STATESBORO, Ga. – South Georgia Tormenta FC has announced the addition of defender Sade Heinrichs and midfielder Smith Cathey to its 2023 USL W League roster, pending league and federation approval. The Georgia Southern University women’s soccer standouts will stay in Statesboro this summer to compete for Tormenta FC’s second consecutive W League trophy under Head Coach Jim Robbins.
“Sade brings a wealth of center back experience to our team in 2023. She is an excellent leader, strong 1v1 defender, and she can play out from the back, which is critical for the way we like to play in the possession phase. She is a conference Defender of the Year and brings instant credibility to our backline as we prepare to defend our 2022 USL W League national championship. She is a great addition to our team.”
Jim Robbins, Tormenta FC USL W League’s Head Coach
The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year helped spark Georgia Southern’s defensive unit to a first-ever Sun Belt Regular Season Conference Championship and is the first Georgia Southern women’s soccer player to earn a major conference award since 1999. In 2022, Heinrichs featured in 17 games for Southern, totalling 1,500 minutes and anchoring the defensive unit to only 12 goals allowed all season.
A native of Monchengladbach, Germany, Heinrichs attended Gymnasium an der Gartenstrasse and played club soccer for Borussia Moenchengladbach.
“I chose to join Tormenta this season because I want to play competitive soccer with players from all over the world, ” Heinrichs commented. “I play soccer at Georgia Southern, and Tormenta Nation is an important part of the Statesboro community that I can’t wait to be a part of!”
Sade Heinrichs, Tormenta FC Defender
Joining Heinrichs is Cathey, who is a sophomore. She is coming off a historic season with Georgia Southern, where she featured in all seventeen matches, tallying a goal and leading the team in assists (3).
“Smith is strong with the ball at her feet and is very comfortable dribbling or passing from the advanced midfield areas. She also possesses an accurate and powerful shot and is not afraid to take chances from outside the box. Her varied skill set will give us another dimension that our opponents will have to deal with in the final third. She can play creator or goalscorer depending on what our needs are or how the game goes. She will be fun to watch this summer.”
Jim Robbins, Tormenta FC USL W League’s Head Coach
A native of Athens, Georgia, Cathay graduated from Paragon Academy and played club soccer for United Futbol Academy.
“I chose to play for Tormenta this season so that I could get to experience playing a high level of soccer with girls from all around the world. I can’t wait to get this season started and to join Tormenta Nation!”
Smith Cathey, Tormenta FC Midfielder
In June of 2021, Tormenta FC was named a founding member of the USL W League, an elite pre-professional pathway for women looking to build their careers both on and off the pitch. Tormenta FC won its first-ever USL W League title in 2022 after defeating the Minnesota Aurora in front of 6,500 fans in Eagan, Minnesota.
Tormenta FC provides an opportunity for local and national players to develop and start their professional careers in Statesboro, Georgia. In just one year, Tormenta FC’s USL W League team has produced five professional players with Jenae Packard joining Emily Burke, Kelly Giddes, Abigail Wolf and Jodi Medina as the latest players to sign a contract in Europe.
For additional information and scheduling interviews, email: epintor@tormentafc.com.