High school sports: Mexico's Ariola completes area girls soccer scholarship trifecta

Nov. 18—MEXICO — Adria Ariola has completed the hat trick of girls soccer scholarship players from Oswego County.

The Mexico Academy senior signed her national letter of intent to play for Division II Robert Wesleyan University on Nov. 9 in a ceremony at the high school gym to make her recent commitment official.

She joined Central Square senior Samantha Haley and Phoenix senior Courtney Carter, a pair of school record holders that officially signed with their respective Division I institutions in separate events on the same evening.

Ariola shared the stage with classmate Alexa von Holtz, who signed her agreement with Division I Ball State for swimming as the only other area scholarship athlete to sign this cycle.

ARIOLA INKS DEAL

Ariola described the moment as "super exciting," when she signed her name in front of friends, family, coaches and past teammates before a celebration in the school cafeteria.

She received the official offer from the Redhawks in late July and said she took some time making the decision from there, choosing the program over multiple other options in the state.

"It was a breath of fresh air," Ariola said soon after signing. "In the summer when I got the offer, it was surreal and it hit me that it's where I'll be spending my next four years, so it was perfect."

Roberts Wesleyan is based in Rochester and competes in the East Coast Conference of the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association. The team entered this week with an 11-4-1 season record and secured a berth in the NCCAA championship tournament.

Ariola first discovered the program when attending youth camps with her club soccer team and said she quickly hit it off with head coach Sarah McClellan, who led the recruiting charge.

Ariola scheduled an official visit to campus earlier this summer which further cemented her interest.

"As soon as I stepped foot on that campus for a camp, I loved it there, and the coach and everything," Ariola said.

"I always knew I wanted to play soccer but I wanted a team that puts school first and also has a good atmosphere and a good coach, and I just felt like I was a part of the family as soon as I went there and met the team," she added.

Ariola played 14 years of club soccer in addition to six varsity seasons at Mexico. She said that she established the goal to play college soccer around age seven and has been fully dedicated to the sport ever since.

"I just loved soccer and everything that comes with soccer," Ariola said. "The family that you make with the team, the bond with everyone, and just being out on the field."

Ariola scored 33 career goals for the Tigers and was honored with four all-league selections during her six-year varsity career, including a pair of first-team nods.

She is a versatile three-sport athlete who also shines in indoor and outdoor track and field.

"We grabbed her as a seventh grader and she was maybe 90 pounds, and she got beat up and pushed around," said Martin Charles, who has coached Ariola in all three varsity sports since she was in seventh grade.

"It was nice to see her progress, she was a captain as a junior and a senior, and it's nice to see her abilities, her practice efforts and the way she plays, have all been rewarded."

HALEY SIGNS WITH SU

Central Square senior goalie Samantha Haley made her previously publicized commitment to Division I Syracuse University official by signing on Nov. 9.

Haley held her ceremony at Central Square-Paul V. Moore High School and was joined by family as she submitted her signature.

The Redhawks senior finished with a school-record 929 career saves, including 220 as a senior this year.

Haley was the starting goalie for the 2019 team that finished 16-2-1 for a program wins record and the first Section 3 finals appearance in team history.

She announced her plans to join the Orange this past summer and will major in civil engineering.

CARTER JOINS RIDER

Phoenix High School senior Courtney Carter cemented her collegiate commitment by signing with Division I Rider on Nov. 9 in the John C. Birdlebough High School gym.

Carter completed her five seasons with the Firebirds accumulating a school-record 69 career goals.

She pledged to join Rider over the past summer and will play defense for the team based in Lawrence Township, N.J.

Carter led Phoenix in scoring in four of her five varsity seasons and helped guide the unit to a .500 record or better in each of the last four years to mark the longest such stretch ever for the program.