Women's Soccer lands forward Caitlin Gibson

Keelhaulers add a scoring punch with the tall, powerful forward from Sacramento, Calf.

"I am delighted that Caitlin will be joining our growing Keelhauler women's soccer program for 2019," Women's Soccer Head Coach Emily Scheese said. "This is a great example of how the recruiting process can work here from start to finish, from first contact, to campus visits, to a player's attendance at ID camps, to watching Caitlin play at the Las Vegas Players showcase with her Union FC NPL team. Caitlin has demonstrated in all those venues how she is a hard working athlete with the ability to be creative and dangerous in her attacking abilities. I am excited to see her on the pitch in fall and have no doubt she will enhance our ability to attack in creative ways."

"I had offers from a couple other schools and got into six other CSUs and other schools in California," Gibson said. "But I just meshed well with Emily, all the girls on the team were so nice to me, it's close to home, and it's a beautiful campus right on the water."

Gibson played her high school soccer at Del Campo High in Fair Oaks, Calif. She played club soccer with Union FC Sacramento in US Soccer's National Premier League for coach Rozie DeWeese as a center forward and winger. Her club team currently sits in the top three of the NPL-1 East league standings at 7-1-3, and ranks 21st nationally, 11th regionally and 7th in Northere California according to Gotsoccer.com rankings to date.

"What stood out to me on the field about Caitlin is her drive and determination," Coach Scheese said. "She also is very dangerous in the air and her height and confidence will be a big bonus for our newly-established team. Her ability to serve great crosses, combine well with teammates, and also be a target in the box to finish should help us to improve our scoring chances. She also has a very endearing personality, is a proven successful student-athlete, and is supported by a great family network who we are excited to see at games come fall."

Her club coach was just as effusive with praise for Gibson as Scheese was.

"Caitlin will be a great addition to the Cal Maritime soccer program," Coach DeWeese said. "I am proud of the work she has put in to earn this opportunity. She is an attacking minded player with great physical strength and has the ability to score goals, to win balls in the air and to serve in dangerous long balls behind the opponents defensive line. I look forward to following Caitlin's contributions to the program."

"I've been playing since I was four years old and have been playing ever since," Gibson said. "I'm excited to earn a business degree here at Cal Maritime."

Cal Maritime Women's Soccer will begin their second season as an NAIA program this coming September.