagles will welcome is Ariel Diaz. A native of Lubbock, Texas, Diaz spent the two previous seasons at North Texas. She will be classified as a junior for the 2019 season.
During her sophomore season in 2018, Diaz scored a goal off of a corner kick in the Mean Green's 2-0 victory over C-USA opponent UAB on October 7.
As a freshman in 2017, Diaz appeared in all 22 of the Mean Green's matches and earned 17 starts. She finished the season tied for the second-most goals (seven) and points (17) on the team.
Diaz recorded the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career on September 28, 2017 against MACU. She added another multi-goal performance later in the season against FIU, scoring two goals in just 18 minutes of playing time. Diaz scored the most important goal of her North Texas career in the 2017 C-USA Semifinal Match against FAU on November 3rd as she netted the game-winning goal, helping the Mean Green advance to the C-USA Championship Match.
Diaz prepped at Monterey High School (Lubbock, Texas) where she was a highly decorated high school player and a four-year member of the Lady Plainsmen varsity girl's soccer team. As a senior, Diaz was named Lone Star Varsity Soccer Player of the Year and District 4-5A MVP. In addition, she led District 4-5A with 58 goals and 38 assists and helped guide the Lady Plainsmen to the Region I-5A final, marking the program's deepest postseason run.
Diaz played her club soccer with the ECNL's FC Dallas. Her other accolades include, being named a National Elite Prep Showcase All-Tournament Team honorable mention pick in 2016 and 2017, being ranked in the 2017 Girl's IMG Academy 150 Player Pool, attending the U.S. Club Soccer's id2 Program Training Camp in 2013 and being invited to the U-17 Mexican National Team Camp.
Much like Pohevitz, the Golden Eagles will look to Diaz to help fill the void at the forward position.
El-Zare on what Diaz will bring to Southern Miss women's soccer program
"Ariel is a highly technical player. Her creativity on the ball allows her take on opposing players in 1v1 situations. She has excellent quickness and will bring a lot of personality to our team."
Hannah Moody, Hailey Pohevitz and Ariel Diaz have already arrived on campus and will begin spring workouts with the team in the coming weeks.
Southern Miss head women's soccer coach Mohammed El-Zare's thoughts on the three transfers
"All three of the girls that we have brought in this semester have experience at the Division I level. They understand what is expected of them as Division I athletes and what our expectations and standards are here at Southern Miss. They are a seasoned group that will bring a wealth of valuable experience to our program. By joining us in the spring, we will be able to help them adjust to our program by stressing the importance of our core team values and we will also be able to develop team chemistry with them."
Moody, who comes to Southern Miss by way of South Alabama, will be classified as a junior next season. During her time at South Alabama, Moody was a part of the Jaguars 2017 squad that won the Sun Belt Conference Championship, the Sun Belt Tournament and participated in the NCAA Tournament. Moody starred in the classroom as well, as she was named to the Sun Belt Commissioner's List for the 2017-18 academic year.
As a freshman, Moody started South Alabama's matches against SEC opponents LSU and Ole Miss as a center back. She also played substantial minutes against Alabama and nationally ranked Auburn.
Before attending South Alabama, Moody was a member of both the Florida and Alabama Olympic Development Program teams and the Gulf Coast Texans. She was also a Discovery Player for the Birmingham United Soccer Association and the Gwinnett Soccer Academy. In addition, she was tabbed an ECNL Southeast Conference Player to Watch and she was a USL Super-Y National ODP camp participant.
Moody played her high school soccer for Mary G. Montgomery High School (Semmes, Ala.) where she was a member of the varsity girl's soccer team for four years.
Moody was invited to train at four U.S. Soccer National Training Centers and was a U.S. Club Soccer id2 Program Training Camp participant. In the summer of 2018, Moody played for the Gulf Coast Rangers of the WPSL. The Mobile, Ala. native will bring a lot of versatility to the program with her ability to play the center back, midfield and forward positions.
El-Zare on adding Moody to his Southern Miss squad
"I have known Hannah since she was 10 years old. She is a versatile player that will allow us to adapt to varying systems of play. Hannah is a gritty, tough-minded, hard-working and resilient kid that has the ability to play multiple positions."
The second addition to the Golden Eagles' 2019 class hails from Chatsworth, Calif. Hailey Pohevitz will join the Southern Miss women's soccer program after spending the three previous seasons at Cal State Fullerton.
Pohevitz redshirted during the 2018 season.
As a sophomore at Cal State Fullerton in 2017, Pohevitz appeared in 14 matches. She recorded one assist, kicked three corners and totaled 188 minutes of playing time.
During her freshman season in 2016, Pohevitz appeared in two contests for the Titans. She made her collegiate debut on September 16 against Arizona State and also saw action against San Diego where she recorded a season-high 17 minutes of playing time.
Prior to attending Cal State Fullerton, Pohevitz played varsity soccer at Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (Lake Balboa, Calif.). During her high school career, Pohevitz was named a Real So Cal Daily News Top 10 High School Player to Watch. She played her club soccer for Simi Valley Eclipse and Real So Cal.
The addition of Pohevitz comes at a prime time for the Golden Eagles who will lose forwards Stephanie Garcia and Elishah Santiago due to graduation in May.
El-Zare on Pohevitz joining the Golden Eagles
"As a Southern California native, Hailey comes from one of the hottest hotbeds of soccer in the country. She has played at a very competitive level all of her life and in some of the toughest environments. Hailey is an excellent hold-up player and prolific goal scorer who will bring sophistication to our attack."
The third transfer that the Golden Eagles will welcome is Ariel Diaz. A native of Lubbock, Texas, Diaz spent the two previous seasons at North Texas. She will be classified as a junior for the 2019 season.
During her sophomore season in 2018, Diaz scored a goal off of a corner kick in the Mean Green's 2-0 victory over C-USA opponent UAB on October 7.
As a freshman in 2017, Diaz appeared in all 22 of the Mean Green's matches and earned 17 starts. She finished the season tied for the second-most goals (seven) and points (17) on the team.
Diaz recorded the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career on September 28, 2017 against MACU. She added another multi-goal performance later in the season against FIU, scoring two goals in just 18 minutes of playing time. Diaz scored the most important goal of her North Texas career in the 2017 C-USA Semifinal Match against FAU on November 3rd as she netted the game-winning goal, helping the Mean Green advance to the C-USA Championship Match.
Diaz prepped at Monterey High School (Lubbock, Texas) where she was a highly decorated high school player and a four-year member of the Lady Plainsmen varsity girl's soccer team. As a senior, Diaz was named Lone Star Varsity Soccer Player of the Year and District 4-5A MVP. In addition, she led District 4-5A with 58 goals and 38 assists and helped guide the Lady Plainsmen to the Region I-5A final, marking the program's deepest postseason run.
Diaz played her club soccer with the ECNL's FC Dallas. Her other accolades include, being named a National Elite Prep Showcase All-Tournament Team honorable mention pick in 2016 and 2017, being ranked in the 2017 Girl's IMG Academy 150 Player Pool, attending the U.S. Club Soccer's id2 Program Training Camp in 2013 and being invited to the U-17 Mexican National Team Camp.
Much like Pohevitz, the Golden Eagles will look to Diaz to help fill the void at the forward position.
El-Zare on what Diaz will bring to Southern Miss women's soccer program
"Ariel is a highly technical player. Her creativity on the ball allows her take on opposing players in 1v1 situations. She has excellent quickness and will bring a lot of personality to our team."
Players Mentioned
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