Posted January 7, 2009

McFarland all-state soccer player Ashley Alonso will attend UW-Platteville and play for the Pioneers, UWP Coach Enzo Fuschino announced today.

Alonso is a three-time all-conference and all-area player heading into her senior season. She earned all-state honorable mention honors as a sophomore and second team accolades as a junior. She led the Spartans to two trips to the state tournament, as McFarland finished as the state runner-up in 2007 and third last spring.

"Ashley will add a new dimension to our team," Fuschino said. "She's mainly a defender, but when we need a spark at the top, she'll provide that, I believe. Ashley reads the game very well; she's very fast; and she loves the game.

"She's technically and tactically very solid, and I believe she can have an immediate impact on the team. She plays the game with a passion and is definitely a great pick for us."

Alonso will join a Pioneer team that finished 9-9-2 in Fuschino's second year, a six-game improvement over 2007. The Pioneers lose just three seniors for the 2009 season.

"We have a solid foundation to build upon," Fuschino said. "We have a few holes to fill, and Ashley will fill one of them."