(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB Reds women’s soccer team is adding some homegrown talent to its 2020 recruiting class.

Fredericton’s own Sophia Maillet has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent, and will join the Reds ahead of the 2020 Atlantic University Sport season.

Maillet, a striker who can play the wing as well, was the Fredericton District Soccer Association’s female athlete of the year in 2018, and a standout member of the club’s U17 Premiership Girls team in 2018 and 2019.

Most recently, Maillet helped École Sainte-Anne win the 2019 New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association AAA championship.

In regular season and playoff games, Maillet scored 25 goals for ESA during the 2019 season.

“Having grown up in Fredericton, I’ve been able to watch the Reds play every fall. It has always been a goal of mine to play for them one day,” said Maillet. “I'm really excited for fall 2020, to keep developing as a player and to be able to contribute to the Reds success.”

“We’re really pleased Sophia chose UNB,” said Reds head coach Jon Crossland. “She’s a player that we’ve worked a lot with during her FDSA career, and with Reds Academy. She’s continually proved herself to be one of the top players in the province, and we’re very happy that she has chosen to stay at home and play for the Reds.”

Maillet’s soccer resume is long and detailed.

She’s been a member of FDSA Premiership teams at U13, U14, U15 and U17 levels, a member of the Reds Academy, and a member of the FDSA’s University Prep Program.

With her FDSA teams, Maillet represented New Brunswick at the 2016 U14 national championship tournament, in Moncton, and the 2018 U17 national championship, in Surrey, BC.

In 2018, she earned the All-Star Award at the U18 Interregional Challenge Cup, in Bridgewater, NS.

“Sophia likes to attack, she likes one-on-one situations, and likes to be involved in scoring goals. With some of our current attacking players graduating, that’s an important quality we’re looking for in our class of 2020.”

“I’ve been able to play with or against the majority of the players on the Reds team over the past couple of seasons, which allowed me to see the great team chemistry,” said Maillet. “In the University Prep Program, I’ve been coached by the Reds coaches and I believe that’s helped me develop technically as a player.”

Maillet will study Engineering while attending UNB.