web Charlotte

July 1, 2009

Charlotte, NC - Four members of the Charlotte 49ers nationally-ranked women's soccer team earned preseason All-Atlantic 10 honors. Senior midfielder Hailey Beam (Cornelius, NC/Texas Tech University High) and juniors forward Whitney Weinraub (Holland, PA/Council Rock South) and defender Whitney Bryant (Marietta, GA/Lassiter) were named to the preseason All-Atlantic 10 team. While freshman defender/forward Taylor Rovito (Cary, NC/Green Hope) was named to the preseason A-10 All-Rookie team. The preseason All-Atlantic 10 teams were selected by a vote of the league's 14 head coaches.

Last season, Beam, Bryant and Weinraub played integral roles in helping the 49ers win their third straight A-10 regular-season title and their second straight A-10 Tournament title to go along with the program's fourth-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Charlotte, who finished the season nationally-ranked, reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a school-record 18 wins.

In 2008, Beam became the program's first consensus All-American after being named to Soccer Buzz, Soccer America, NSCAA and TopDrawerSoccer.com's All-American teams.

Last season, Beam was named A-10 Midfielder of the Year as well as A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player for the second straight season. Beam, who was named first-team All-Atlantic 10, led the A-10 and ranked among the nation's leaders with 17 goals, 13 assists and 47 points. Her 17 goals and 47 points are the third highest single-season totals in school history. Her 13 assists is tied for the second highest single-season total in school history.

She earned TopDrawerSoccer.com and Soccer Buzz National Teams of the Week honors twice. She was named to Soccer America's National Team of the Week as well as A-10 Player of the Week three times.

Last season, Weinraub, who earned second-team Soccer Buzz All-Southeast Region honors, was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Year. She earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors as well as being named to the A-10 All-Championship team.

She finished the season second in the A-10 with 12 goals and 33 points. She ranked among the nation's leaders in points. Weinraub's 12 goals are tied for the fourth highest single-season total in school history. Against Tennessee Tech, she recorded her first career hat trick and she scored two goals against La Salle. She was named A-10 Player of the Week twice and to Soccer Buzz's National Team of the Week once.

In 2008, Bryant, who earned third-team Soccer Buzz All-Southeast Region honors, was named first-team All-Atlantic 10. She led a 49ers defense that tallied 13 shutouts and limited 16 foes to a goal or less this season. She scored a goal in the 49ers victory over Saint Joseph's and she recorded six assists last season as well. In 2007, Bryant earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 and A-10 All-Rookie team honors in 2007.

Rovito earned All-Region and All-State honors at Cary, North Carolina's Green Hope High School. She has been the captain of her ODP team since 2003. She also has played on the Region I and Region III ODP teams. She has guided two different club teams (Albertson Fury, `90 and CASL Spartan Elite `90) to their only state cup championships. In 2007, she played for former national team coach Tony DiCicco in the prestigious Adidas ESP Camp in California.

Beam, Bryant, Rovito, Weinraub and the rest of the 49ers nationally-ranked women's soccer team kickoff the 2009 season at William & Mary, Sunday, August 23 at 4 pm.