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Christa Neary

  • position Defender
  • height 5-7
  • class Junior
  • Hometown West Deptford, N.J.
  • High school West Deptford
  • position Defender
  • height 5-7
  • class Junior
  • Hometown West Deptford, N.J.
  • High school West Deptford

Christa Neary Bio

AWARDS:
Senior season (2014)
· SEC Academic Honor Roll

Junior season (2013)
· 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Week (Week 4)
· SEC Academic Honor Roll

Sophomore season (2012)
· SEC Community Service Team
· SEC Academic Honor Roll

Freshman season (2010)
· SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll

IN THE RECORD BOOK:
· 10th — Career matches played (90)
· Shares senior record for matches played (25)
· Shares senior record for matches started (25)

2014: Played 1,595 minutes at outside back, starting all 25 games of the season for the best defense in the SEC…posted a season-high two shots in three contests — vs. No. 22 Boston University (8/29), vs. High Point (9/7) and at No. 6 Texas A&M (10/26)…put a shot on goal in six contests, including the NCAA Round of 16 vs. No. 6 North Carolina (11/23) and at No. 2 Florida State (11/28) in the national quarterfinal…helped the Gamecocks three-straight NCAA Tournament shutouts despite missing key personnel…Gamecocks allowed just 11 regular-season goals and finished the season with a 0.72 goals against average — 26th nationally and tops in the SEC — after seeing just 18 balls hit the back of the net…contributed to 13 shutouts, second most in school history

2013: Played in all 23 matches, making one start … Played 945 minutes … Scored game-winner in 1-0 victory over East Carolina (9/15) … Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week (9/16) … Assisted on game-tying goal versus Alabama (10/6) … Part of defense that ranked 15th nationally in goals against average (0.59) and 25th in shutout percentage (.522) … Tied for the second-most shutouts in a season in program history with 12.

2012: Played in 19 games, making 15 starts for the Gamecocks as a defender…scored three points on one goal and one assist…scored the game-winner against LSU (10/12)…logged an assist in a 3-0 victory over Jacksonville (8/26)…fired 26 shots with nine coming on frame…played on a backline that limited Vanderbilt, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU and Ole Miss to only 17 shots on goal in 470 minutes of action during a five-game stretch…named to the SEC Community Service team

2011: Played in all 23 matches with 16 starts at defender … Earned starts at center back and right back for the top defensive unit in the SEC … Tallied three assists for three points … Earned first career point with an assist in the rivalry match at Clemson (9/9) … Had assists in back-to-back wins against Arkansas (10/23) and Florida (10/28), both coming on the game-winning goals in each match … Was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week and a CS360 Primetime Performer on the last week of the regular season after helping lead the team to the win at Florida to clinch the SEC title … Team led the SEC regular season in nearly every major defensive category, including goals allowed (9), goals against average (0.79), shots on goal allowed (53) and points allowed (25) … Averaged 71 minutes per game for a backline that limited seven of 11 SEC opponents to four shots on goal or less … Registered 21 shots.

PRE-COLLEGE: TopDrawerSoccer New Jersey Region Top 15 Recruit … A three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer … Five-year member of New Jersey ODP State pool (2006-10) … Two-time member of Region I ODP region pool (2006, 2010) … Participated in Region I Interregional (2010) … 2011 Region I trip to Russia … 2008 Super-Y League ODP First Selection national camp … Three-time First Team All-Conference (2007, 2009-10) … Two-time All-South Jersey (2009-10) … NJGSCA Sectional Recognition (2010) … NJGSCA Top 20 South Region (2010) … Played for Penn Fusion (2009-11) and Match Fit Strikers (2005-08) club teams … Club team ranked No. 6 in the nation … USYS Region I Finalist (2010) … 2010 EPYSA State Cup Champion … 2009 Northeast Region Futsal champion with LSTS United … Two-time New Jersey State Cup Champion (2003, 2005) … 2004 Region I Champion with TBAA Renegades.

PERSONAL: Full name is Christa Helen Neary … Undecided major … Chose USC over Rutgers, Connecticut and George Washington … Born April 7, 1993 … Has an older brother, Andrew, and younger sister, Shannon … Father, Phillip, played soccer at Rutgers … Parents are Phillip and Jacquelyn Neary.

Neary’s Career Stats
YEAR GP-GS Min. G A P SH SH% SOG SOG% GWG
2011 23-16 1627 0 3 3 21 .000 3 .143 0
2012 19-15 1576 1 1 3 26 .038 9 .346 1
2013 23-1 945 1 1 3 18 .056 17 .389 1
2014 25-25 1595 0 0 0 16 .000 6 .375 0
TOTAL 90-57 5743 2 5 9 81 .025 25 .309 2