Thursday, November 17, 2011

ETSU freshman to join senior team for European Championships qualifier

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Nov. 17, 2011) – ETSU women's soccer freshman defender Ellis Parsons (Cardiff, Wales) will travel to Ness Ziona, Israel to join the Wales women’s national team in a qualifying group stage match for the European Championships against Israel.

“Ellis [Parsons] thoroughly deserves to be part of the team,” said ETSU head coach Adam Sayers. “She has played magnificently for us all year and we wish her and the national team the best of luck against Israel.”

Having played for the youth U19 and U17 Welsh squads since 2007, Parsons will now join her country’s national team in hopes of earning her first cap as the squad prepares for Israel. So far, the senior team has earned one point in the qualifying group stage after tying Scotland 2-2 on Oct. 27. In its two prior matches, Wales fell to the Republic of Ireland, 2-0, and France, 4-1. Wales currently sits in fourth place in its group.

Parsons made three appearances for the Wales U19 squad in September, and scored the game-winning goal to help lead the Welsh in a 3-0 victory over Kazakhstan. The goal was Parsons’ first since joining the U19 national team, which included five caps and 442 minutes of playing time from Sept. of 2010 through May of 2011.

Two days later, Parsons played 82 minutes as her squad defeated Slovenia 4-1 to setup a matchup with Iceland for first place in the group standings. Iceland got the best of Parsons and the Wales U19 team in a 2-0 victory, but the ETSU freshman earned her third cap in three games, playing the full 90 minutes.

Parsons and the Wales women’s national team will battle Israel on Sunday, Nov. 20, at Ness Ziona Stadium in Ness Ziona, Israel at 10 a.m. EST.

For more information on ETSU women's soccer, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's soccer links. Fans can also visit the Lady Bucs on Facebook at ETSU Buccaneers Women's Soccer.