Kara Lang Headed to UCLA

[L.T.]

from www.ontariosoccerweb.com

http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=31594

Canadian soccer prodigy Kara Lang, UCLA's top recruiting target in this year's senior class, committed to the Bruins earlier this week, her club team confirmed on Thursday.

Securing Lang, who made her debut with the Canadian national team at the age of 15, is a huge coup for UCLA coach Jill Ellis. The 18-year-old attacking midfielder had also been considering perennial women's soccer powers North Carolina, Penn State, Florida and Nebraska.

"It was a tough decision," Lang said. "In the end, UCLA made the most sense in terms of its soccer program, education and social atmosphere."

Lang, a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Oakville, Ontario, has scored 21 goals in 43 games for Canada. She is also a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps, one of the top club teams in Canada.

Adding Lang to an already potent lineup should make UCLA one of the favorites to win the national championship next season.

The Bruins, who lost to Notre Dame in the NCAA Finals last month, return seven starters in addition to midfielders Stacy Lindstrom and Stephanie Kron, who redshirted the season due to national team duty.

Lang cannot make her decision official until Feb. 2, the first day that soccer recruits can sign their letters of intent. Neither Ellis, nor anyone associated with the UCLA program, can comment on Lang until then.

[beachesl]

It was a tough decision," Lang said. "In the end, UCLA made the most sense in terms of its soccer program, education and social atmosphere."

Kara, surfer dudette![8D]

[sstackho]

Bruins' soccer team catches shooting star

Canadian standout Lang commits

By Scott French, Staff Writer

UCLA pulled a major recruiting coup in women's soccer, getting a commitment from Canadian national-teamer Kara Lang in advance of the Feb. 2 NCAA signing day.

Lang, who has starred for the Canadians since she was 15, is regarded among the most intense and athletic competitors in international women's soccer. Those qualities enable her to overcome technical deficiencies and portend great success at the college level.

Lang has scored 21 goals in 43 international matches, largely playing in midfield, usually on the right, for Canada, but also at forward and in central defense. She starred for Canada's under-19 team at the past two world championships and was a pivotal player for the W-League-champion Vancouver Whitecaps.

She is, by a wide margin, the No. 1 recruit in this year's class. Had she signed a year ago - her high school class graduated in 2004, but she delayed her college start to play for Canada last fall at the FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship in Thailand - she would have been the No. 1 recruit last year. She is wrapping up correspondence courses for her high school diploma.

Lang, who turned 18 in October, said last summer she was most interested in UCLA and North Carolina. She said she wanted to attend a university with an outstanding communications school - she wants to go into broadcasting - and that she preferred to play on the West Coast.

She is from Oakville, Ontario, near Toronto, but has lived nearly two years in an apartment complex outside Vancouver, British Columbia, that houses Canadian national-teamers. She is currently training in a Canadian national team camp in Vancouver.

"It was a tough decision," Lang said on the Whitecaps' Web site. "In the end, UCLA made the most sense in terms of their soccer program, education and social atmosphere."

Lang is the centerpiece of UCLA coach Jillian Ellis' superb recruiting class, one that features U.S. under-19 backup goalkeeper Kelsey Davis, who attends Thousand Oaks High (but does not play on the soccer team), U.S. U-17 forward Christina DiMartino (Massapequa, N.Y.), former U.S. U-17 forward McCall Zerboni and her twin sister, Blake (San Clemente), Oaks Christian of Westlake Village midfielder Caitlyn MacKechnie, Flintridge Prep of La Canada forward Coco Kleinert, and Malibu midfielder Catherine Calvert.

The Bruins' class appears to be one of the nation's three best, with USC and Santa Clara. Virginia, North Carolina and Notre Dame also are bringing in top classes.

USC coach Jim Millinder has lured the school's finest class, one expected to take the Trojans to national prominence. It is led by U.S. U-19 forward Amy Rodriguez (Santa Margarita of Rancho Santa Margarita), four other U.S. youth national-teamers - Canyon of Canyon Country midfielder Nini Loucks, Diamond Bar forward Maryhelen Tomer, Arcadia defender Ashley Nick, and Montgomery of Santa Rosa midfielder Stacey Strong - and Australian U-19 defender Jessica Potter (Mater Dei of Santa Ana).

Scott French, (818) 713-3617 scott.french@dailynews.com.

[The Ref]

Helen is going to have some competition in a few years.

[beachesl]

Sun, sand and soccer for Canadian Kara Lang

Soccercentral sat down with Kara Lang to discuss her future in soccer and journalism as the Canadian international perpares for sunny California's UCLA.

Sportsnet.ca -- Kara Lang at 18 years old, already finds herself a veteran of Canada's senior women's soccer team. Now she heads off to the land of sun and surf playing for a new team: UCLA.

Lang was courted by three other schools, but ultimately decided on UCLA not only for its strong soccer program, but also because it fulfilled her scholastic desires.

"I want to get into broadcast journalism and they have a great communications program down there," she said. "That definitely affected my decision to go down there."

Lang, to date, has 43 international caps as a member of the Canadian women's team. She first debuted on the international scene against Scotland in March 2002, making her the youngest ever to be capped for an international game at 15 years old. Lang scored her first goal two days later against Wales and lead Canada to a 4-0 win. Before that she appeared for the U-19 international women's team.

Lang joins fellow Canadian women Christine Sinclair and Katie Thorlakson in the NCAA, and is excited about the opportunity to play south of the border with other Canadian women.

"They're definitely representing Canada," she said. "They're definitely showing people we can play soccer up here."

Sinclair won the MAC's Hermann trophy last year which is presented to the NCAA Division I's top male and female players of the year. Both Sinclair and Lang have played together on the Canadian women's international team for two years, and Lang said even though she's joining UCLA, she's committed first and foremost to the national team.

"When girls are committing to a team it's an issue to make sure the coaches will release (them). I personally got it (from UCLA) in writing because (playing for Canada) is something that is really important to me. Now it'll be one less thing to worry about."

[The Ref]

quote:Originally posted by beachesl

Sun, sand and soccer for Canadian Kara Lang

... and Lang said even though she's joining UCLA, she's committed first and foremost to the national team.

"When girls are committing to a team it's an issue to make sure the coaches will release (them). I personally got it (from UCLA) in writing because (playing for Canada) is something that is really important to me. Now it'll be one less thing to worry about."

I am glad to read that Kara Lang is patriotic and respects her country. Atta girl.

[red card]

quote:When girls are committing to a team it's an issue to make sure the coaches will release (them). I personally got it (from UCLA) in writing because (playing for Canada) is something that is really important to me. Now it'll be one less thing to worry about."

a girl of my heart - it brings tears to my eyes. I just wish more players had this type of committment.

[G-Man]

Damn I was betting that she was going to sign with Mount Allision University in Sackville.