Central, SC – Southern Wesleyan Women's Soccer and Head Coach Al Meneses are excited to announce the next six ladies in the 2025 signing class. Hailing from Florida, Georgia and Canada, the Warriors will be joined by Maya Drew, Mackenzie Stinson, Annabella Watson, Josie Chesser, Brianna Gonzalez, and Laugane Dion in the Fall of 2025.
Maya Drew will join the Warriors via Cape Coral, Florida. An attacking and defensive midfielder, Drew played for both Ida S Baker High School and Florida West FC 06/07. She was named the Athlete of the Week by the Cape Coral Breeze newspaper, and went on to receive All-Area High School Honorable mention in the paper as well. Drew went on to be the captain of her high school program for three years.
"I chose Southern Wesleyan University because it felt right as soon as I stepped on campus," mentioned Drew when asked why she is choosing to join the Warriors. "It checked so many of my boxes from both an academic and soccer aspect. Coach Meneses along with the team, made me feel so welcome. I loved the small class sizes and the access to trainers and tutors. I just knew that SWU was the perfect fit for me."
The daughter of Bob and Jenny Drew, she intends to major in nursing. She has a brother named Erik. Her favorite food is a chicken ceasar wrap and when picking her favorite movie she selected A Miracle Season.
"A terrific addition to our team, Maya will play an integral role in our midfield positions," Coach Meneses said, "She has good technical skills, tactical awareness and presence. She has an outgoing and leader type of personality and is a student athlete that will make a great impact on and off the field here at SWU".
The Warriors will welcome another lady from the Sunshine State in Mackenzie Stinson. Stinson will come to Central, SC from Orlando, FL where she played as a center forward for both The Master's Academy and for the Orlando City Lake Nona club program. In her first season, she won the Rookie of the Year award. She went on to receive the Warrior Player Award later in her career. Her team was named SSAC State Champions as well.
"I chose SWU because I immediately felt at home the moment I stepped foot on campus," mentioned Stinson. "I also chose SWU because it allows me to achieve a degree in pre-nursing and fulfill my dream of playing college soccer awhile doing so in a Christ-like environment.
The daughter of Jeff and Shannon Stinson, she looks to major in Pre-Nursing when she comes to Southern Wesleyan. She has two brothers named Corbin and Gavin. When asked what her favorite food was, she could not pick between tacos or sushi. Her favorite movie is How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Stinson's favorite Bible verse is Psalm 105:4 which reads, "seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!"
"Mackenzie is a very strong and determined center forward," mentioned Coach Meneses. "She has good technical skills and possesses great ability to turn on players. She is another one of our new players that will make an immediate impact on our scoring efforts. I'm looking forward to working with Mackenzie for the next four years!"
Annabella Watson will also join the Warriors via Florida. Watson, a native of Stuart, Florida, attended Martin County High School. She competed as an outside back for both Martin County High School and OC Lake Nona 06/07 DPL. Watson was named the Maxpreps Player of the Year and went on to be awarded to the 2024 DPL All-Star Team.
When asked why she was coming to Southern Wesleyan, Watson said, "I chose SWU because it feels like home."
The daughter of Donny and Lindsay Watson, she plans to major in pre-nursing. She has several siblings including Roman, Mila, Eden, Baylor and Lula. She loves pizza and her favorite movie is The Notebook. Her favorite Bible verse comes from Psalms 18:2 which says, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust."
"Another great addition to our defensive line, Bella is a dynamic full back who can get up and down the field with speed," said Meneses. "She works hard and makes good tackles and is a good passer of the ball. Bella has a great personality, and she will add a lot to our close Christian community on campus."
Joining the Warriors from Cleveland, Georgia is Josie Chesser. Chesser will graduate this spring from Tallulah Falls High School. While in high school, she played as a center back and defender for both the Indians of Tallulah Falls and for the LSA Sharks. Over her career she has accumulated six goals and six assists. She was named the Defensive MVP Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 and went on to be named the All Region Defensive Player of the Year during the same seasons. She was named First Team All-Region 8A-D1 after the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
"I decided to choose SWU because it felt like a loving and Christ-centered community, which is something I was looking for in a college," mentioned Chesser. "The women's soccer coach, Coach Al, was very kind, and I look forward to playing for him and growing not only with soccer but also my relationship with Christ. One of my favorite quotes is from Proverbs 22:1, and it says, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold." This verse highlights the importance of character, and to have a good reputation and earning the love and respect of others if far more valuable than riches or other possessions."
The daughter of Jason and Sonya Chesser, she played to major in business and entrepreneurship at Southern Wesleyan. She has a sister, Jenna, and her favorite movie is The Princess Bride. She also enjoys steak.
"As we continue to lock down the opposition, I am excited to have Josie join us in our defensive efforts," Head Coach Meneses said. "She can play all defensive positions and is a very tactically aware player who makes good decisions. I'm looking forward to working with Josie for the next several years!"
Joining Chesser from Georgia is Brianna Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a native of Lawrenceville, GA, attended Mountain View High School. She competed for both Mountain View and GSA as a wing and center forward. During her most recent season she scored seven goals and four assists. She has also been named 2nd Team All-Region the past two seasons. Her high school also honored her with the Bear Award which is given to the Mountain View athlete who represents the best in leadership and attitude. Her club team won the Southeast Conference in 2022.
When asked about choosing SWU, Gonzalez said, "I chose Southern Wesleyan University because I felt the environment was the best fit for me because of how peaceful and Christ-loving it felt. I especially enjoyed getting to know the head women's soccer coach, Coach Al, he was very welcoming and kind, I'm so excited to play for him in the following years and grow as a Christian. One of my favorite Bible verses is 1 Corinthians 10:31, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." This verse is a life verse for me, because I always want to do all that I can do to glorify Him, and know SWU will help me continue to do that on and off the field."
The daughter of Javier Gonzalez and Carmen Gordillo, Gonzalez is looking to major in marketing during her time at Southern Wesleyan. She has a brother named Steve. Her favorite food is steak and she loves The Lion King.
"Brianna is a player that has good technical skill and can play in the wing and midfield positions," commented Meneses. "As we continue with our possession style of play, she will fit right in to what we are trying to do as a team. She gets up and down the field well and works hard on both sides of the ball."
Southern Wesleyan will welcome their second Canadian to the team this upcoming fall season as Laugane Dion will join current Canada native Ashley Cerqueira. Dion hails from Montréal, Quebec. She attended Louis-Philippe-Paré Secondary School and John Abbott College. She served as a winger and a fullback for her high school along with the AS Brossard club program. Her collegiate team were named the runner up state champions after the 2024 season.
When asked why she is coming to Southern Wesleyan this fall, Dion said, "I chose SWU because it offered the perfect blend of pursuing my passion and receiving a quality education in a great location."
The daughter of André Dion and Chantal Verreault, Dion plans to major in Business Administration and Marketing during her time at Southern Wesleyan. Her sister, Maeva Dion, also played soccer in college as she competed for both East Texas A&M University and Saint Leo University. Dion loves everything pasta and can be found watching She's the Man in her free time.
"As another international player on our team, Laugane is expected to make an immediate impact on the field," commented Head Coach Meneses. "She has good speed and scoring ability on the wings and forward positions. She can also play as a wing back and is a very dynamic player. Laugane comes from a good team and training environment in Canada and she will do very well here at SWU."
