Canada U20 GK Camellia XU Joins San Antonio Athenians Ahead of 2022 season

Published by San Antonio Athenians SC Communications 4/15/22

San Antonio, TX (April 15th, 2022) - The Athenians have added goalkeeper Camellia Xu to the 2022 UWS Roster, pending league and federation approval. Xu is a redshirt sophomore at the University of Montana, where she was named Big Sky Goalkeeper of the Year after setting a new single-season record for the Grizz with 11 shutouts on the season.

With the addition of Xu, Technical Director Leland Hammonds is pleased with the team’s depth and quality at the goalkeeper spot this summer: “Camellia is a tremendous player on her way to making it as a pro. The records she set in just one season at Montana so far speak for themselves and I think we are in for a fierce competition for the starting spot in goal this summer!”

Camellia hails from Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, where she played minor soccer in the Coquitlam Metro-Ford program. She also played for Mountain United FC in the BC Soccer Premier League before she joined the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX program in 2018. After graduating from Burnaby Central Secondary School in 2020, Xu spent a season redshirting at the University of Montana, learning from former Grizz keeper Claire Howard who holds the record for most shutouts in Blue Sky history.

The 2021 NCAA season was a breakout year for Xu. She started all 20 games for the Grizz after a season opening loss at Creighton, allowing just 14 goals against and keeping 11 shutouts, a new school record. She led the Grizz to a 7th Big Sky championship, keeping a shutout in the final against Weber State and picking up the Tournament MVP award to go with the team trophy. She brought home the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week award 3 times and in the end was named Goalkeeper of the Year for the conference. In January 2022, Xu was called in to a Canada U-20 camp for the first time, training with the squad ahead of the CONCACAF U-20 championships.

The Athenians 2022 roster is beginning to take shape, with familiar faces bolstered by new additions. Mia Wildeman, Helene Farris, Olivia Wright, Eden Bretzer, and Ashley Newland have been announced as returners from the 2021 UWS Southwest Championship squad, with Emma Bates, Enzi Broussard, Amanda Chimbima, and Camellia Xu set to don the Purple and White for the first time this season. Stay tuned to SanAntonioAthenians.com and the club’s social media for further announcements in the coming weeks.

The San Antonio Athenians Soccer Club (SAASC) was created in 2016 and played its inaugural soccer season in 2017. SAASC is the first women’s semi-pro soccer team in San Antonio and features top players from the San Antonio area and beyond, including amateurs, collegiate, semi-pro and former professional players. After a change in ownership and a move to Soccer Central (6610 Low Bid Lane, San Antonio TX 78201), The Athenians lifted the first trophy in club history in 2021, defeating Lone Star Republic in the UWS Southwest Final 1-0.

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