SEATTLE (April 3, 2015) – Seattle Reign FC announced today that the club has signed midfielder Havana Solaun for the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League season. Per club and league policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed. Reign FC acquired the University of Florida product with the No. 15 overall pick on January 16, 2015 in the NWSL College Draft.
Seattle Reign players, including recent signee Havana Solaun (far right)
“Havana is a young, talented player who fits the profile of players we are looking for. She’s done really well in preseason and she can play numerous positions, which is great for us,” said head coach and general manager Laura Harvey. “She is very good on the ball, athletically fit and comfortable in possession, whether under pressure or not. She has developed a lot over just the last four weeks and to think how good she could be in the next six months could be pretty scary.” Solaun played in 90 games (71 starts) for Florida and was an All-Southeastern Conference first-team selection in 2013 and 2014. During her senior year, Solaun appeared in all 23 matches (22 starts) for a total of 1,663 minutes. The midfielder notched nine goals and nine assists, including a game-winning goal against California in the second round of the NCAAA tournament. “Signing with Reign FC is very exciting. I came in not knowing what to expect and not knowing much about the league but being in camp has been amazing and the entire team has been so welcoming,” said Solaun. On Monday March 31, Solaun was honored at the 2015 FLA Awards – an event planned and run by Florida student-athletes to celebrate and recognize for a wide range of on and off field accomplishments – as the Female Comeback Athlete of the Year. Solaun suffered a season ending injury during her junior year only to return with a star-studded senior campaign in which she was named to the All-Southeastern Conference first-team and finished second among her team in goals with nine. “Coming back from my injury was difficult and there were a lot of ups and downs, but my teammates were so amazing through the entire process. Being recognized with this award was really awesome,” said Solaun. The Gator co-captain cemented her place as a staple member of Florida’s offense during her first three years, totaling 21 goals and 23 assists. She finished her college career among the top 10 on following Gator Career Charts – No. 10 goals (30), No. 6 assists (32), No. T-8 game-winning goals (11) and No. T-8 points (92). The Gainesville, Florida native was also a member of the Under-23 U.S. Women’s National Team player pool in 2013 before joining the U-23 team for three matches in Spain during that same year. Havana Solaun Position: MID Height: 5’9” Born: 2/23/1993 Hometown: Gainesville, Fla. College: University of Florida Last Club: N/A Seattle Reign FC kicks off its 2015 NWSL campaign on Sunday, April 12 at Memorial Stadium. Single match, half-pack, and season tickets are now available for purchase at www.ReignFC.com.
