Huntington, Ind. - Huntington University women’s soccer coach Ryan Burgher has announced the signing of a top prospect out of Northern California. Karina Maldonado has signed her national letter of intent to continue her playing career and education as a Forester.
Maldonado from Keyes, California, is heading to Indiana after a stellar career at John Pitman High School where she was a three-year starter for the Lions. During her junior year she was named team captain and was selected First Team All-League in the All Central California Conference. As a senior captain she is currently in the midst of her final campaign and has led her team to a 10-1-1 start.
In the club scene, Maldonado played with Cal Nike Rush from 2003-2007 in the US Club Soccer premier division. From 2007-2010, Maldonado played in the Super Y league for the Cal Cougars, also in the premier division. Maldonado attended the Nomads College Showcase in 2007, 2008, and 2009.
Maldonado’s biggest accomplishment came in 2007 when she was a starter for the Cal Cougars team that made it to the US Club Soccer National Tournament in North Carolina. That same year Maldonado was also a key contributor when her team traveled to Florida to compete in the Super-Y National Tournament.
Off the field Maldonado keeps a 3.6 GPA. She is a three-time member of the Principal’s Honor Roll and received the Academic Achievement Award in 2010.
Maldonado, who plans to major in biology or pre-med looks forward to attending HU. “I am excited to be a college soccer player. Even though I am a bit nervous to live out of state without my parents, I’m really excited to experience life on my own. I chose Huntington because it was the best fit for me. It is a small campus and since I’m going out of state, I didn’t want a big school. I like how my professors will actually know my name and I won’t just be another paper to grade. I really liked the campus and also the soccer team when I visited. I love Caitlin Adams - she is pretty much my sister!”
“When Karina came to visit, she fit in great with the team. Karina has a personality that can get along with anyone, she is just a really fun person to be around. She is a very mature girl and will develop into a great leader for her teammates at Huntington,” commented Coach Burgher. “On the field, we just picked up another great player. She has been playing at a very high level and I know she is going to bring that experience and standard to HU. We are expecting her to impact the center of the field for us right away.”