Central Washington
Wildcats Sign Three for West Valley & Thomas Jefferson (2/26/08)
A total of seven high school student-athletes, including three each from West Valley High School of Yakima and Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn will join the Central Washington University women's soccer program for the 2008 season.
Headlining the group are twin sisters Brittany and Hillary Franks of West Valley. Both players, along with prep teammate Alex Jensen, were first team all-Columbia Basin League (3A) selections this past season in leading the Rams to the CBL 3A title and a fourth-place finish at the state tournament.
Hillary Franks, a 5-foot-9 defender, was the CBL Player of the Year and a candidate for the Class 3A Player of the Year in 2007. A first team all-state selection, she was also her league's Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time first team all-CBL honoree.
Brittany Franks, a 5-foot-7 forward, earned her first all-league first team selection as a senior. She was West Valley's leading scorer as a sophomore and junior, receiving her team's Offensive Player of the Year award in 2006. She also received second team all-league recognition during both the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
“We have been able to watch this trio of girls (from West Valley) for the past three seasons," CWU coach Michael Farrand said, "and they bring a wealth of experience in terms of winning and of competing at a high level.
"Hillary is a solid defender who organizes well and is a leader on and off the field. She is strong on goal kicks and free kicks, and she directs the team very well from the back. Brittany has unlimited potential in terms of being able to get to the goal and finish, and has been a proven goal-scorer at the high school level. She brings in a new dimension for us as a target forward, which is something we have not been able to utilize in our program yet."
Jensen, a 5-foot-7 midfielder, was a four-year letter winner and a three-time all-league pick for the Rams. She led the CBL in assists as a junior and is currently playing for the Emerald City FC in Seattle. In addition, she is one of a limited number of players from the region to be selected to go to the Super Y ODP tryouts in Florida.
"Alex has been an outside midfielder, but will move inside to be an offensive mid," Farrand explained. "She is a solid shooter who is good with both feet and who should be able to come in and be a playmaker for us."
Forward Serena Tomaso comes to Central Washington from Enumclaw High School where she was a first team all-South Puget Sound League (3A) forward as a senior. She led the league in scoring and assists with 31 points and nine assists, also ranking second with 11 goals. A four-year letter winner for the Hornets, she led the SPSL 3A in points with 33 as a junior, tallying 12 goals and nine assists.
"Serena is another player we have been able to watch over the past few years," Farrand said. "She is one of the most explosive individual players on a consistent basis that we have been able to bring into our program. An accomplished high school and club player, Serena is very dangerous in the open field and in 1 v 1 situations."
Joining the Central Washington program from Thomas Jefferson is the trio of Mallory Murray, Amy Pate, and Kendall Swynenburg.
All three were teammates for a Raider squad that finished third in the South Puget Sound League 4A North Division this past season. They were all four-year letter winners and part of Jefferson teams that won league titles in both 2005 and 2006, including an appearance in the WIAA Class 4A state tournament in 2005.
Pate and Murray were the Raiders' top two scorers during their senior campaigns, registering eight goals and three assists (19 points) and five goals and five assists (15 points), respectively. Pate was a first team all-league choice as a senior and a second team honoree as a junior, while Murray received second team all-SPSL 4A North recognition this past season.
"Amy has played numerous positions, including offensive midfielder, forward, and on the outside," Farrand said. "We have been impressed by her maturity, her touch, and her vision in the final third. She has a chance to have a good impact on our program this year.
"Mallory brings added depth to the outside midfielder positions," Farrand continued. "She is a natural left-footed player with very good speed, and she will give us some pace on the outside to help us replace the loss of (graduating CWU senior) Lindsay Mitchell.
"Kendall plays as a forward or outside mid, and has played as a central mid. She is a versatile player and a good athlete who is very solid in the air. She brings some skills that will add to our roster, and as she develops, her skills will be able to add to our game."
Montana State Billings
Yellowjackets Add Player from Helena To Recruiting Class (4/15/08)
Kelley Minard, a defender from Helena, Mont., has signed a national letter-of-intent to play soccer for Montana State Billings. She is the eighth player to sign with the Yellowjackets.
“Kelley is a great addition to the 2008 recruiting class,” MSUB coach Don Trentham said. “Her passion for the game, along with her work ethic should help her develop into a solid outside back or defensive center midfielder for us.”
Minard was an honorable mention all-conference selection in 2006 and 2007 for Helena. During her senior year, she started every varsity game at right defender. She also played for the Helena Arsenal club soccer team since she was 13 and played three years of Montana Olympic Development soccer (ODP).
Yellowjackets Sign Seven To National Letters (2/25/08)
Seven student-athletes including Mikayla Brandhorst, Mykenzie Deverell, Kristen Drobny, Kaitlyn Keyes, Heather Lansdown, Amy Remsberg and Kelly Ross have signed national letters of intent to play soccer at Montana State Billings.
“We are really excited about the class as a whole, we have seven good players coming in to complement the 16 returners we have coming back,” MSUB coach Don Trentham said. “I believe we addressed our needs as we lost two defenders, a forward and a midfielder from last year. I brought in three defensive-minded players and four attack-minded players for a pretty good balance.”
Brandhorst, a native of Kennewick, Wash., played at Kamiakin High School. She was a second team all-conference defender in 2006 and also earned multiple accolades in track. She was a member of the 2004 Big Nine District championship team and in 2006 was a member of the regional champion team that finished fourth in state under head coach Chris Erikson.
“Mikayla is a defense-minded player who gives 100 percent all the time,” Trentham said. “She is hard-working and we've heard she plays like she works as hard in training as she does in games.”
Camas, Wash., native, Deverell, played at Camas High School for head coach Roland Minder. She helped lead Camas to the state championship in 2005-06 and also played for the Oregon Olympic Development team, as well as the FC Vancouver Elite and the CPSC Timbers. During her freshman year, she was named Most Inspirational of her team.
“She is a very versatile player who can play anywhere,” Trentham said. “She can play in the back, out wide or up top.”
Drobny comes to Billings from Kent, Wash., where she played at Kentwood High School. She was a first team all-South Puget Sound League selection for three years and a second team all-area in 2007. During her senior year, she was team captain, recording 16 goals and nine assists. She tallied 38 goals and 30 assists in her career. She also played club for Dosveedanya for eight years and District III ODP in 2002.
“Drobny is good with both feet, she is an attack-minded player and had a very successful high school career and plays for a good club in the Seattle area,” Trentham said. “She will help our team in both setting up and scoring goals.”
Federal Way, Wash., native, Keyes, played high school soccer at Federal Way for head coach Jason Baumgardt. She was named Most Valuable Player in 2007 and was a first team SPSL selection in 2006-07 and SPSL honorable mention in 2004-05. In addition to high school she played for, Keyes also played on the MRFC Santos soccer club out of the Seattle area.
“Keyes is a good player that will come in and add depth to our already solid,” Trentham said. “I expect her to especially help out defensively in the midfield.”
Lansdown is one of two athletes in the class from Calgary, Alberta. She played at Centennial High School where she helped the team to the city championship in 2005-06 and second place in 2006-07. She played for various club teams including the Calgary Alberta Foothills United 90's from 2005 until now and played for the Alberta Summer Games team in 2004-05.
“She has had a successful club career and is a player is dynamic and a very creative on the ball,” Trentham said. “Heather will cause problems for the oppositions' defense and is one of the most technical players in this class.”
Oceanside, Calif., native, Remsberg, played at Vista High School where she won numerous honors for soccer. She helped lead Vista to the quarterfinals of the CIF in 2004 and to the CIF playoffs in 2007. Remsberg played club soccer for the Carlsbad Lightning and the Temecula Hawks, and is currently playing for the San Diego Surf.
“She has played in a very good club environment in Southern California and brings height to our team at 5-10,” Trentham said. “Amy is a good defender which will add to our depth at defense.”
Ross, a native of Calgary, Alberta, played for the Southwest United '90 FC which is the top club team in Calgary. There, she helped lead the team to silver medals at the National Championship in 2004 a bronze medals in 2006. In addition, her team was city champions from 2004-07and Alberta (State) champions from 2004-06.
“Kelly is a forward and plays on the top club team out of Calgary and has had a very successful club career,” Trentham said. She scores a lot of goals and we are looking for her to continue to do that here.”
Seattle University
Nine Sign with Redhawks (2/11/08)
Nine student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to come to Seattle University and participate in the women's soccer program beginning in the 2008-09 academic year.
“I am really excited about the potential of this incoming class," SU coach Julie Woodward said. "I could not think of any other athletes I would like to have leading us on and off the field during this exciting time of our transition to Division I. They have all played at a very high level and will bring great passion, knowledge, and competitiveness to our program.”
Pfeiffer Bloecker has been the team's leading scorer during her four years as a starter for Seattle Prep High School. The 5-3 forward from Seattle, Wash., helped her team win three Metro League titles and finish second in the state during the past two seasons. Bloecker earned all-league honors all four years, plus she was selected to the all-area teams by both the Seattle Times and Seattle Post-Intelligencer .
Taylor Fannin is a 5-7 midfielder from Yakima, Wash., who has been a four-year letterwinner at West Valley High School. Last year she earned 12 goals and eight assists in leading her team to its fourth straight league title, its third consecutive regional championship, and a fourth-place finish in the state. Fannin is also student vice-president, a member of the National Honor Society, and a two-year letterwinner in both basketball and track and field.
From Snohomish, Wash., Madison Goverde is a 5-7 goalkeeper who posted ten consecutive shutouts during the 2007 season at Snohomish High School. Goverde gave up only 11 goals in 19 games as the team finished with a 16-2-1 record and advanced to the state playoffs for the third consecutive season. She participated in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) from 2004 to 2006 and was selected to the Super-Y League ODP national pool in 2005.
Chelsea Jones is a 5-8 defender from Spokane, Wash., who has been a leader both on the field and in the classroom at Mount Spokane High School. A four-year varsity starter, Jones was team captain and team MVP last season, earning all-league honors as well as the NEC/IBEW fall 2007 Scholar-Athlete Award. A member of the National Honor Society, Jones carries a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and is in the running to be class valedictorian.
A native of Salem, Ore., Alicia Malstrom has been a member of both the varsity soccer and varsity track and field teams since her freshman year at Sprague High School. A 5-3 outside midfielder, she is a three-time all-league honoree, a two-time all-region honoree, and a two-time team MVP. An honor roll student, Malstrom has also participated on the Oregon ODP '90 team in 2005 and 2006 and has played for the Havoc of the Lake Oswego Soccer Club.
A member of three state championship teams at Issaquah High School, Lauren Munechika is a 5-1 defender from Sammamish, Wash. She has earned all-KingCo honors three times, including first team honors in 2005, and has been named a KingCo Scholar-Athlete all four years. She is known as a hard-working player who has the ability to track the ball, win it, and turn the situation into an attacking one for her team.
A native of Carnation, Wash. , Kallie Pleis is a 5-9 defender who helped Cedarcrest High School become one of the top teams in the state over the past four years. A three-time all-conference and two-time all-state performer, Pleis helped her team finish fifth in the state and ninth in the nation in 2004, when she was named Gatorade Rookie of the Year. Her squad finished third in the state in 2005, second in 2006, and seventh in Washington in 2007.
Kassandra Riozzi is a 5-7 center midfielder from Marysville, Wash., who has led Marysville-Pilchuck High School in assists all three years she has participated for the varsity squad. Riozzi has also played for the Eastside '88 Red club team, helping it win the state championship in 2006 and 2007. A three-time all-Wesco honoree, she played for the Washington state ODP team, winning the regional title and helping her team reach the national finals.
Jordan Salisbury is a 5-3 defender from Federal Way, Wash., who helped Todd Beamer High School to an undefeated season of 20-0-2 in 2007. She was named Co-Player of the Year for Federal Way and the SPSL and earned all-city, all-league, all-area, and all-state honors last season. She has also been a member of the ODP '90 state team in three of the past four years and has played club soccer for the Washington Premier FC '89 from 2001 to the present.
Western Oregon
Wolves Sign Four To National Letters (Mar. 21, 2008)
Four high school soccer players have signed National Letters of Intent to play for Western Oregon University.
Included in that group is Wilsonville's Melinda Ingalls, an all-state (5A) star in both soccer and basketball. The Wolves also signed Lindsey Thomas from South Medford High School, Monique Thees from Stanwood High School in Camano Island, Wash. and Ciara Peterson from Rogers High School in Puyallup, Wash.
Melinda Ingalls is a two-time first team all-state player in basketball and was a first team selection last fall on the soccer field for the Wildcats. In both sports, she led her team to the state semi-finals. An outstanding all-around athlete, Ingalls is a two-time Player of the Year in the Northwest Oregon Conference in basketball, and also placed in both hurdle events on the track in last spring's 5A state meet.
“Melinda is one of the most talented athletes that we have ever brought into our program,” WOU coach Rod Fretz said. “Because she is so well known in basketball circles, I think that her soccer abilities have been overlooked.
"She is extremely quick, can run with the ball at top speed and has an instinctive feel for the game of soccer that is rare, especially for someone who hasn't specialized in soccer for the last few years. She makes things happen every minute that she is on the field. I've watched a lot of high school soccer over the years, and I think Melinda is the best player coming out of the 5A schools in the last two years.”
Lindsey Thomas was a second team All-Southwest Conference selection as a defender at South Medford (6A). “Lindsey is an extremely versatile player that has the ability to step in and play right away,” Fretz predicted. “She has great ball control, sees the field well and has learned to compete against the top club players in the northwest. She can play more than one position and brings a lot of great soccer experience to our program as a freshman.”
Monique Thees is an outside midfielder that earned first team All-Wesco North League honors at Stanwood High School (4A) as a senior, and was also a standout on the track. “Monique is a speedy wing player who has a high work rate and a good touch on the ball,” Fretz said. “She has good one-on-one ability to get around defenders and has a strong and consistent cross, which will fit well into our style of play. Monique will give us more depth on the outside mid, and has the speed and talent to challenge for playing time right away.”
Ciara Peterson is a center midfielder who earned first team All-South Puget Sound League honors at Rogers High School (4A). “Ciara is a strong, skilled player who has good soccer vision on the field,” Fretz assessed. “She is an extremely hard worker who will bring a much needed physical element to our team in the middle. Ciara is a strong distributor from the center, having honed her skills in club soccer in the Washington State Premiere I level. She has the abilities to make an impact in Div. II college soccer right away.”
Western Washington
Vikings Sign Two Women To Letters Of Intent (2/20/08)
Defender Alicia Patten from Holy Names Academy in Seattle and midfielder Emily Warman from Sedro-Woolley High School have signed letters of intent with Western Washington University.
Patten was a first-team all-Metro League Mountain Division choice for the third straight year as a senior at Holy Names. She led the Cougars to an 11-3-5 record and the semifinals of Class 3A state playoffs with a team-high 11 goals and six assists.
Warman was a second-team AP Class 3A all-State and Everett Herald all-Area pick as a senior at Sedro-Woolley, helping the Cubs to their first district playoff victory in school history. Also a standout track and field athlete, her brother Christian is a goalkeeper on the Western men's soccer team.