Hometown: Glendale, AZ
High School: Deer Valley High School
Former Deer Valley High School star and two-time All-State selection Kelli Woodard has transferred from the University of San Francisco to Grand Canyon University, GCU women’s soccer Head Coach Stevie Gill announced today. Woodard, a 5-foot-10 Glendale native who was named High School Regional Player of the Year, enrolled at GCU for the spring semester and will participate in spring practices and games. She has one year of eligibility remaining after playing three seasons at USF. She was a defender at USF the past two seasons, but will play striker for the Antelopes.
“Kelli has competed at the top level and I expect that she will do very well for us in this conference,” Gill said. “She is a great target player up front and will work fantastically well off our other international players. She has a blazing shot and will be very difficult for defenders to mark. I’m very happy to have her here at GCU and can’t wait for the beginning of the 2011 season so she can strut her stuff.”
Woodard’s best season for the Dons was 2008, when she started 16 of 20 games played and had a goal and two assists for four points. Nine of her 15 shots that season were on goal. She scored her first collegiate goal, a game-winner, in USF’s 1-0 victory over Northern Colorado on Aug. 29. In 2009, Woodard played in 18 games and started three. She had an assist in the Dons West Coast Conference opening 2-1 win against Bay Area rival Saint Mary’s on Oct. 11. Last season, she saw significant playing time as a reserve, playing in 14 games and started one. Her one shot, against Hawaii on Sept. 3, was on goal.
A two-year starter and team captain at Deer Valley, a 5A school, Woodard led the Skyhawks in goals and assists her sophomore and senior years. She was named team Offensive Player of the Year, Northwest Region Player of the Year and to the Arizona Big School All-State Team as a sophomore, and led the team to League Championships her sophomore and senior years.
"Woody is one of the top players coming out of Arizona,” USF Head Coach Mark Carr said after signing Woodard to a National Letter of Intent. “As a forward, she has all the necessary tools to be successful at this level. She is a dynamic, competitive, great back to pressure forward who is a proven finisher. Her natural athleticism will be a handful for defenses."
Woodard, who also competed in the long jump and triple jump in her senior year at Deer Valley, was a member of the Region IV ODP team in 2004 and 2005. She helped lead her summer team, Sereno ‘90s, to five club State Championships (2003-07). She led the team in scoring and assists in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
She majored in Exercise and Sports Science at USF. GCU finished the 2010 season with a record of 11-5-1 overall, 9-4-1 in the Pacific West Conference, and was ranked No. 9 in the West Region in both the final regular-season NCAA Division II poll and the final regular-season National Soccer Coaches Association of America vote. It finished in second place in the PacWest (GCUAthletics).
AT USF (2010) – Appeared in 14 matches, earning her lone start of the year against Rice (9/5)... took a shot against Hawaii (9/3).
AT USF (2009) – Saw action in 17 matches for the Dons as a sophomore with three starts… recorded an assist in the West Coast Conference opening 2-1 victory against Bay Area rival Saint Mary’s (10/11)… fired two shots.
2008 SEASON: Played in 20 and started 16 games as a freshman... tallied a goal, two assists, four points, and 15 shots (nine on goal) on the year... opened the season with a career high three shots and earned an assist and one point versus Fresno State (8/28)... scored first collegiate goal (game-winner) in Dons 1-0 victory over Northern Colorado (8/29)... had two shots in three games, Eastern Kentucky (9/7), at Cal State Northridge (9/28), and Seattle University (10/10)... tallied final assist and point in USF's 2-0 win over Cal State Bakersfield (10/5).
PREP/CLUB CAREER: Played soccer sophomore and senior seasons at Deer Valley High School... also competed in long jump and triple jump senior year... two-time Arizona All-State selection... was High School Regional Player of the Year... was a member of the Region 4 ODP Team... helped summer team to five Club State Championships.
PERSONAL: Born in January 1990... daughter of Rande and Courtney Woodard... majored in Exercise and Sports Science (USFAthletics).
