By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, DEC. 16, 2014 – Demi Stokes had a stellar soccer run with the Bulls and the versatile player continues to represent USF well on the world stage.
Weeks before graduation, Stokes got to fulfill one of her lifelong goals by starting for the England women's national team against Germany in front of a record crowd of 45,619 at Wembley Stadium. The match was England's first at the famous stadium since it re-opened in 2007 and it marked the squad's first standalone game at the venue.
“It was a dream come true. From a young age I've always wanted to play at Wembley and to put on the England jersey is even better,” Stokes said. “It was just good to get tested and be able to play in front of our home fans and family. It was a great occasion.”
Stokes worked her way up to the national team by shining for England's junior teams and she's made the most of her time in the spotlight as a defender. Stokes appeared in 10 of England's 13 matches in 2014 and started all four of the team's World Cup qualifiers. The test against Germany was something she'll always remember from start to finish.
“The national anthem was something else. I was really emotional when I was singing it. I felt like I could have cried, it just felt amazing,” she said. “I'm grateful and it's been awesome to be one of the key players starting, I don't take that for granted. I keep working and keep pushing my teammates.”
Stokes used her great work ethic to accomplish quite a bit as a Bull. This year's second-team all-conference selection is sixth in USF history with 17 career goals after putting four in the back of the net in 2014. Stokes also ranks sixth in the program's record books with 48 points after helping the Bulls book a trip to the NCAA tournament this season.
On top of all her athletic accomplishments, Stokes gets to head back home to England with a college degree in general studies with a minor in leadership. Stokes was one of 31 student-athletes in the December graduating class and now she'll focus on continuing her soccer career as a pro and potential player on England's 2015 World Cup team. The draw was recently announced and England will compete in Group F with France, Colombia and Mexico when play begins in Canada next June.
Saenz Helps Costa Rica Win Bronze Medal
USF's Diana Saenz also was a key player for her national team when she started for Costa Rica, which finished with a bronze medal at the 2014 Central America and Caribbean Games.
The junior defender from San Jose, Costa Rica is coming off a solid year for the Bulls. Saenz appeared in 18 games this season and scored her first-career goal in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Schilte-Brown Makes Big South All-Decade Team
Head coach Denise Schilte-Brown has the honor of being a member of the Big South Conference's all-decade team for the 1990s.
Schilte-Brown, a former forward and the Big South Player of the Year in 1996, became the first women's soccer player to be inducted into the University of Maryland-Baltimore County athletic hall of fame after earning all-conference honors four times. Schilte-Brown is UMBC's all-time leader in points (148), goals (55) and assists (38).
