MIAMI - The defending 2009 Sun Belt regular season champion women's soccer team has signed five recruits to the 2010 class whom FIU expects to continue in the tradition of creating expectations for the program. Head coach Thomas Chestnutt is pleased to announce Paige Covington (Carmel, Ind.), Nicole DiPerna (Melbourne Beach, Fla.), Chelsea Leiva (Royal Palm Beach, Fla.) Kim Lopez (Ft. Pierce, Fla.) and Crystal McNamara (Jensen Beach, Fla.) as the latest additions to the Golden Panthers.

"This incoming freshmen class can be summed up, among other things, by the words 'determination' and 'competitive,'" Chestnutt said. "Everyone of them live and breathe the game of soccer. We are definitely fortunate to fortify our team with this talented group of players. Each one of them will improve the level of our championship team from last season. Our returning group is strong and has worked hard this spring already. The infusion of these players into our returning group is really exciting for our staff. The incoming freshmen are proud that they will be lacing up their boots for FIU this fall."

The incoming class boasts state champions, ODP regional champion runner-ups and leading scorers for competitive club teams. For information about the players, please access their bio pages at the top of this story.

Chestnutt, the two-time Sun Belt Coach of the Year, took FIU to new heights in 2009, delivering the program's first conference title since 2000 and just the second in school history. The squad saw a seven-win improvement from 2008 and broke school records for longest win streak and most wins during the Sun Belt season along the way.

Though FIU lost NSCAA All-South Region Third Team selection Amy Jackson and captain Marina Pappas, the Golden Panthers return 10 starters, including the top three leading scorers - Sun Belt All Conference selections Thaisa Moreno and Katrina Rose as well as junior April Perry. The Golden Panthers ranked fourth for shutouts in the conference last year thanks in part to SBC Freshman of the Year and All Conference Second Team selection Kaitlyn Savage.