| CONFERENCE TEAM RANKINGS |
| ACC |
1. Florida State
2. North Carolina
3. Boston College
4. Duke |
5. Virginia
6. Maryland
7. Miami FL
8. Virginia Tech |
9. Wake Forest
10. NC State
11. Clemson |
IT'S REALLY A PK SHOOTOUT, WITH FSU TAKING THE TITLE
In what has been our toughest decision ever in choosing between two programs, FSU's deep talented class of rookies and transfers just edges UNC's smaller group of top-tier athletes. The Seminoles did well among the high school ranks but what kicked this class into the next gear was the transfer of three exceptional collegiate players. Coach Krikorian inked three All-Americans, including two from the US U-17 national team. Forward Amanda DaCosta of New York is a high school and youth All-American and will be a huge addition to FSU's attack. From Countryside Lightning in Florida, Marissa Kazbour is the second national teamer among this 2007 set and and also a youth All-American. The Seminoles added two-time high school All-American Margo McAuley from Indiana. The Carmel United midfielder has been named all-state several times and played with the regional ODP squad. Kazbour is joined by four other Floridians, led by defender Rachel Brown and Casey Lademann, both from the Florida SA Lightning club. Brown is a versatile defender that earned all-state honors and Orlando area player of the year while hitting the pitch with the state ODP team. Lademann is an offensive addition that has been a regional ODP pool member the last few years. Leading her Eclipse Select to a national title in 2006 after a semifinal showing in 2003, Jessica Price is a prized offensive addition for Florida State and gives Krikorian five preps among the Top 150 in the country including three among the Top 75. Filling a huge void with the graduation of Ali Mims, FSU signed exceptional keeper Erin McNulty. The Alberta native is currently a U-20 team player for Canada and ranks as our #1 international recruit for 2007 for known recruits as of this release. Programs relish transfers but three potential starters in one year is enough to declare divine intervention. Lauren Switzer, Erika Sutton and Kate Milstead are all talented enough to be among the starting eleven next fall for FSU. Switzer will be a sophomore and started in thirteen games for UCLA last season in the Bruins' run to the NCAA College Cup semis. Twice an all-Mountain West Conference second team selection, Erika Sutton heads east from San Diego State where she led the Aztecs in scoring her freshman year and was second offensivly last season. Sure to give McNulty a run for the post job, Kate Milstead heads down after two seasons at Penn State and will have three years of eligibility after a redshirt year with the Lions. The New Jersey native saw limited time with PSU but was a Top 50 recruit out of high school in 2005. With a dozen members, this FSU class is special and covers every area of the field. With the
possible exception of the 2005 class which didn't earn high marks only because the five super international stars from that group were announced late after recruiting rankings, this year's group may be the best ever for the Seminoles.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
For UNC fans, there is no cause for alarm. The Heels could easily be the choice for best in ACC recruiting by many. The tough call that went FSU's way still leaves Carolina with a top five national class, which is amazing when you consider the numbers and depth of last year's top-ranked group of newcomers. In its three years in the ACC, Boston College has undoubtedly signed its best group and earns its highest national mark. Duke is again among the top four for the third year in a row. With eleven league teams, someone has to be ranked at the bottom but there is no shame for these programs. NC State and Clemson may be trailing the field but both inked Top 75 national classes as the ACC is the only conference to have all schools recruit that well.
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| America East |
1. Boston University
2. Binghamton
3. Stony Brook
4. Vermont |
5. Hartford
6. UMBC
7. Albany |
No Reports:
Maine St
New Hampshire |
NO LEASHING THE TERRIERS
There's littly mystery to BU's recent ascent into the national polls and recent string of NCAA appearances. The Terriers do well in recruiting and for the sixth time in the last seven years, have the best group in the America East. The catch of this year's signings might be Californian Tiya Gallegos. The Southern Cal Blues forward was named all-CIF three times, including the division offensive player of the year. Both Cynthia Warman and Stephanie Croghan could also deliver offensively for BU. Playing with the St Croix Eclectic in Minnesota, Warman has been a regional ODP player while Croghan has been part of the Virginia ODP team pool and SYL national select team pool. With countless prep honors, former Hawaiian Lina Cords has made a big splash in the Maryland soccer ranks. She is an all-state defender, state ODP player and high school state champ. Coach Feldman adds three other players who all won state titles with their club teams. A two-time all-state selection in New York, Brittany Heist will be a nice fit in the midfield after experience with the New York West state team. Defender Lily Albin plays with the Washington ODP state squad and recent addition Kara Ruggiero has led Braintree HS to two Massachusetts prep titles.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
With its second straight top three class in the conference, Binghamton stands well for great improvement. With a huge influx of rookies, Stony Brook has its best class in a long while. Expanding the scouting beyond the usual New York state area, Albany brought in more experience but still is behind in America East recruiting.
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| Atlantic 10 |
1. Charlotte
2. Dayton
3. Saint Louis
4. Xavier
5. Duquesne |
6. Fordham
7. George Washington
8. St Bonaventure
9. Temple
10. St Joseph's |
11. Richmond
12. Massachusetts
13. La Salle
No Report:
Rhode Island |
BIG HAUL IS BIG PAYOFF FOR CHARLOTTE
More than a dozen signees head to Charlotte and all have the ability to contribute for the 49ers. This group is ranked first in the A-10 not becuase of its size but for the talent that Coach Lipsitz brought in. Midfielder Samantha Huecker and defender Katie Davies are Top 100 recruits who play for regional ODP squads. Two capable strikers, Whitney Weinraub of Pennsylvania and Samantha Fried of New York, claimed ODP national championships and racked up numerous prep honors. Tennessee all-staters Danielle Mayeaux and Melissa Morris have both been part of youth regional ODP pools. Defender Whitney Bryant hails from the Atlanta area and also has experience on a regional ODP team. Along with Davis, five other Ohio preps will join the 49ers, including high school All-American, Ashley Roberto. Buckeyes Megan Minnix and Alyssa Brown both garnered all-state honors, won several state titles with Ohio Premier and played with the Ohio South ODP unit. Not overlooking his home turf, Coach Lipsitz inked in-state products Katie Hadley and Megan Mazzarella. Both have been part of the NC ODP pool as this rookie class has nearly 50 state championships under its belt. The 49ers easily have their best recruiting class in school history.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Despite pulling up at the second spot after two straight years with the top-ranked class, Dayton remains strong with a group among the Top 75 nationally. With its best recruiting period in recent years, Xavier nails a class ranked fourth in the league. Duquesne and Fordham may also have inked what are their best classes as both made great strides from recent recruiting periods. After recent successes, both Richmond and Massachusetts needed to replace about three players each and their small signing classes placed them near the bottom of the A-10.
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| Atlantic Sun |
1. Jacksonville
2. Campbell
3. Florida Gulf Coast
4. Belmont |
5. Mercer
6. East Tennessee St
7. Kennesaw St
8. USC Upstate |
9. Gardner-Webb
10. Lipscomb
N/A North Florida
N/A Stetson |
JACKSONVILLE COVERS THE ATLANTIC WELL
After a trip to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, Jacksonville has gathered in all the pieces for return trips in the next few years. Two of the best, Elizabeth Fink and Emme Graham, hail from club Tophat which was a national semifinalist in recent years. Both advanced to the ODP national semifinals with the Georgia ODP squad in 2005 and Fink has seen time with the regional ODP team. Elizabeth Grimsgaard is a top forward from the Hibernian Breeze and has played with the New Jersey ODP squad. Versatile forward Devon Dowell of Virginia and keeper Reba Stott of Florida both come from solid club programs. Coach Kouns has three international rookies coming aboard and a fourth, Rei Parsons from Trinidad, transferring in. From British Columbia, Tamara Cormier heads way south with experience on the provincial team back in Canada. Keeper Lorna Brownlie is one of the most seasoned in this signing class after playing with the Edinburgh Ladies back home in Scotland as well as earning a spot on the Scottish U-19 national team. From London, the Dolphins add midfielder Sian Senior who rounds a class that earns Jacksonville its first ever top billing in the A-Sun.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Campbell keeps doing well during signing periods with its third straight class among the top three. Belmont has made tremendous strides with two back-to-back groups that serve the Bruins well. The launch of its brand new program will be exciting as Florida Gulf Coast brought in a huge class stretching from Alberta Canada to Pennsylvania to Florida. Coach Millinder's first group at FGCU slips right into the third recruiting spot. Lipscomb again settles into one of the bottom slots in conference recruiting while Stetson, who has reported no recruits to date, may be stuck again at the bottom in a 12-team league.
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| Big 12 |
1. Texas
2. Texas A&M
3. Kansas
4. Nebraska |
5. Colorado
6. Oklahoma
7. Missouri
8. Texas Tech |
9. Baylor
10. Oklahoma St
11. Iowa St |
LONGHORNS SCORE WITH SHORT HOOK
The battle for top recruiting honors in the Big 12 continues to be a dual between Texas and Texas A&M with the Longhorns grabbing the top spot for the second time in the last three years. This crop is a mostly in-state harvest with Kate Nicholson of Maryland and Kirsten Birkhold of Arizona as the lone out-of-staters. Nicholson is a Top 250 recruit and a former SYL National Select forward while midfielder Birkhold plays for powerhouse Sereno. Defender Erica Campanelli and midfielder Kendall Campise are the jewels of this class as both hail from Plano and have played with US youth national teams. Two of Campanelli's Dallas Texans teammates will join her in Austin. Brooke Lee is a Top 75 midfielder who guided the Texans to two USYS national finals appearances while Rachel Stepp will give depth at the forward spot. From Houston, Niki Arlitt and Liz Couch head to center Texas after stellar careers with the Challenge club program. Both have played with the South Texas ODP squad with Arlitt making the Region 3 team while also earning top prep honors at Clear Lake HS. Texas state champion and all-state forward Alisha Ortiz wraps this class which is heavily offensive and gives Coach Petrucelli a superb bunch to push deeper into NCAAs.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
The Aggies keep rolling with top signees with yet another top three group in the conference. Kansas inked a super group that puts them back among the top 3 in the Big 12 for the first time in a while. After two consecutive years in the top three, Oklahoma State dipped this year with a set second to last in the league. Iowa State went from second-best in 2006 to last and is the only league team not among the Top 100 nationally.
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| Big East |
1. Notre Dame
2. Connecticut
3. Marquette
4. Villanova
5. Georgetown |
6. West Virginia
7. Rutgers
8. DePaul
9. Pittsburgh
10. Louisville |
11. Cincinnati
12. Syracuse
13. Seton Hall
14. Providence
15. St John's
N/A South Florida |
IRISH WILL NOT GO AWAY
The ever improving Big East is gaining, but Notre Dame again has a stronghold on the best recruits coming into the conference. Coach Waldrum adds eight newcomers, seven of whom are among the Top 200 recruits in the country. One of the top keepers in the class of 2007, Nikki Weiss joins the Irish with youth national team experience and is one of four All-American rookies. All-American midfielder Lauren Fowlkes is one of the nation's best and has played with excellent high school and club programs that have won several state titles. Fowlkes was called up early in her career to the U-17 national team pool and has earned all-state honors three times. Forward Julie Scheidler of Indiana and Rose Augustin of Ohio both earned state player of the year awards in addition to being named HS All-Americans. Scheidler has regional ODP pool experience and several state titles with Carmel while Augustin has had great success with her club, Internationals, and was named to national ODP squads through SYL play. With several appearances in club and ODP national finals, Taylor Knaack heads to South Bend via the nationally ranked Dallas Texans program. National champion and Eclipse Select midfielder Brittany Johnson will suit up for the Irish as will New Yorker Stephanie Sohn. Playing with the Albertson Fury, Sohn has been a regional ODP player and captured a national championship with the Eastern NY ODP team. The rookie set may not have the overwhelming numbers of national team players or top-ranked recruits as past Irish classes, but there is no drop in the overall strength of this class which is loaded with great talent ready to keep ND at the top of the national polls.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Keeping up with the Irish is Connecticut which again has a group among the league's top three. Marquette is on a tear of late with a Top 25 national group and third best in the Big East. The Hoyas may have signed their best group ever and Villanova's latest additions are among the best all-time for the Wildcats. On the flip side, Providence is the only league school to land among the bottom third each of the last few years.
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| Big Sky |
1. Northern Arizona
2. Sacramento State
3. Idaho State
4. Portland State |
5. Weber State
6. Eastern Washington
7. Northern Colorado
8. Montana |
NORTHERN ARIZONA GETS JACKED UP
Coach Luciano brought in the ringers this year for NAU and the results are the first-ever top ranked class for the Lumberjacks. Largely a group of Californians and Arizonans, club programs Southern Cal Blues and South Bank Ladybugs were especially kind to NAU. Midfielders Brenna Boies and Karri Currier of the Blues are two of the best headed to Flagstaff. Boies has experience with both the North Texas and Cal South ODP teams while Currier earned All-CIF honors all four years at Walnut HS. Another highly decorated Golden State prep joining the NAU team is keeper Tori Rocke who also has trained with the Cal South ODP team. Midfielder Corie McGuire is the fourth SC Blue inked to play for Luciano. Closer to home, five Arizona all-staters will be tearing up the Big Sky. Kristi Andreassen will be a key figure defensively as might her Ladybugs' teammate Anna Clark. Kara Miller and local signee Rebekah Schmidt are two more Ladybugs who earned high marks throughout their prep careers. One of many signees from the Arizona ODP state team, Tori Howe will give NAU more depth in the backfield. From Tucson, Northern Arizona picked up three-time all-state forward Sam Monahan and state ODP midfielder Brandy Carr, both from the Tuscon Soccer Academy club. Bringing some winter chill to the desert, Carolyn Savage heads down from Alaska where she racked up several state titles with her club and high school programs. This impressive set of newcomers is clearly the best ever for this program and should have Northern Arizona primed for their first Big Sky championship.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Steady among the top three for the third year in a row, Sacramento State is bringing in the right mix to do well in this league. Idaho State, at third best this year, got back on track after last year's bottom rated class. In only its second year in the league, Northern Colorado is quickly settling in with Montana as the two teams that are consistently bringing up the rear in recruiting.
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| Big South |
1. Coastal Carolina
2. Charleston Southern
3. Radford
4. Liberty |
5. Winthrop
6. High Point
7. Presbyterian |
No Reports:
UNC Asheville
11. VMI |
ALL HEAD TO THE COAST
In his second year at the helm, Coach Naraine scored big with numbers and a tremendously diverse set of recruits to give the Big South its fifth different recruiting winner in the last five years. Aside from Tiana Tallant out of Rock Hill, his entire class is from out of state including three from Ohio and two each from Virginia and Illinois. Ohioans Mallory Sterba and Colleen Schohl are solid defenders from the Cleveland area. Winning a US club national championship with their KUFC Premier team, Kelsey Havell and Sara NIles will be great additions in the midfield. Two goalies are among the newcomers as Amy Haggard of North Carolina and Karen Pavlick of New York head to Conway. Hailing from nationally ranked St Anthony's HS in New York is forward Lauren Kies. From the commonwealth of Virginia, Anna Tupy and Maggie Wilding are both great athletes who could help the Chanticleers offensively. Coastal's group is missing any knock out recruits but as a whole this class is solid and gives the Chanticleers numbers missing from most of the other signing groups in the league.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Although Liberty's class is small in numbers, it stands well with past groups and will keep the Lady Flames a championship contender in the Big South. Newcomer Presbyterian has some ground to make up with a class that will be hard pressed to do well at the D1 level.
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| Big Ten |
1. Ohio State
2. Penn State
3. Michigan
4. Illinois |
5. Northwestern
6. Minnesota
7. Wisconsin
8. Purdue |
9. Indiana
10. Michigan St
11. Iowa |
HELLO OHIO, WHERE YOU BEEN?
The Buckeyes have their first-ever top billing in Big Ten recruiting and its only the second time in the last six years that Penn State did not top the league. OSU's class is big, loaded and versatile with four recruits among the Top 200 and several more near that mark. Of thirteen signees, ten have played at least on the state ODP level and eight have captured club state titles. Lauren Beachy of Ohio and Emily Esbrook of Michigan are both All-Americans. A six-time club state champion with Ohio Premier, Beach is an all-state midfielder. One of the Top 25 recruits in the country, Esbrook is a versatile forward who played on the US U-16 national team and led her Michigan Hawks team to a national semifinal appearance. Also from Ohio Premier, Courtney Jenkins ranks among the Top 100 seniors in 2007 and has been a regional ODP midfielder while Erin McLeish has experience with the Ohio North state squad. Grabbing two players from the region one ODP team, Coach Walker added more scoring firepower with Genna Brand and Laura Roberts. Virginia all-state forward Brand is a club state champ with Beach FC Magix and Roberts plays with powerhouse PDA Fury and captured an ODP national championship with the Eastern PA state team. A national champion with her Eclipse Select team, Alex Burzynski is a top defensive addition while Lauren Hallauer is another all-state player from Virginia who was named to the SYL national select team. Several more signees will be key to the Buckeyes'depth including Mackenzie Gimore of Michigan, FC Milwaukee's Abby Merrell and Kristen Touche from the Tucson Soccer Academy.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
After a few years not on the medal stand, Michigan is back in the top trio of Big Ten recruiting with the year's group. Keeping its hot streak going, Illinois has another stellar class. The Big Ten excelled this year across the board in recruiting. Iowa's class may be last, but it easily cracked the Top 100, a first for the conference that all eleven programs had a nationally-ranked group of signees.
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| Big West |
1. Long Beach St
2. UC Irvine
3. UC Santa Barbara
4. Cal St Fullerton |
5. UC Riverside
6. Pacific
7. Cal Poly
8. UC Davis |
No Report:
Cal St Northridge |
STEPPIN' UP, AND NOW WHAT?
There is a dynasty brewing of sorts here in the Big West as LBSU has nailed down the top recruiting class for the third year running. The 49ers did capture a share of the conference title last year but the NCAA Tournament is still unchartered territory for this program. Although this class does have Top 100 recruit Emily Kingsborough, what differentiates this group from past editions is the talent level across the chart without a couple of stars stacking the numbers. Aside from Kinsborough, an All-American with youth national team experience, Coach Ingrassia gets seven other Californians from some of the top clubs in the country. Sisters Caroline and Grace Shevlin excelled in San Diego prep soccer, captured an SYL North American championship with their West Coast FC, and have played with the Peru U-20 national team. Another signee with international experience is forward Janet Mendez who was on the Mexican U-20 team roster for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2006. With ODP experience on the Cal South team, forward Kristen Kiefer and defender Vanessa Nieto will push for playing time. Another offensive weapon headed to Long Beach is all-CIF performer Lindsay Bullock out of Mira Costa HS. The 49ers might have picked up instant production when they landed San Diego State transfer Mariko Strickland who was a full-time starter for the Aztecs for two seasons. With his 2007 class, Coach Ingrassia has another that ranks among the nation's Top 50.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
The most improved award has to go to UC Irvine which not only nailed the second best class in the Big West, but landed a group among the Top 75 in the country. UCSB has a top three Big West group for the second year running. The Gauchos, along with Cal State Fullerton, remain the hottest recruiting teams behind perennial leader LBSU. The new group at UC Davis is very solid and in many conferences, would be top two or three. But the Aggies will have to keep getting better additions to be competitive in this vastly improved league.
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| Colonial |
1. William & Mary
2. Hofstra
3. UNC Wilmington
4. James Madison |
5. Towson
6. Delaware
7. George Mason
8. Georgia State |
9. Old Dominion
10. Northeastern
N/A Drexel
N/A VCU |
OH WHAT A GREAT SEASON DOES FOR RECRUITING
It's been a while, but William & Mary returns to the throne in the world of CAA recruiting after a stellar campaign on the field in 2006. The jewel in this class is Top 100 player Grace Barnard, an All-American keeper out of New York who plays with the regional ODP team. Kaitlin O'Connor and Kathleen Winsper are solid central defenders from in-state and from strong club programs. Both have been part of the state ODP team and received several prep honors. Vista United forward Mary Jacocks heads to Williamsburg as a high school state champion and great all-around athlete. In-state products Anna Kayes and Danielle Axenfeld add depth in this class to the Tribe midfield. One of just two out-of-state signees, Brittany Lane is one of the top players from Houston and the Challenge program who she helped snare five state titles. With last year's nationally-ranked team, Coach Daly has proven that recruiting rankings may be less important than getting the most out of the athletes you do recruit but this year's group is arguably as good as any he has signed in recent years.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Although its full class has not been reported, Hofstra has enough talent on board in this year's review to finish just behind W&M which will keep the Pride in the running for CAA championships. Both Delaware and Towson inked players that are among the best in recent years for those programs. Always ready to slip in an international recruit or two, Northeastern currently has commitments only from American prepsters and could land outside the top half of league recruiting for the first time in years.
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| Conference USA |
1. Rice
2. UAB
3. SMU
4. Central Florida |
5. Memphis
6. Marshall
7. UTEP
8. East Carolina |
9. Houston
10. Colorado College
11. Tulsa
12. Southern Miss |
TEACHER, THERE'S A NEW LEADER IN THE CLASS
Rice has been close before, but 2007 is the first time the Owls have notched the best recruits in Conference USA. Three of the best players from the Dallas area head south to Houston. Ashley Gowda and Jordan Holloway play for Dallas Texans and led the club to two national championship semifinal appearances. Gowda is a North Texas ODP player as is Dallas Sting forward, Korey Taylor, a high school state champion. From Virginia, Coach Huston got midfielders Beth England and Elizabeth Nesbit, a state ODP player and four-time state champ with her Virginia Rockets club. An all-state forward from Michigan, keeper Catherine Fitzsimmons has top experience after leading her Michigan Hawks to the national semifinals and suiting up for the state ODP squad. The Owls' final three signees all hail from California, including Meghan Erkel of the San Juan Spirits and Ariel Rogers of Juventus Spirits. With heavy training with the Slammers club and all-CIF performances with her prep team, Kate Edwards will be another solid addition at midfield after recently being called into pool training for the South Korean U-17 national team. Rice's 2007 newcomers are among its best ever and keeps a string alive of recent Top 75 signing rankings.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
After last year's very small two-person class, SMU is back among the top three. UAB is rolling with its second straight number two group. UCF stays among the top third yet again and Memphis is one of six conference teams among the Top 100. Could this be Marshall's best class ever? For Southern Miss there is no good news as another bottom ranking keeps piling up. Tulsa, with a couple of good recruits, still lands among the bottom three as has been the recent trend.
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| Horizon |
1. UW-Milwaukee
2. Butler
3. Loyola Chicago
4. Wright State |
5. Valparaiso
6. Cleveland State
7. Detroit
8. Youngstown State |
9. UW-Green Bay |
PANTHERS WEAR A SHOE THAT FITS
It was just a little blip when UW-Milwaukee settled in at number two in last year's recruiting rankings, so it's back to business as usual with a signing class that tops the Horizon. If you are talking soccer recruiting and UWM, you can bet several additions are coming from FC Milwaukee. That holds this year as six newcomers will stay near home to play for the Panthers. Three hail from state champion Brookfield Central HS as Nicole Hirsch, Sarah Talbert and Heather Roadhouse will be quick producers for Coach Moynihan. Roadhouse is a regional ODP pool midfielder while both Talbert and Hirsch earned all-state honors and suited up for the Wisconsin ODP state squad. Defenders Helena Zbilut and Kelly McGrath come from FC Milwaukee also as does midfielder Nicole Sperl who has state ODP experience and received all-state recognition at Wauwatosa. Outside the state, UWM signed three from Michigan and Illini Clair Watkins, a top defender with KUFC Premier, which won a US Club national title. All three Michigan signees come from the Grand Valley club team. Erin DeYoung and Brianne Borgman are both offensive additions who were all-state prepsters and are joined at UWM by club teammate, Ellen Phillips.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Among the hottest teams in Horizon recruiting is Butler, which has now brought in a top three group in two of the last three years. Loyola's crop of newcomers keeps getting better and better and inching the Ramblers closer to the top. New league member Valparaiso carried over well from the Mid-Continent with a group right in the thick of the pack. Two teams back at their all-too-familiar spots in the bottom two are Youngstown State and UW-Green Bay.
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| Independents |
1. Francis Marion
2. Cal St Bakersfield |
EAST TRUMPS WEST FOR FMU
With just two independents on tap for 2007, Francis Marion gets the edge in this group. In just their second year of D1 play, the Patriots did okay in their recruiting efforts. Canadian Nina Connell could provide immediate offense after great training with the Burlington Flash and as a member of the Ontario Provincial team. Three in-staters, Kristi Caldwell-Gabrielle Byrd-Margarent Fanning, will head to FMU with frontline experience. Another Palmetto state signee is Margaret Burrows who earned state player of the year honors for independent schools while lacing up for the SC ODP state squad. Coach Beall also brought up two rookies from the north. New Yorker Rebecca Nelson and Taylor Jenkins of Maryland are both midfielders as Jenkins has played with the state ODP team.
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| And the Other Guys:
Coach Van Dyke brought in a huge class to help her program transition to Division 1. This class easily could be more talented than Francis Marion's but it's a group strong on high school talent and less on club experience. The group includes mostly Californians including All-CIF performer Sarah Gaskins and club Arsenal forward Casey Clark. The Roadrunners also add two British products in Natalie Haigh and Leanne Tucker.
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| IVY |
1. Harvard
2. Princeton
3. Yale
4. Brown |
5. Dartmouth
6. Pennsylvania
7. Columbia
8. Cornell |
ALL THIS AFTER ALL THAT?
The last three years may have been a crazy period for staffing at Harvard, but all the changes didn't hurt recruiting as the Crimson scored the top class in 2007 after landing the second best last year. Three of the Top 150 players in the US head to Harvard, including the state player of the year in New Jersey, Katherine Sheeleigh. A forward from The Pingry School, Sheeleigh is a HS All-American and twice led PDA Fury to the national semifinals. Two Floridians who are regional ODP midfielders head to New England. Top 50 recruit Kerry Kartsonis is an all-stater from Jacksonville and Gina Wideroff comes from Team Boca in south Florida. Katie Kuzman is a third Sunshine State product who earned all-state and played in back for the Countryside Lightning while starring for the state ODP team. Another top recruit of 2007 and another regional ODP player headed to Harvard is Kellie O'Toole. The Pennsylvania native is another Crimson signee who advanced to the national semifinals with her club team. This strong class also includes defender Caroline Kutler of Los Angeles and Katie Thurber of Wisconsin, another state ODP player for new coach Ray Leone.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
2007 is just the second time in six years that Princeton did not land the top Ivy class, but the Tigers are not hurting after hauling in a Top 50 national group. In all, five Ivy programs admitted Top 100 classes, including the best ever for Brown and certainly among the top two ever for Yale. Most of the Ivy schools are landing great soccer talent and while Columbia again lands near the bottom despite a solid set of newcomers, the Lions have proved us wrong before by capturing the Ivy title in 2006 without so much as one group ranked in the top two by Soccer Buzz. This year's group does earn a regional mark for the fourth time in the last five years.
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| MAAC |
1. Loyola MD
2. Fairfield
3. Marist
4. Siena |
5. Manhattan
6. Iona
7. Canisius
8. St Peter's |
No Report:
Niagara
Rider |
NO LETTING UP FOR LOYOLA
It's impossible to go back in the books to find a year when Loyola didn't finish atop the recruiting wars in the MAAC. This time, Coach Byford did it with small, powerful numbers including two who are among the Top 250 recruits in the nation. Only four additions will make their way to Baltimore in 2007. The PDA Fury sends Lina Staropoli, a New Jersey all-state midfielder who is a regional ODP pool player and national champion with her Fury team. Kelly Thomas of Ohio also has regional ODP pool experience while winning several state titles at Walsh Jesuit high school and with the Cleveland Cobras. She has also been a national ODP selection in SYL play along with fellow signee, Marissa Greco of New Jersey. Greco twice made the SYL North American finals with her club team, Parsippany Gazelles, winning it all in 2005. The fourth new Greyhound is New Yorker Taylor Stantypal. The Eastern NY state ODP midfielder from Massapequa has won state championships at the club and high school level.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
For the second straight year, Fairfield has landed the second best group in the MAAC behind the addition of Nicole Cavallaro and Brittany Schandelmayer. Don't be surprised that Marist has the third best group of rookies coming aboard--it's the second year in a row the Red Foxes have excelled. This one is their best ever which earns them a regional ranking for the first time ever. As the top three teams remain the same in MAAC recruiting, so does the caboose which again belongs to St Peter's (although Niagara and Rider are holdouts again on any information at release date.)
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| Mid-American |
1. Miami OH
2. Toledo
3. Central Michigan
4. Bowling Green |
5. Ball State
6. Akron
7. Northern Illinois
8. Western Michigan |
9. Ohio
10. Eastern Michigan St
11. Buffalo
N/A Kent State |
REDHAWKS RETURN TO AN OLD FAMILIAR SPOT
It's been a while but Miami earned its way back atop the league rankings in recruiting. The Redhawks knocked Bowling Green who had earned back-to-back top rankings. Coach Kramig inked players from some of the best clubs in the region and overseas. Midfielder Kathleen Callahan comes from powerhouse Walsh Jesuit HS and the Internationals club program as she captured nearly ten state titles combined. Defender Michelle DeZarn is another in-state signee from the Cincinnati FA club program. Twin sisters Jessica and Rachel Byron head over from Indiana where they shared Northern Indiana co-player of the year honors at Marian HS. The most dynamic additions to this program and a key factor in their ascent to the top spot are Swedish players Eva Candia and Sara Lundh. The two play for Husie IF in the highly competitive first division of Sweden's soccer league.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
With a solid group of its own, Toledo may have brought in the best group in program history which earned the Rockets a spot in the regional rankings. Central Michigan does well again and remains consistent at the third spot. On a downward slope, Ohio has gone from second two years ago to fifth last year to only ninth best in conference recruiting this time around. Kent State is the lone school not reporting but do the Flashes have commitments in the works to finally move out of the bottom two in conference recruiting?
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| Mid-Continent |
1. Western Illinois
2. Centenary
3. Oakland
4. South Dakota St |
5. Southern Utah
6. North Dakota St
7. IUPUI |
No Reports:
IPFW
Oral Roberts |
TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS GOES WIU
After years of recruiting domination by Oakland, the Mid-Continent has a new king in 2007 as Western Illinois brings in the best newcomers this year. One of the best is New York keeper, Jessica Walsh, who is a first-team all-state player and ODP national champion. Midfielders Jill Kervorkian and Kendra Wilkening will be great additions after strong club careers which included a national championship in US Club league play. Several newcomers arrive from around the midwest including Chelsea McGeehan from JB Marine and Tasha Mullett from Ohio. WIU gained two international products with the signings of Alan Lymkork and Chinaka Lymyork of Trinidad. Both defenders won national championships at Providence HS and Lymyork has trained with the U-19 national team in her home country.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Oakland may have lost its grip on the top position but the Grizzlies are holding their own with a group near the top. The last three years have seen Centenary get better and better recruits and this season is its best at second in the Mid-Con. New league member South Dakota State did well with a group among the top half of all conference schools. Still bringing up the rear of reported recruits is IUPUI, ranking again at the bottom of the conference although Oral Roberts and newcomer IPFW have not announced anything official.
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| Missouri Valley |
1. Missouri State
2. Creighton
3. Illinois State
4. Drake |
5. Evansville
6. Indiana State
7. Northern Iowa |
BEARS WIN A DEAD HEAT AMONG THREE
It seemed like Illinois State. Then it seemed like Creighton was good for its third "recruiting title" in a row. And in the end, we slotted Missouri State at the top in a tight race for the signing crown in the Missouri Valley. A large class of ten newcomers may have given Missouri State the edge over its two league rivals. Coach Brewer didn't go too far to bring in some of the best talent in the midwest. Megan Flecke and Jordan Reppell racked up nearly ten state championships with their St Louis SC. Reppell was an all-state defender and a member of the Missouri ODP squad. Also from the St Louis SC, Missouri State adds forward Brooke Inman. Lee's Summitt HS sends two midfielders to Springfield as Christine Cross and Jessica Depew both received numerous prep honors including all-state for Depew. Their KC Dynamos teammate, Jessica Teahan also joins the Bears after a stellar career at nationally-ranked St Thomas Aquinas HS. Teahan was a two-time state champion at Aquinas while also making the pool roster for the regional ODP team. Defender Kellie Jensen transfers in from the University of Nebraska and is joined by two more preps from her home state of Kansas. Sarah Linsin and Shannon Russell both won state titles at Blue Valley West as well as all-state recognition. The two defensive aces also led KCFC Alliance to several state titles. The final addition for Coach Brewer in this large class is forward Beth Bystrom of Iowa who captured numerous state titles herself with her club team, West Des Moines. This solid group just cracked the regional rankings after a two-year absence.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Both Creighton and Illinois State have plenty to be excited about with their 2007 classes. Those two plus Missouri State outpaced the rest of the league in 2007 recruiting. Finding its way to the bottom of the pile once again is Northern Iowa. The large class could help although past efforts have led to only five wins total over the last three years.
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| Mountain West |
1. TCU
2. Utah
3. San Diego St
4. BYU |
5. UNLV
6. New Mexico
7. Wyoming
N/A Air Force |
LEAPFROGGING STRAIGHT TO THE TOP
Since the arrival of Coach Abdalla and the move to the Mountain West in 2005, TCU has been on a mission that has now hit full scale. The Horned Frogs have had great recruiting classes the last two years but this one is tops in the MWC and best in school history. A trio of Edmond SC (Oklahoma) signees headline this new group led by forward Kaylie Garcia. With her club team, and new TCU teammates Chelsea Cody and Kelsey Walters, Garcia twice was national champion runner-up in club play. All three prep at Putnam City HS and have been in the mix for the regional ODP squad. Two-time all-state forward Jackie Torda heads to TCU with experience on the North Texas ODP state squad as does another Longhorn, Julie Slater. Claiming several state titles with her Rebels Select (NV) squad, Tara Magdos is a solid defensive addition as is Laguna Hills Eclipse defender Katie Taylor. The Escondido, CA, native earned all-CIF honors and played with the Cal South team. Real Colorado sends two top players to TCU and both have state ODP playing time. Jenna Hayes is an all-state forward and Bree Marshall is a key defender on their club state championship team. This marks the third straight season that TCU has inked a class among the Top 50 in the country.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Changes at San Diego State left the Aztecs without the top recruiting class in the MWC for the first time in three years, but the newcomers are still among the best. While Utah has been NCAA bound and nationally ranked in recent years, smaller recruiting classes kept the Utes from high MWC recruiting rankings. This year's crop of newcomers, however, is its best in the MWC in a while, sitting at the second spot. For the third year running, New Mexico and Wyoming sit among the bottom two although both have recruits that will keep them competive in the MWC.
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| Northeast |
1. CCSU
2. Monmouth
3. Long Island
4. Wagner |
5. St Francis PA
6. Quinnipiac
No Reports: |
Fairleigh Dickinson
Mt St Mary's
Sacred Heart |
BLUE DEVILS ARE A UK EMPIRE
It's been a couple of years but CCSU is back atop the Northeast recruiting charts thanks largely to a big international contingent. Three Brits cross the Atlantic led by defender Karen Ray who has trained with England's U-19 national team. Two of her Arsenal club teammates also make their way to the US as midfielders Clio Tregear and Beth Lloyd could factor into the Devils offense. Coach D'Arcy added more UK flair with two strong transfers. Leah Blayney comes from Auburn and has played with the Australian U-20 team and Hannah Bromley transfers out of Tennessee Tech and is a recent New Zealand full national team addition. Stateside, CCSU inked Albertson Fury defender Corrine Alexinas and Erica Celini of Yankee United as both claimed state championships with their club programs. Heading up to New Britain from just south in New Jersey is all-state midfielder Abby Graham. This rookie class is solid enough to land CCSU among the nation's Top 100 recruits for the first time in program history.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
After finishing ahead of the pack in 2006, Sacred Heart has not reported a signing group for this fall but preliminary information has Coach Bonner's latest additions among the best in the league. Long Island continues to pull in players that place the Blackbirds in the top half of the league in recruiting. While St Francis appears to fall back in the crowd again, it is always a bit misleading as the NEC often has several schools who never report signings or do so very late.
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| Ohio Valley |
1. Samford
2. Eastern Kentucky
3. Austin Peay
4. Eastern Illinois |
5. Tennessee Tech
6. Morehead State
7. Jacksonville State
8. SE Missouri St |
9. Murray State
No Report:
Tennessee-Martin |
BULLDOGS REMAIN "UNDEFEATED" IN OVC
Make it out five out of five as Samford has once again brought in the supreme class in the league. The latest version comes from states around the South. Among the top signees are three midfielders all with ODP regional team experience. Lindsay Matern signs up after an all-state prep career in Florida and several club state titles with her Countryside Lightning squad. From club Challenge in south Texas comes Colette Nammour and in-stater Kelly Shaffer stays near home to strengthen the Bulldogs' middle. Two players who excelled in the Texas prep ranks head to Samford as Hillary Samuels and Sarah Wilkinson will give Coach Yelton more offensive punch. Joining her Countryside teammate Matern is Melissa Miller, another Florida signee who was an all-state performer. Rounding out this latest top-ranked class is forward Leah Leppert from the Volunteer state who earned All-America status as a National Christian School athlete. Samford's class is not only the best in the OVC but this set ranks as the best-ever for this program as it lands just outside the Top 50 in the nation.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
In case anyone is not paying attention--Eastern Kentucky is hitting the mark every time in just its third year of play. After two groups ranked third in the league, this latest is second behind Samford's. Not to be outdone, Austin Peay lands in the top four for the third straight season. Working its way out of the bottom half, Tennessee Tech landed a good group largely behind the addition of Canadian Michelle Decker. Still near the bottom, Murray State is not changing much in its recruiting efforts and SE Missouri State, despite an NCAA appearance in 2006, is slipping after ranking second in conference recruiting back in 2005.
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| Pac-10 |
1. UCLA
2. California
3. Washington
4. USC |
5. Oregon
6. Stanford
7. Arizona
8. Arizona State |
9. Washington State
10. Oregon St |
MORE POWER FOR THE BRUINS
In a league that has fast become a recruiting juggernaut, UCLA gathers in a group that is ranked first in the Pac-10 for the second year in a row. The Bruins again struck gold in their home state and then splashed in a few more additions from around the US for this latest signing period. Four newcomers have US youth national team experience including two of the top defenders in the class of 2007. Lauren Barnes and Kylie Wright are mong the Top 10 recruits this year as both have been recent US U-20 national team candidates and both won ODP national championships with Cal South. Those two youth All-Americas could see midfielder Sarah Salazar of Oklahoma on the pitch with them after her years of regularly being a youth national team player. From the highly competitive Eagles club out of Camarillo, Nicole Sweetman heads to Westwood as both a club and ODP national champion. A fifth recruit ranked among the Top 75 is Taylor Cochran, a regional ODP member and all-state midfielder from Washington. Coach Ellis wasn't done with those impressive additions as she plucked more from some of the best club teams in America including Elise Britt from Santa Rosa United, Dana Wall from Sereno and Carli Castaneda from San Diego Surf. All three won club state championships while Castaneda has been an all-CIF performer in the prep ranks and has been a part of the regional ODP unit. Another all-CIF forward with numerous high school honors is Elizabeth Zadro from Mater Dei high. In all, UCLA's rookies are an impressive bunch with nine among the nation's Top 500 and a couple more very capable of contributing on a very deep roster.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
He may have left the Golden den, but Kevin Boyd signed a class at California that is not only second best in the Pac-10 but one that is among the top two in Cal history. After abysmal seasons recently, Washington may have righted itself with a Top 25 group that is third best in the league. USC's class gets the Women of Troy back in line with their top-ranked 2005 group after last year's small, unranked set. On the flip side, Oregon State has been among the bottom three for three years running and Washington State, after some success recently, has developed a downward trend in a league stacked with recruiting.
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| Patriot |
1. Bucknell
2. Navy
3. Lehigh
4. Lafayette |
5. Colgate
6. American |
No Reports:
Army
Holy Cross |
BISON CHARGE RIGHT TO THE TOP
The Patriot has a new recruiting winner for the third time in the last six years as Bucknell signs a class that also earns them a regional mark. Forward Kelliann Doherty is one of the top signees in America as she finished her prep career as a two-time all-state athlete and the Philly Inquirer Player of the Year. Another New Jersey prepster headed to Bucknell is defender Caitlin Holtz, an all-stater at The Peddie School who has played with NJ ODP team. Coach Landis added two more state ODP defenders in Amanda Citron of Massachusetts and Kelsey Johnson of Connecticut. An all-state player, Johnson also earned all-regional honors from the NSCAA. Making the long haul east, Rosemary Walker comes out of Oakland, CA, where she played club with ACC Mavericks. Locally, Bucknell brought in three solid Pennsylvania players, all with state championships under their belts. Midfielder Julianne Harris and forward Brooke Stokes claimed state titles with their club teams and all-state forward Christa Matlack captured a prep state championship. The Bison's class has all the pieces for a repeat regular season Patriot title.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
For the sixth straight year, Navy has pulled in a group among the top three in the league. Lehigh continues to keep pace with a group again among the top half in the Patriot. Not so noteworthy is another small group of newcomers at American that leaves the Eagles way behind.
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| SEC |
1. Vanderbilt
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina |
5. Florida
6. Auburn
7. Kentucky
8. LSU |
9. Alabama
10. Arkansas
11. Mississippi State
12. Mississippi |
VANDY ZOOMS FROM THE BACK
Going from dead last in SEC recruiting last season with a small group, Vanderbilt hit the mark in 2007 with the best signing period in school history. Eight different states send newcomers to Nashville as Vandy adds sisters Molly and Megan Kinsella from Memphis and two North Carolina products in Catherine Wearn and Megan Eddings. The Tar Heel state signees both won high school championships along with state titles with their Greensboro Twisters squad. The Kinsellas were both all-state performers as Molly has been a regional ODP forward. The real deal for Coach Coveleskie begins with three recruits ranked among the nation's Top 75. Former US youth national team pool members Mary Rachel Reynolds and Rachel Bachtel are excellent additions. Bachtel is among the top five keepers in this class and Tophat Gold defender Reynolds has been a youth All-American. Another youth All-American and another recruit from Greensboro Twisters is Hannah Gonzales, an all-state forward and regional ODP player. Going for big numbers, the Commodores brought in Kristine Chaklos, a defender with several national finals appearances with her Michigan Hawks squad and the state ODP team. From the Cal North ODP squad, Taylor Claxton heads the longest distance of the newcomers and Devan Council of Nevada and Katie Dean of Florida will roll up from solid club programs that won state titles.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Vandy may have stolen the press for 2007, but it's Georgia who is on a hot roll with another class second in the SEC. After last year's national Top 10 group, the Bulldogs secure another great one among the Top 20. Sneaking up on everyone is South Carolina with signings that have improved steadily three straight years. Alabama's huge class may be its best in over a decade. Although nationally competitive in season, Mississippi has really moved down the charts the last three years in recruiting and joins rival Mississippi State as the only two league schools not among the nation's Top 100.
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| Southern |
1. UNC Greensboro
2. Elon
3. Western Carolina
4. Furman |
5. Appalachian St
6. Davidson
7. Charleston
8. Wofford |
9. Chattanooga
10. Georgia Southern
No Report:
Citadel |
SPARKS FOR THE SPARTANS
UNC Greensboro has had a lock on the recruiting prize in the Southern Conference for years and this group continues a trend of improving nationally the last four years. Just as he did last year, Coach Radwanski canvassed the state and was rewarded well while adding two California players to the Carolina mix. Three players in particular from North Carolina, all among the Top 250 in the country, stand out among this group: Christina Karam, Barrie Vogel and Jennifer Partenheimer. Karam and Vogel come from the Greensboro Twisters club program and both are regional ODP pool players. Partenheimer is one of three signees from the premier club CASL Spartan. She is a NC ODP state team athlete as are her fellow CASL teammates, Katie Jordan and Katie Evans. All three have been part of several club state title teams and a US Club national championship while Evans comes from powerhouse Broughton high school. Another Greensboro Twister staying home in Greensboro is midfielder Kate Voznik and NC ODP player Carolyn Handy heads west from Jacksonville. The two Californians both hail from the West Coast FC where they captured state cup crowns. Jennifer Rincon and Kristin Player, both of Placentia, CA, also claimed SYL North American championships as part of their West Coast squad. The Spartans' latest signees are head and shoulders above all others in the conference and among the top ten in the region.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Elon is quietly making a move within the league from a recruiting standpoint. The Phoenix have improved from fifth to third to now second in the last years in recruiting. While not among the top three as is tradition, Furman is still holding firm with a rookie set among the top third in the Southern. Moving in the opposite direction is Georgia Southern who has gone from top third two years ago to bottom of the rankings this time around.
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| Southland |
1. Stephen F Austin
2. Texas State
3. Sam Houston St
4. Lamar |
5. Texas-San Antonio
6. McNeese State
7. Northwestern State
8. Central Arkansas |
9. Nicholls State
No Report:
SE Louisiana |
LADYJACKS SWEEP UP FOR TOP HONORS IN SLC
Take Texas, take Canada, and mix in a little Las Vegas and you get a cocktail that wins the Southland recruiting battle in 2007. Stephen F Austin brought in solid talent near home, three Canadians and Courtney Bauder, a four-time club state champion goalkeeper with her Rebel Select team in Nevada. From Sting Royal, midfielder Brittney Barker is a top recruit out of Texas with solid credentials at Keller HS. Two more Longhorn state products join up at SFA as Sarah Gregory comes from the D'Feeters club and Kelli Barnes plays defensively for Solar. Forward Megan Cash returns near home after transferring from Tulsa where she earned Conference USA All-Freshman honors after leading the Hurricanes in scoring. From north of the border comes a trio of successful Maple Leaf soccer stars. Ontarians Kesia Broome and Jamie Snow bring solid club experience down to Texas. Broome has played with the provincial team in Ontario while Snow has competed at the highest club level, winning the Ontario Cup and a national championship. After two straight seasons with the second-best crop in the Southland, Coach Frias turned it up this year for his first finish on top in conference recruiting.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Making great strides is Texas State as the Bobcats have gone from sixth in league recruiting in '05, to fourth in '06 to now second in '07. No longer the league's newest team, Sam Houston St did a better job mostly with the addition of Brazilian Luana Miessa. Inaugural program Lamar has a solid group to launch their program and the entire class could arguably be among the top two in this league despite a current ranking at fourth. Second-year member Central Arkansas is quickly becoming partners with Nicholls in bringing up the rear in Southland recruiting.
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| Sun Belt |
1. Denver
2. North Texas
3. Middle Tenn St
4. Western Kentucky |
5. Arkansas-LR
6. Florida Atlantic
7. Florida International
8. Lousiana-Monroe |
9. Louisiana-Lafayette
10. South Alabama
11. Arkansas State
12. Troy |
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH OVER THE SUN BELT
It's been three years, but Denver returns to the pinnacle of Sun Belt recruiting. Coach Hooker plucked some of the best talent in the state and added a couple of strong out-of-state club players to get the right mix for this year's needs. More than twenty state championships have been claimed by this group, including several from club and high school teammates, Lauren Cavarra and Megan Flannery. The Real Colorado stars both earned all-state honors for their high school state championship team, Arapahoe HS. They are two of the top players out of Colorado this year along with Jessie Rogers, a defender on the regional ODP squad and a state champion herself with Ft Collins Arsenal. Another key offensive signee is Lauren Fields from Albuquerque. The state ODP player helped her Albuquerque United club to several state crowns. With a national championshipo finals appearance with her Tophat club, midfielder Kelsey Quinn brings great experience to Denver as she also led her high school to two state titles. Coach Hooker scored a major addition when Carrie Blankenbuhr decided to return near home and transfer from San Diego State. She started fourteen games for the Aztecs, giving Denver a well-rounded set of newcomers sure to keep them as a regular Sun Belt target.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
It is no surprise that the team hot on Denver's trail is North Texas. The Mean Green ranks second in recruiting in 2007 and has been among the top four for the last few years. Not losing pace is Middle Tennessee State with its third straight top three signing class as the Blue Raiders ranked first in 2005 and hold strong at third this year. Don't overlook Western Kentucky who has gone fifth, fourth and now again fourth in recent recruiting periods which is solid enough to get the Hilltoppers closer to a Sun Belt run. Troy is again bringing up the rear with iffy talent to be competitive in this league, and Arkansas State is not that far behind after making a small move up just three or four years ago.
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| SWAC |
Not enough information from schools to provide analysis. |
AT LEAST WE THINK THEY PLAY SOCCER
See 2006. And 2005. And every year since SWAC began sponsoring soccer. There is never anything to report regarding recruiting. And hardly any news coming from the schools during the season. But they sponsor soccer and they do get an automatic NCAA berth. And to be fair, Mississippi Valley State is the one school that has encouraged their recruits to contact us the last couple of years. So we declare MVSU the unofficial best in SWAC recruiting for 2007!
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| United Soccer |
1. Utah Valley St
2. NJIT
3. Longwood |
No Report:
Delaware St
Howard
South Carolina St |
THE VALLEY IS UP AGAIN
In this fledgling soccer conference that has a big lineup change in 2007, Utah Valley repeats as the best recruiting program. North Dakota St, South Dakota St and IFPW are off to the Mid-Continent, and NJIT has joined in, but Utah Valley offers a sesnse of order with their second year atop the recruiting ranks. Second-year coach Anderson did so largely with in-state talent including four players who earned all-state honors in Utah. Versatile local product Danielle Anderson is among the best of this group and was area Player of the Year. Keeper Hailey Brown and midfielder Lauren Bluth captured state crowns with their Sparta United club team. Two high school state champs from Utah join the Wolverines as Madeline McQuarrie and Taryn Smith are two of the seven preps staying in-state for UVSU. Along with her experience on the ODP state team, defender Sara Walker brings three state championships with her from Catalina Foothills in Arizona. Rounding out the Wolverines is another all-state performer as Andi Bagdan heads down from Oregon.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
In just its second year, not much can be made of this league yet, especially when schools like Howard, Delaware State and SC State often fail to report any news on their recruits or their programs even during the season. New member NJIT is likely to have success soon especially with this year's group of rookies that hail from five states and includes three internationals.
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| WAC |
1. Nevada
2. Fresno State
3. Hawaii
4. Idaho |
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Utah State
7. Boise State
8. San Jose State |
A WAC TRIFECTA WITH NEVADA GETTING THE WIN
For the third year in a row, the top three teams lead the WAC in recruiting in the exact same order. Despite a serious push from Fresno who pulled in huge numbers, Nevada ekes out a top billing based on the talent of its smaller class. Cristen Drummond is one of the best players in the LA area with several all-CIF honors and experience with the Cal South state team. A four-time all-CIF goalie headed to Reno is Marie Cove, a Cypress Elite member. Helping her Colorado Rush club team to five state titles, defender Erin Smith should be a key component for Coach Patraw. Smith also led Chatfield HS to a state title and played with the Colorado ODP state team. With an ODP national championship under her wings, Jillian Erickson could be a leading defensive player in the WAC. She has been a pool player on the regional ODP squad and led NWN Fusion to several state championships. Heading stateside, defender Vanessa Mann is a top notch Australian who won three national school titles and made the travelling squad for high school all-stars. This Wolf Pack class is solid and rates with the 2005 group as one of the program's best.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
Fresno has a great argument for a higher ranking with their latest group, but its significantly local signees will get tested hard in the WAC. Hawaii again goes with small numbers but continues to hit the east coast and once again inks a group right behind Nevada and Fresno. While San Jose State slips to the bottom in 2007, it is Boise who has consistently lagged behind with a signing class that puts it among the bottom two for the third straight time.
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| West Coast |
1. Santa Clara
2. Portland
3. Pepperdine
4. San Diego |
5. Loyola Marymount
6. Gonzaga
7. San Francisco
8. St Mary's |
IT'S ENOUGH TO MAKE A HORSE BUCK
You can't argue with success. And while WCC teams are finally having some success against perennial powers Santa Clara and Portland, it's the Broncos who continue to excel nationally and bring in the best recruits. This marks the sixth time in the last eight years that Coach Smith has brought in the most heralded newcomers. All five rookies are among the nation's Top 75 recruits and forward Jessie Baddley is ranked among the Top 10. Four-time Utah all-stater Baddley is one of three US U-17 pool players and joins Chelsea Bednarz as two All-Americans joining the Broncos. Top 25 recruit Bednarz plays for powerhouse Sereno as she led the team to two state championships and a national semfinals appearance. The third national team pool signee is Kendra Perry, a three-time club state title holder with her Pleasanton Rage squad. Perry is the first of three Californians to ink with Santa Clara, joining Anessa Patton and Maxine Goynes. Fast and highly-decorated, Patton could play up top or in the back and has been a national pool camper at the U-16 and U-15 levels. She has racked up huge offensive numbers playing prep soccer in Fresno and has been twice named the area's player of the year. Another addition from Pleasanton Rage is defender Maxine Goynes. She has been a regular on the regional ODP team and helped the Rage to a US Club championship run. Five stacked newcomers gives Santa Clara a Top 10 national ranking for the fourth time in the last five years.
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| Who's Hot, Who's Not:
For the West Coast Conference, there really is only "hot" when it comes to recruiting. Every program has improved tremendously over the years. Pepperdine is consistently scoring near the head of the class with Santa Clara and Portland. The Waves' 2007 class is best in school history as is Gonzaga's. San Francisco even got going this year with a group that could be the Dons most productive and San Diego may have another recruit or two that would give them perhaps their best signees in one single year. To be completely fair, St Mary's appears to be lagging behind a bit the last couple of years. However, the Gaels six known recruits aren't official and more additions could spell better news for this program.
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