GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids Football Club has re-signed five players for the 2018 United Women's Soccer (UWS) season: defender Mouse Kovacs, midfielders Marti Corby & Grace Labadie and forwards Lizzie Paul & Riko Sagara. All five are returnees from the GRFC Women side who won the 2017 UWS title with the Championship MVP and the team's first-ever signing in Kovacs leading the way.

Kovacs recorded two goals in 13 appearances for GRFC last campaign. She potted the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over the Detroit Sun in the Midwest Conference Final, while her 119th-minute equalizer in the National Semifinal against the Long Island Rough Riders was named the UWS Goal of the Season. In recognition of her efforts, Michaela earned a place on the All-UWS First Team. A native of Hudsonville, MI, Kovacs recently completed her junior season at Michigan State University and brings international experience to GRFC, having played with the U.S. U-19 Women's National Team.

Corby notched six goals in 10 competitive appearances for the Ladies in Blue in 2017. The 5-foot-10 midfielder scored GRFC's opener in the UWS National Championship victory over the Santa Clarita Blue Heat. Marti also serves as the assistant women's soccer coach at Adrian College. The Ada, MI-native enjoyed a standout career with Grand Valley State University (2013-16), where she led the Lakers to three consecutive NCAA DII National Championships. Corby registered 61 goals & 63 assists, earned numerous accolades and received an invitation to U.S. U-23 WNT training camp.

Labadie appeared in eight competitive matches for GRFC in 2017. The 5-foot-5 midfielder featured as a substitute in three playoff matches last season, including the UWS National Championship versus Santa Clarita. A native of Kalamazoo, MI, Labadie recently finished her sophomore year at Western Michigan University, recording a team-high five goals to go with two assists in 19 starts with the Broncos. Prior to transferring to WMU, Labadie began her collegiate career at Indiana University, where she made six appearances as a freshman in 2016.

Paul notched two goals in 10 competitive appearances for the Ladies in Blue last season. A native of Manchester, England, Paul is the head coach of Davenport University's junior varsity women's soccer team. Prior to starting her coaching career, Paul played four seasons with the Panthers from 2010-13, logging a school-record 53 goals along with 21 assists in 69 appearances. Paul was named WHAC Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2013 and was a two-time First-Team All-WHAC selection.

Sagara was the only member of the Ladies in Blue to appear in all 14 competitive matches in 2017, tallying three goals with the club. The 5-foot-4 forward scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 97th minute of the UWS National Championship against Santa Clarita. Originally from Tokyo, Japan, Sagara recently concluded her sophomore campaign at Martin Methodist College, as she shattered the NAIA's single-season assists record with 36 in 24 appearances. Sagara was named a NAIA Second-Team All-American after helping the RedHawks reach the quarterfinals of the NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship.

GRFC opens the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, May 5 against the Midwest United U19 squad at 7 PM at Grandville High School. Additional home dates confirmed by the UWS include May 13, May 20, June 2, June 30 and July 8. Fans can secure their full-season ticket packages by clicking HERE or visit grandrapidsfc.com for more information.

About United Women’s Soccer (UWS): UWS is a national women's soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact UWS Director of Communications Jorma Kansanen by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.