June 21, 2007

NEWARK, NJ - Sarah Rusciano, a senior center midfielder/forward from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Poughkeepsie, NY, has signed a National Letter of Intent to enroll in New Jersey Institute of Technology and play women's soccer this fall, coach Alyssa Radu announced.

Rusciano, who resides in Hopewell Junction, NY, near Poughkeepsie, distinguished herself on and off the soccer pitch throughout her scholastic career.

She was a four-year varsity soccer player who captained Our Lady of Lourdes, earning all-section honors as a senior and all-league as a junior playing on a team that won its state sectional championship.

"She is a hard-nosed, technically sound, attacking player," said Radu of her program's latest recruit. "She has a real passion for the game and brings a great mentality into the program which will complement our incoming and returning players."

In school, she was a member of the National Honor Society from 2005 on and was on the honor roll from 2004 on. In both 2005 and 2006, she was in Who's Who Among American High School Students and the National Society of High School Scholars. In those years, she was invited to the National Student Leadership Conference and to the Congressional Student Leadership Conference.

With nine years experience in competitive soccer, Rusciano is active on two clubs teams--the Adirondack Lynx of the Women's Premier Soccer League and Blackwatch Premier North, which reached the 2005 North American Super Y finals held in Tampa, Florida.

The daughter of James and Mary Rusciano, Sarah is the ninth high school senior to sign a National Letter of Intent to begin their college careers at NJIT this fall.

The others are: Michelle Borth, a midfielder/defender from Federal Way, WA and Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn, WA; Amanda Gannon, a back from Vernon, NJ and Paramus Catholic HS; Kyrsten Howell-Harries, a center midfielder from London, Ontario, Canada and AB Lucas Secondary School; Xiomara Medina, a midfielder/forward from Port St. Lucie, FL and Lincoln Park Academy in Ft. Pierce; Sadie Mele, a goalkeeper from Rio Rancho (NM) HS; Melissa Paul, a back from Henry Wise Wood HS in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Christi Taylor, a central midfielder/defender from Hackensack, NJ and Hawthorne Christian Academy; and Kori Washington, an outside midfielder who resides in Ewing, NJ, and graduated from the Pennington School in Pennington, NJ.

The Highlanders are slated to open the 2007 season in Brooklyn, NY, at Long Island University on September 2. The home opener is September 7 at 7 pm vs. the University at Albany.