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Women’s Soccer Alumnae Carchio ’20, Waldman ’18 Sign Pro Contracts
7/31/2020 2:14:00 PM | Women's Soccer
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women's soccer alumnae Abby Carchio '20 and Mikela Waldman '18 have signed professional contracts with Gintra Universitetas in Lithuania and Sporting Club de Huelva in Spain respectively, each club has announced.
Both former Bears will compete in the top divisions in their respective countries. Gintra Universitetas plays in the A Lyga, winning the top league in Lithuania for 15 consecutive seasons, while Sporting Club de Huelva competes in the Primera Division de la Liga de Futbol Femenino, Spain's top league. The winner of each league earns a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
A three-time First Team All-Ivy selection, Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) finished her career ranked 15th all-time at Brown in career points (49), 16th in career goals (16), and eighth in career assists (17). In 2019, she played a key role in helping Brown win its first Ivy League title and make its first NCAA Championship appearance since 1994. This past fall she earned First Team All-Ivy and Second Team All-East Region honors, while gaining a spot in the NEWISA Senior Bowl and selection as a Senior CLASS Award candidate. As a junior she earned First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-New England, New England Midfielder of the Year, and Academic All-Ivy accolades, while ranking first in the Ivy League in points (28) and assists (eight) and second in goals (10).
"I am really proud of Abby," Brown head coach Kia McNeill said. "She is very deserving of this opportunity to continue her career at the professional level. She literally gave everything she had to this program, and her development over the years was exciting to watch. I look forward to continuing to watch her in the pros, and I feel confident that Gintra got a great player."
A 2017 NEWISA Senior Bowl selection, Waldman (San Francisco, Calif.) led the Bears in points (20), goals (seven), assists (six), game-winning goals (four), shots (37), and shots on goal (24) as a senior. In the 2017 Ivy League rankings, she finished fourth in points, seventh in goals, and second in assists. She became the first Brown student-athlete to tally 20 or more points in a season since 2006. Waldman has also played professionally for FF Lugano in Switzerland and Hammarby in Sweden.
"Mikela has been playing professionally the past couple of years and has absolutely loved the competition and experience," McNeill said. "We have consistently been sending players to go play pro over the years, and that is important for both current student-athletes and prospects – to know that those professional opportunities do exist."
Carchio's Gintra side is based in Siauliai, Lithuania – a city in northern Lithuania that lies approximately 112 miles east of the Baltic Sea. Waldman's Sporting Huelva club sits in Huelva, Spain – a city in southwestern Spain just off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
Both former Bears will compete in the top divisions in their respective countries. Gintra Universitetas plays in the A Lyga, winning the top league in Lithuania for 15 consecutive seasons, while Sporting Club de Huelva competes in the Primera Division de la Liga de Futbol Femenino, Spain's top league. The winner of each league earns a spot in the UEFA Women's Champions League.
A three-time First Team All-Ivy selection, Carchio (Lakeville, Mass.) finished her career ranked 15th all-time at Brown in career points (49), 16th in career goals (16), and eighth in career assists (17). In 2019, she played a key role in helping Brown win its first Ivy League title and make its first NCAA Championship appearance since 1994. This past fall she earned First Team All-Ivy and Second Team All-East Region honors, while gaining a spot in the NEWISA Senior Bowl and selection as a Senior CLASS Award candidate. As a junior she earned First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-New England, New England Midfielder of the Year, and Academic All-Ivy accolades, while ranking first in the Ivy League in points (28) and assists (eight) and second in goals (10).
"I am really proud of Abby," Brown head coach Kia McNeill said. "She is very deserving of this opportunity to continue her career at the professional level. She literally gave everything she had to this program, and her development over the years was exciting to watch. I look forward to continuing to watch her in the pros, and I feel confident that Gintra got a great player."
A 2017 NEWISA Senior Bowl selection, Waldman (San Francisco, Calif.) led the Bears in points (20), goals (seven), assists (six), game-winning goals (four), shots (37), and shots on goal (24) as a senior. In the 2017 Ivy League rankings, she finished fourth in points, seventh in goals, and second in assists. She became the first Brown student-athlete to tally 20 or more points in a season since 2006. Waldman has also played professionally for FF Lugano in Switzerland and Hammarby in Sweden.
"Mikela has been playing professionally the past couple of years and has absolutely loved the competition and experience," McNeill said. "We have consistently been sending players to go play pro over the years, and that is important for both current student-athletes and prospects – to know that those professional opportunities do exist."
Carchio's Gintra side is based in Siauliai, Lithuania – a city in northern Lithuania that lies approximately 112 miles east of the Baltic Sea. Waldman's Sporting Huelva club sits in Huelva, Spain – a city in southwestern Spain just off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.
Players Mentioned
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