May 31, 2006

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Philadelphia Force recently signed two new players to the roster just in time to begin their season with the Akron Racers. Rookies Emily Friedman, University of California, Berkeley and Ashley Smith, University of South Carolina, will be making their NPF debuts with the Force on Wednesday, May 31st against the 2005 defending NPF Champions, the Akron Racers.

Emily Friedman joins the Force from the University of California – Berkeley where she played both infield and outfield. This year she will be a utility player for the Force, vying for a starting position in the outfield. Friedman, a native of Berkeley, transferred from the University of Wisconsin before the 2005 season, and was a significant contributor for the Golden Bears during both the 2005 and 2006 campaigns. As a senior, the second baseman was named first team Pac-10 All-Academic, maintaining a 3.6 GPA.

Friedman is excited to continue her softball career with the Force. She is confident that the team will succeed on the field, as the team is composed of elite athletes with unbelievable talent. “We have all the elements we need to win,” she stated excitedly.

Ashley Smith joins the Force from University of South Carolina, where she was the starting catcher. The power-hitting catcher recorded a slugging percentage of .406 during her softball career. In addition to being named the SEC Co-Scholar Athlete of the Year, Smith was named second team 2004 CoSida Academic All-American. Smith finished her career at South Carolina with 17 career home runs, ranking fifth in the record books.

Smith feels honored to play with such talented athletes and expects to learn a lot during her rookie season. When asked about her expectations for the season, Ashley stated that “we have exceptional athletes; we need to continually learn to play together as a team.” With only 10 days of spring training, Smith realizes that team chemistry will have a huge impact on the team’s ultimate goal: bringing home the 2006 NPF Championship.