FOR RELEASE ON: May 4, 2006

The New Jersey Wildcats restocked their 2006 roster with a couple of youth internationals announcing today that Tobin Heath and Manya Makoski will be returning to the team. The two have been on the Wildcats roster the past two seasons. Both players are currently on tour in Europe with the United States Under-21 National Team.

Heath and Makoski joined the Wildcats in 2004 helping the team to the W-League Championship game. Both players were on the field when the Wildcats fell to the Vancouver Whitecaps in a shootout after playing to a 0-0 tie. One of the top recruits in the country, Heath will be headed to the University of North Carolina this fall while Makoski recently capped a successful career at Arizona State.

"Adding Tobin and Manya gives us some serious attacking depth," said Wildcats Head Coach Charlie Naimo. "If we ever get the two of them on the field at the same time – Tobin from the left and Manya from the right – we’ll be extremely dangerous attacking from the flanks."

Tobin Heath in action in 2005 (Robyn McNeil)

In two seasons with the Wildcats, Heath has made seven regular season appearances. Her most memorable action came during the 2004 W-League Championship weekend in Ottawa when she played in the both the 2-1 semifinal victory over the Ottawa Fury and the shootout loss to Vancouver in the final. Heath was so impressive in her two playoff appearances that she earned a spot on the W-League Championship All-Tournament Team.

Currently, Heath is battling for a spot on the US U-20 National Team, which will be competing in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship later this year, as well as a spot with the US U-21 National Team for the Nordic Cup in July. Last month, the Basking Ridge, NJ native was in Brazil with the US U-20s for a tournament with the U-20 teams from Brazil and Canada. She played in all four games there and impressed finishing with a goal and an assist.

The former member of both the US U-16 and US U-17 teams is about to graduate from Ridge High School where she starred for three years before taking her senior year off to concentrate on fitness and technical training. She was the 2004 Star Ledger and Gatorade New Jersey Girls High School Player of the Year at Ridge and also earned Parade and NSCAA High School All-America honors.

"Tobin is a true soccer junky – they don’t make many like her," Naimo said. "She’s the best American female player I have ever seen without the ball, her running is so clever. On the ball, she is slowly becoming the best 1v1 player I have had the pleasure to watch in a while. You never know what kind of trick will come next."

Makoski in action in 2004 (Robyn McNeil)

Makoski returns to the Wildcats after signing for the 2005 season but not making any appearances with the team. In 2004, the Trumbull, CT native recorded seven goals and four assists in eight regular season games. The speedy winger also appeared in all four W-League playoff games posting one goal and one assist. In the championship game shootout, she also buried her penalty kick attempt. Makoski earned W-League Team of the Week honors after her two-goal, two-assist effort led the Wildcats to a 5-2 victory over Long Island on July 10th.

A regular with the US U-21 National Team, Makoski had 15 US U-21 caps heading into the current European trip. She led the U-21s to Nordic Cup championships in each of the past three years giving the team seven straight titles. Along with 2005 Wildcats stars Kendall Fletcher, Heather O’Reilly, and Lindsay Tarpley, Makoski also captured the gold medal at the FIFA U-19 World Cup in Canada in 2002.

At Arizona State, Makoski was a four-year starter for the Sun Devils earning All-Pac 10 honors all four seasons with a first team selection in 2004. She graduated near the top of the ASU scoring lists including second all-time in assists (22), fifth all-time in goals (24), fifth all-time in points (70), and third all-time in game-winning goals (9). As a freshman in 2002, Makoski set the school record for assists in a season with nine and was also named to the SoccerBuzz and Soccer America Freshman All-America teams.

"Monz is one of my favorite players and we missed her last season – she is such an impact player and wonderful person," Naimo said. "Her quickness and versatility will make us a more dangerous team. She has even been playing outside back with the U-21 National Team the last few camps. That is a great coup."

The Wildcats kick off the 2006 season on May 13th when they travel to face the Long Island Lady Riders at 7:30 p.m. at Hofstra University. The Wildcats return to New Jersey the following weekend with home matches against the Northern Virginia Royals on May 20th at 7:30 p.m. and Ottawa Fury on May 21st at 5 p.m. at Mercer County Community College.

See the Wildcats from anywhere in the world this summer! After every game this season, the Wildcats will have a CatsTV highlight show available by visiting the Wildcats website. For more information, visit the Wildcats on the internet at www.njwildcats.com.

WILDCATS IN DEPTH: Tobin Heath

• Hometown: Basking Ridge, NJ
• Born: May 29, 1988
• 2005 Wildcats: Made four appearances
• 2004 Wildcats: Played in three regular season games posting one goal and one assist
• Played in both games during the 2004 W-League Championship weekend earning a spot on the W-League Championship All-Tournament Team as the Wildcats lost to Vancouver in a shootout
• Member of the US U-20 & U-21 National Teams
• Member of the PDA Wildcats - 2003 US Youth Soccer U-15 National Champions
• Will attend the University of North Carolina in the fall of 2006
• Attended Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, NJ
• Led Ridge to a 22-2 record in 2004 and a 22-0 mark in 2003 that included an NJSIAA Group III State Championship
• 2004 Star Ledger Girls High School Player of the Year
• 2004 Gatorade New Jersey Girls High School Player of the Year
• 2005 Parade HS All-America team
• 2004 NSCAA/adidas High School Girls All-America Team
• Earned first team honors on the 2003 and 2004 Associated Press All-State team

WILDCATS IN DEPTH: Manya Makoski

• Born: April 18, 1984
• Hometown: Trumbull, CT
• 2005 Wildcats: signed for the Wildcats but made no appearances
• 2004 Wildcats: made eight appearances with seven goals and four assists
• Posted one goal and one assist in four appearances in the 2004 W-League playoffs
• Named to the W-League Team of the Week after posting two goals and two assists in a 5-2 victory over Long Island on July 10, 2004
• Member of the US U-21 National Team
• Helped the US U-21 National Team to Nordic Cup titles in 2003, 2004, & 2005
• Member of the US team that won the 2002 FIFA Under-19 World Cup in Canada
• Was a four year starter at Arizona State University
• Finished her career ranked on a number of the ASU all-time scoring lists including: second in assists (22), fifth in goals (24), fifth in points (70), and third in game-winning goals (9)
• Named All-Pac 10 all four years - first team in 2004 and second team in 2002, 2003, 2005
• As a senior in 2005, posted eight goals and four assists and also earned 2005 Academic All-Pac-10 honors
• As a junior in 2004, posted six goals and two assists and earned a spot on the 2004 NSCAA Scholar All-America second team
• As a sophomore in 2003, posted four goals and five assists
• As a freshman in 2002, notched six goals and nine assists setting the ASU single-season assists record while earning spots on the Soccer America and SoccerBuzz Freshman All-America teams
• NSCAA and Parade All American at Trumbull High School (2000, 2001)
• NSCAA and Gatorade Connecticut High School Player of the Year (2001)
• Captured three Connecticut state titles with the Yankee United Rage (1997, 1998, 1999)
• Also played for the Arsenal Soccer and the Yankee United Heat capturing another state title with the Heat in 2001