Index of Sports Press Releases

Nov. 20, 2008

Roden adds Colorado standout to recruiting class

Coach Dale Roden

MITCHELL, S.D. – Dakota Wesleyan University women’s head soccer coach Dale Roden, on the heels of the most successful season in school history, announced Thursday that he has added another standout player to his 2009 recruiting class.

Westminster, Colo., native Karli Fuelling (5-foot-7) recently signed a Letter of Intent to continue her soccer career with the Tigers following a great career at Standley Lake High School. Fuelling is the third member of Roden’s recruiting class, joining South Dakota seniors Courtney Dickson and Abby Hubbard, who committed to DWU late last month.

Fuelling was a three-year letterwinner and a two-year starter for the Gators and head coach Melissa Behrent at Standley Lake H.S. As a senior, she racked up impressive offensive numbers with 13 goals and 10 assists for a total of 36 points. Fuelling was named the Gators’ Offensive MVP for her performance this season.

Roden is excited to add a player with Fuelling’s offensive skill set to his burgeoning program, and he thinks she will help the Tiger offense find the back of the net on a more consistent basis.

“We anticipate that Karli will boost our offensive attack,” Roden said. “We are at the level where minor differences such as depth and experience in attacking personnel are reflected in a team’s results, and Karli is going to make a difference in that area.”

This season, Roden’s approach to recruiting has been a little different than it was a year ago. The 2008 Tigers featured 16 true freshmen, with only seven upperclassmen. Out of those seven, only one was lost to graduation, so this offseason Roden’s recruiting is much more specialized to fit his team’s needs.

“Last year’s large class allows us to concentrate on attracting a low number of high-quality student-athletes,” Roden said. “We are very excited to include Karli in this category. She is a solid athlete and a solid student as well.”

Fuelling boasts a 3.9 grade point average. She is a member of the honor roll and has been recognized for Outstanding Academic Achievement. Fuelling has yet to decide on a college major. She is the daughter of Keith and Debbie Fuelling.

Next season, Fuelling will join a team that was the surprise of the GPAC in 2007. DWU finished 8-9-2 overall to finish in seventh-place in the conference. The 2007 team was the first Tiger squad to qualify for the GPAC Postseason Tournament, and DWU broke countless team and individual records in 2008.