GREENSBORO, N.C. - UNCG women's soccer striker, and 2018 SoCon Player of the Year, Cienna Rideout will continue her soccer career this summer, after signing a contract with Sion Swifts Ladies FC of the Women's Premiership in Northern Ireland. The Spartan forward is the third women's soccer player in the past three years to sign a contract after finishing their career at UNCG, following in the footsteps of former teammates Heida Ragney Vidarsdottir (Thor/KA) and Regan Lehman (Glentoran FC). 

"[Playing professionally] wasn't something that I had always wanted to do, when I was younger," said Rideout. "But once I started looking at colleges, I realized that was a potential goal I could have... I remember in one of my first meetings with Coach Michael [Coll] here on my unofficial visit, I asked him if he had connections overseas, if I could play professionally... and that was one of the things that I remember most about my meeting with him, is that he had the potential to get me overseas if I wanted to go after I was done playing here [at UNCG]."

"Cienna is an established forward player with a keen eye for game-winning goals and assists," said Spartan Head Coach Michael Coll. "I've followed her development since she was 16 years old in Las Vegas, and for the last four years as a player here with us at UNC Greensboro she has gone from strength to strength. She is a winner, and nothing but giving her full 100 percent effort is acceptable to her."

Rideout will be one of two UNCG alumni active in the Women's Premiership, with former Spartan defender Regan Lehman starting her career with Glentoran FC this past fall, and will join a number of Americans playing on next season's roster.

"...I've never travelled out of the country before, so this will be my first time," said Rideout. "I'm also going to be extremely far away from home... That's going to be a little nerve-racking, but the one thing that I'm not so nervous about is that there are going to be other Americans on the team as well. So I won't be the only one."

"Sion Swifts in Northern Ireland will be delighted with the signing of Cienna as they aim to be Irish Champions," said Coach Coll. "Last season they missed out on European Champions League qualification on the narrowest of margins, goal difference, culminating in a second place Irish League finish... We are excited to see how she adds more to her game at Sion and are sure that she will prove to be a force for them in the Irish League."

Cienna Rideout's UNCG Career In Review
Forward | Las Vegas, Nev. | Coronado HS
• 2018 SoCon Player of the Year; First Team All-SoCon Forward in 2018 and 2019
• 2018 United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-Southeast Region
• 30 career goals ranks eighth in program history and sixth in Division I program history
• The Spartans reached the NCAA Tournament twice with Rideout on the roster, tallying back-to-back SoCon Tournament titles in 2017 and 2018
• Made a total of 80 caps over her four years, finishing with a career point total of 77

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