EUGENE, Ore. – First-year women’s soccer head coach Jonathan Rea has added eight more players to his 2009 recruiting class, announced on Tuesday. These players, in addition to previously signed Katy Smith, round out a class of nine new players, including five freshmen and four junior college transfers.
“I am very excited about the makeup of our incoming group,” said Rea. “We have a great mix of experience and potential.”
The biggest piece of the recruiting puzzle for the Beacons this season was addressing the need at Goalkeeper, where there is no returner on the roster. Coach Rea responded by signing three keepers, including junior transfer Ali Foster (pictured). Foster returns to the Cascade Collegiate Conference where she was an All-CCC honorable mention as a freshman at Warner Pacific in 2007. She spent her sophomore year at Lane CC. Rea said, “Ali is a dynamic athlete and a fierce competitor who will be a game changer for us.” A pair of freshman keepers also join the fray in Wendy Hernandez (Madras) and Shelby Gabrielson (Shasta,Calif.).
Another junior college transfer coming in is Rachel Urista (Umpqua CC), a versatile player who could see time in the midfield and at forward. “Rachel was an outstanding player throughout high school,” said Rea. “She is very soccer savvy and I am banking on her past success and future potential.” Urista is joined from the community college ranks by Lane CC transfer Carlynn Crymes (Junction City), a former All-Sky Em player with the Tigers.
On the defensive side comes freshman Alyssa Romero (Las Vegas, Nev.). Romero was a two-time state champion at Sierra Vista HS, earning multiple Sunset Region and Southwest Division honors during four years on varsity. Also coming in is Jessica Jeffreys (Nine Mile Falls, Wash.) who Rea calls an “intelligent defender who will help make us a better team.” Rounding out the group for 2009 is Calie McVicker a current NCU basketball player that joins the soccer program as the fastest player on the field and brings the total number of players to 21, which is the most in school history.
The Beacons will open the 2009 season on August 28th against Southwestern University. NCU is coming off a 5-13 season in which they won their first ever CCC contests.