June 8, 2005
ORLANDO, Fla. - UCF women's soccer head coach Amanda Cromwell announced that Roberta Pelarigo has signed with the Golden Knights for the 2005 season. Pelarigo is the ninth signee for UCF.
Pelarigo comes to UCF from Young Harris College in Young Harris, Ga. The 5'8" forward/midfielder, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who garnered All-America status both her freshman and sophomore years by Soccer America and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) JUCO. Pelarigo ended her two-year career at Young Harris with 303 points after netting 130 goals and 43 assists for the Mountain Lions.
During her freshman campaign in 2003, Pelarigo scored a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) record breaking 74 goals, topping the previous mark by seven goals. This past season, she helped to lead Young Harris to a second-place showing in the national championship.
"Roberta will add experience, creativity and sophistication to an already talented attacking group," said Cromwell. "She obviously has a knack for the goal, but I think people will be surprised with how she can make everyone else around her better."
Pelarigo is also a former member of the Brazilian u-19 National Team.
Pelarigo joins Michelle DeCespedes, Jennifer Manis, Jessica Newport, Erin Hopkins, Jessica Jackson, Lydia Jones, Mandi Mawyer and Hanna Wilde who all signed with UCF earlier this year.
UCF finished the 2004 season with a 17-4-2 record and an 8-2-0 Atlantic Sun mark, while receiving an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament before falling to Boston College in the second round. The Golden Knights will enter Conference USA in the fall of 2005.