LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Eastern Oregon University soccer team announced the signing of Mauriana Gonzalez.
The Elko, Nev. native, will graduate with honors from Elko High School this June, and play for the Mountaineers beginning in the fall.
"We're tremendously excited about Mauriana’s potential,” EOU head coach Keith Scarlett said. “One of our biggest holes comes from the central midfield position and she is an extremely capable player in that role. The timing is great for her to step in. She can really help us in a lot of areas. She's very competitive and she likes to win."
After playing all four seasons of varsity soccer and varsity basketball at EHS, Gonzalez netted 20 of her 40 career goals in 2009. She was named the High Desert League Midfielder of the Year in her junior and senior seasons.
Gonzalez started all 20 games last season for Elko, and 79 of her 80 career high school games. She finished with 13 assists in 2009, and 36 while in high school. EHS went 10-2-1 in 2009 and won the league title before being upset in the opening round of the NIAA Class 4A tournament.
The daughter of Ray and Johnna Gonzalez was a captain at Elko High from 2007 to 2009, and team MVP in those seasons. She was second team All-league in 2006 and 2007. Gonzalez was one of the few athletes to participate in the Olympic Development as she did in 2006 and 2007.
“I just really liked everything about the EOU campus,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone was very welcoming and made me feel at home. The coach and girls on the team were also a huge factor in choosing Eastern.”
Gonzalez and the rest of the Mountaineers kick off their 2010 season at home Aug. 21 against Yakima Valley Community College. The first regular season game is Sept. 4 in La Grande against Whitman College.