Morgan Staley Named a Team Captain of Kutztown University Women's Soccer

2016 Jun 3

Morgan Staley of Landenberg, PA (19350), has been named a team captain of the Kutztown University women's soccer team for the 2016 season.

Senior Dana Wong will be joined by juniors Katie Miller and Morgan Staley as the trio will look to lead the 2016 Golden Bears to another successful season.

Kutztown went 11-6-1 last season and qualified for the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament for the eighth consecutive year. It won 10+ games for the ninth straight year and was featured in the national rankings for the eighth year in a row.

The trio has a combined 120 games of experience and all step into the captain role for the first time at KU. Academically, all three are Dean's List students and PSAC Scholar-Athletes.

Wong enters her fifth year with the program in 2016. She received a medical redshirt as a freshman in 2012 after suffering a season-ending injury three games into the season. She battled back to play in 14 games as a redshirt-freshman in 2013, earning the team's Coaches Award.

She scored her first career goal as a sophomore in 2014 while playing in a career-high 20 games. She started a career-high seven games last year to improve her career total to 13 starts in 52 appearances.

Wong also serves as the secretary for the KU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

"Dana is the most experienced player on our roster, set to return for her fifth year after going through a variety of different roles over her time at KU," head coach Erik Burstein said. "She is a worker on every level - academically, fitness, on the soccer field - she immensely cares about how this program performs. The success of the team far outweighs her individual success, which is something I admire greatly."

Miller enters her redshirt-junior year in 2016. She burst on the scene as a freshman in 2013, starting on the backline in all 20 games. Her impact not only earned her All-PSAC Second Team honors, but the KU Female Freshman of the Year.

Her sophomore campaign got cut short two games into the season due to injury, eventually receiving a medical redshirt. She returned in limited action last year, starting in 8-of-11 appearances as a defender.

For her career, Miller has started in 30-of-33 games with two goals from her freshman season, including one game-winner.

"From the first year she started with the program, I knew there was a very special leadership quality to Katie," Burstein said. "She was very driven as a freshman with clearly defined goals for herself and the program.

"After suffering the injury, she took a bit of a setback; but the mentality she had to come back fitter, stronger, and faster was unbelievable. Injuries can really derail someone mentally, but for both Katie and Dana, they used it as a motivator. Katie returned last year and played a vital role in our defensive successes. I think she can use that experience not only to propel herself individually, but to help motivate some of our younger players."

Staley enters her junior season after featuring as a primary starter on defense and in the midfield her first two years. She earned her first career postseason honor with All-Atlantic Region Third Team honors from the Coaches Association last year. Staley used a strong freshman debut in 2014 to start all 18 games for KU on the backline in 2015.

She helped lead the fifth-best defense in the PSAC in regards to goals-against-average last year. KU's top free-kick taker, Staley had three assists in 2015 with her first career goal, a game-winner at California (PA).

For her career, Staley has started in 30-of-35 appearances.

"Every spring, we usually try and look at players who we think will help guide our program, and give that person some minor leadership roles," Burstein said. "We were very happy how Morgan took to that added responsibility. She is developing very well as a player, but her leadership ability is growing equally well. I feel Morgan will be a really good fit as a captain with Dana and Katie not only this year, but for the next two years."