April 2, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, TN-- Lady Eagle defender Julie Nelson has been named the captain for the Northern Ireland national women's soccer team.

Northern Ireland recently competed in the UEFA European Championship qualifying rounds. After losing the first game to tournament host Turkey, the team defeated Georgia, 4-0 and earned a 5-1 win over Croatia. Nelson and her teammates finished first in their group and will compete in the European Championship in 2009. Northern Ireland head coach Alfie Wylie praised Nelson's play: "Julie played super in the middle of the defense alongside Una Harkin for all three games. I'm absolutely delighted for the girls and the Northern Ireland association."

C-N head women's soccer coach Philip McNamara is proud of his team captain's achievement: "I told Alfie Wylie before the tournament that Julie was in top form and therefore the captain selection comes as no surprise. Julie is a fantastic player who was made our team captain early in the season. This is a great accomplishment not only for Julie Nelson, but also the C-N women's soccer program. Having a player of this caliber on our squad simply demonstrates how far this program has come over the last few years."