PORTLAND, Ore. --- Center back Haylee DeGrood (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly HS) has signed a National Letter of Intent and will join the University of Portland women’s soccer team as a freshman next fall, announced head coach Garrett Smith. DeGrood joins Shelby Vaver as part of the 2012 class, with the Pilots expecting to add two more recruits.
“We first noticed Haylee at center back on her club team,” Smith said. “The thing we liked most about her is her ability with the ball, and we knew immediately that she’d fit in with our back line.”
DeGrood is a 5-6 defender who earned four letters for the Riverside Poly Bears. A First Team All-Big 8 League Selection and the team’s MVP, DeGrood helped the Bears claim a league title and advance to the Round of 16 of the CIF Playoffs.
DeGrood is a member of both the Cal South ODP and ‘94 Regional Teams, and she helped her Arsenal FC team win the 2010 Surf Cup.
“I’m really excited to play soccer at UP,” DeGrood said. “When I went there on my visit, I fell in love with the place, and I just knew that it was the place where I suppose to.”
A Brief Q&A with Haylee DeGrood
What are you looking forward to most at Portland?
- I’m looking forward to being part of the soccer family, because the team is made up of a lot of great girls.
What are you hoping to accomplish at UP?
- I’m hoping to help the team win an NCAA Championship. I also want to graduate in four years and possibly pursue more education after that.
What do you think your first game on Merlo Field will be like?
- I think it’s going to be really amazing to get on the field and play my first game with the girls that have been there for so long. There’s a lot of support for the team, and it’s really wonderful that people go to the games and just love being there. It’s a great atmosphere.
Previous Stories
• Shelby Vaver Signs NLI with the Pilots (Feb. 2, 2012)
