For freshmen Angelique Waller and Pasquale Anderson, playing together on the USF women’s soccer team is just a continuance of their success.

The high school teammates hope to make an impression on the field for the USF women’s soccer team this season, and the next three to come.

Waller and Anderson have experienced years of success together. While attending Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, the two were part of a women’s soccer dynasty.

Waller, a midfielder, was a four-time letter winner for SDHS, and named by the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald to the all-county team. Anderson earned two letters for soccer as a defender during her career at SDHS. The duo was also part of a team that won three state championships during their careers, and that fact has not been lost on either player.

“I think it’s awesome that we get to play together again in college,” Anderson said. “We just want to work hard and try to experience the same kind of success we had in high school.”

Waller feels that the key to their success was their chemistry on the field.

“We know how each other plays,” Waller said. “That makes us better on the field.”

In her first year as USF’s soccer coach, Denise Schilte-Brown has not known the players long, but she can already sense how well the two play together.

“They played very well together in high school,” Schilte-Brown said. “But I think that they have a friendship and chemistry off the field which really helps them (to) be comfortable with each other on the field. They are two players that are just fun to be around.”

Bringing chemistry to a new team is important because it makes players feel more comfortable. One person who has seen both Waller and Anderson at the top of their games is Scott Baker, coach of the SDHS women’s soccer team.

“Angelique and Pasquale are both very special players,” Baker said. “Each brings something different to the field, and they are both very good at their

positions.”

Waller was a dominant midfielder during her four years at SDHS and she showed just how explosive she could be during her senior season.

“Angelique was hurt for part of her senior season, and she missed a lot of games,” Baker said. “When she was able to play, she scored a goal for us after just two minutes on the field. She was a real game changer who could cover the field like no other.”

Anderson, a defender by trait, was also an integral part of the SDHS dynasty.

“Pasquale played defense for us, and as she grew more comfortable on the team, she became more of a leader,” Baker said. “She always had great position and could shut down an entire side of the field. She was the type of player who led with her game.”

Both Waller and Anderson are off to strong starts in their USF careers. The duo managed to start during their first game at USF.

“They did a good job of adjusting right away,” Schilte-Brown said. “It’s not easy to jump right in and start, but the girls did a nice job of stepping in for the team.”

For Waller and Anderson, getting playing time as freshmen was something they had hoped to achieve.

“I thought it was amazing to start in the Big East right away,” Anderson said. “Usually freshmen don’t get much playing time, so it was nice to get onto the field.”

“I was able to be part of the team right away,” Waller said. “It was nice having an immediate impact on the team.”

The players hope to be USF roster staples for their four years of eligibility. Baker does not believe they will have much

difficulty.

“They are great together both on and off the field,” Baker said. “Both are great players who make everyone else around them better. As a coach, you can’t ask for much more than that.”