PSU Women's Soccer 2019 thread

[TheGLOV]

Olivia is my kinda girl!

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[Connorpozlee]

Regarding the goalkeeper position: 'Kat' Asman a 5'-10 GK has patiently waited her turn behind Amanda Dennis. Asman started a few games last season when Dennis was out with an apparent injury. She looked really good at times as when she stopped a penalty kick by a James Madison player. But she also had two major gaffes that led to goals for the opponent. It was her first action and that is to be expected. Recent PSU WSOC history has shown that coach always goes with the next goalkeeper up. BUT, Julia Dohle a 6'-0 GK has the edge in national team play and is rated the #2 goalkeeper in the country by Top Drawer Soccer. The thing is that Asman might transfer out if she doesn't get the starting posiiton. So, I'll say that Asman begins the season anyhow as the starter and depending on how things go

 

[TheGLOV]

Giovana Queiroz-Costa is one of the top women's soccer players in the world for her age group (under 17). She was born in San Paulo, Brazil. Parents moved to Weston, Florida when she was just 4 years old. When Giovana was 12, her parents moved her to Madrid, Spain. While not 100% confirmed by the various governing bodies within soccerdom, she evidently has citizenship in Brazil (by birth), the United States and Spain. So she could play for the Natonal teams of each of those countries. I believe that FIFA is currently working on whether she is legal to play for Spain's national team or for the U.S.

To further complicate this players amateur status, she has been playing for the Madrid FFA (B) team. Her club team but is basically a pro team and she does receive some monetary compensation. So what minor league baseball is to major league baseball basically. Both FIFA and NCAA rules allow for such players to earn money for actual and necessary compensation. If she makes an excessive amount of compensation above and beyond that she would not be eligible to play collegiate soccer in the United States.

How good is she? Last September she played for Spain's U-17 team and scored a 'hat trick' against the USWNT U-17 squad in Spain's 4-3 win over the U.S. Was called up twice by the USWNT U-17 team and obviously would be a starter for the U.S. team. FIFA has yet to decide moving forward which national team she is allowed to play for in official tournaments. I bring all this up because she could be the next Catarina Macario, she is THAT good. Macario of course was also born in Brazil.

Queriroz-Costa has a decision coming up relatively soon: Stay in Spain and play professional soccer in Europe or move back to the States and play collegiate soccer. IF she decides to play soccer in college, no doubt dozens of U.S. schools are recruiting her and so we shall see.
Any half-way decent NCAA Division 1 school that she would play for would become instant national title contenders for all 4 years she was there. Her brother has also been called up to the USMNT U-17's. Note: Both USSoccer.com and TopDrawerSoccer.com list her residence as being Weston, Florida; but in reality she presently lives in Spain with her parents.

Is she a PSU recruit?

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

my goodness Jillian Shimkin is tiny

did I read correctly that she is 4'10" and 85lbs?

is that current?

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

No, she is 5'2. She is small. But they say good things come in small packages. Her soccer skills are off the charts.

I figured the website that I looked at had to have had her old height and weight

still a small girl but not 85lbs small

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

thanks for all this info fanatic, really good stuff

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[TheGLOV]

There were approximately over 1,500,000 girls youth soccer players in the United States in 2015. Safe to say those numbers have increased since then. There were over 6,000 U.S. youth soccer participating club teams. Over 300,000 coaches, most of these are volunteer coaches. Over 95,000 registered referees. Over 100,000 Olympic development players. There were 55 state soccer associations in 2015. These are just a few of the pertinent stats that show how soccer in America has burgeoned over the past 30 years or so.

There are 333 NCAA Division 1 women's soccer programs in the United States currently. The average roster size for those programs is 28 players. That comes out to 9,324 women's Division 1 soccer players.

And those 9,324 players are a tiny fraction of the girls high school and girls club players in the country for any given year. Way less than 1%. The vast majority of girls youth players never get to play Division 1 soccer or any level of college soccer for that matter.

According to Top Drawer Soccer, Penn State WSOC for the 2019 Recruiting Class Rankings:

#1 - Kate Wiesner
#6 - Jordan Canniff
#13 - Payton LInnehan
#16 - Julia Dohle
#17 - Leah Scarpelli
#22 - Corianna Dyke

NOTE: Leah Scarpelli has transferred to FGCU and TDS no longer shows Jordan Canniff ranked at #6 for this class, even though they did for many months. Can't find where they rank her anywhere. Kind of par for the course for TDS. LOL. These are NOT the rankings that change from year to year based on a player's performance. This was the final rankings for these players for the 2019 class.

Of the above players, Wiesner, Linnehan, Dyke and Canniff all figure to play key roles for the Nittany Lions this upcoming season. And Dohle would too of course if she is named the starting GK.

Combining those players with Samantha Coffey, Kristin Schnurr, Kerry Abello, Frankie Tagliaferri and Shea Moyer makes for one of the stronger senior/grad classes in recent years for PSU WSOC. Team should be primed for an outstanding season.

Just wanted to add that there is so much girls soccer talent in America, that there is plenty of top talent to go around for the top programs in the nation. Teams like Stanford, UCLA, USC, Washington St., North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, West Virginia, Texas A&M, Rutgers, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Wake Forest and a few others are annually in the Top 15 or so teams in the nation. And so they also get their share of top talent.

So having top talent alone will not get a team to the College Cup. Other factors such as coaching, facilities, fan support, weather and officiating all play a factor in how far any given team can advance in the NCAA soccer tournament.

Securing a #1 seed in one of the NCAA's four regionals is key to optimizing a team's chances reaching the College Cup (Final 4). In order to do that Penn St. needs to start winning some of their marquee matches, which they have not done in recent years. Winning these games would improve PSU's RPI thus improving their chances of a #1 seed in the regionals. Even though these are non-conference games, still they greatly affect a team's rankings in the United Soccer Coaches Poll which the NCAA puts a lot of faith in those rankings and hence their NCAA seedings and pairings.

The HUGE benefit of getting a #1 seed is that that team gets to play FOUR games on their home field leading up to the College Cup where those two games are at a neutral site. Stanford used this winning formula to win the 2019 College Cup in WSOC and so did Florida State in 2018...played all four of their 1st., 2nd. 3rd. and Quarterfinal round games at home. So if the Nittany Lions can finish in the Top 4 teams they should get a #1 NCAA regional seed and a much easier path to the College Cup. So while the early season non-conference games may be considered not important to some fans for instance, the games in reality are very important to NCAA seedings and pairings later when the NCAA tournament starts.

What is FCGU and why did she go there??

 

[CoolBean]

Florida Gulf Coast University and it is nice and warm down there

 

[TheGLOV]

Florida Gulf Coast University and it is nice and warm down there

Thanks!

Now why did she go there??

Might you know?

Or is it the warm sunshine and beaches?

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[TheGLOV]

Top Drawer Soccer Women's 2020 Class Recruiting Rankings

1. UCLA
2. Virginia
3. North Carolina
4. Duke
5. Clemson
6. Penn State
7. Harvard
8. Rutgers
9. Stanford
10. Colorado

Penn State WSOC 2020 class broken down by individual player rankings:
Kaitlyn MacBean - #13 ****
Ellis Wheeler - #31 ****
Elle Kershner - #68 ****
Natalie Wilson - #141 ***
Olivia Damico - *** Not ranked in the Top 150
Katie Evans - *** Not ranked in the Top 150

So the PSU class is #6 in the nation and #1 in the B1G. Rutgers is #2 in the B1G. I had surmised that PSU's ranking was most likely a Top 10 class and it is right in the middle.

IMHO, Wheeler's ranking seems too low as she is a starter on the U-19 USWNT, which has just 20 members on that team. Kershner's ranking seems quite low also. Was recently named to the East Region Best XI team and there are just 3 regions, so simply doing the math...that metric would place her at minimum in the Top 33 recruits and could even be a little higher. So #68 seems way too low for her.

Being in the Top 150 is the gold standard for college soccer players, male or female. Putting the rankings into perspective:

There are 333 Division 1 women's soccer teams in the NCAA. Those teams have an average of 28 players on their rosters. So there were approximately 9,324 women's soccer players in 2019. Divide that by 4 (number of classes) and you get approximately 2,331 women's players per recruiting class, give or take. To be ultra conservative, you could round down to 2,000 women's soccer recruits per class year in NCAA Division 1 WSOC. So to be in the Top 150 is outstanding.

As mentioned before, the first 3 recruits in this PSU class should get a lot of playing time this upcoming season and so will not redshirt.

This is a typical Penn State WSOC recruiting class and combined with the 2019 class, comes out to a ranking of 3.5 for the last two recruiting cycles. UCLA was #2 in 2019 and #1 in the 2020 class and so they figure to be a force in the next several seasons...but they usually are. Harvard and Colorado stand out as atypical classes for those schools.

Last, TDS counts transfers and International players in determining their class rankings. So if PSU were to add say a 4 star or even a 3 star transfer, or an International player then that could improve their class ranking. For the most part though these are more or less going to be the final rankings. Could be some minimal shifting.

I don't see FGCU anywhere?

Maybe 'fun in the sun' ain't everything.

Poor decision on her part.

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

pretty funny pulling Amelia White and Addison Chester out of Indiana, that's some good recruiting

 

[TheGLOV]

Amelia White is a 5'-5 F from Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is presently rated a 4 star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and the #3 player in the country for the 2022 class. She's a sophomore in high school. I have little doubt that TDS will bump her up to 5 stars eventually.

Of all the great recruits in the PSU women's soccer pipeline, I am most excited about White's potential. I believe she has the highest ceiling of all of them. Her on the ball skills are amazing and she is blazing fast. Can rip the ball too and knows how to finish. Is why I said in a previous post that she reminds me of a young Maya Hayes. Link to Hayes PSU Profile page: https://gopsusports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/maya-hayes/6511

Hayes played at Penn State from 2010-2013. In her sophomore season at PSU Hayes had a MONSTER season of 31 goals and 8 assists. That's 70 points! Ally Schlegel lead PSU in goals and points this past season with 13 goals and 7 assists for a total of 33 points. That's a really good season; but compare it to the season that Hayes had back in 2011. Hayes played on the 2012 NCAA WSOC Runner up squad.

Back to Amelia White, she could be as good as Hayes. Get this, among her many Division 1 scholarship offers...White picked PSU over Stanford, UCLA, USC and several B1G schools and many others. It's one thing to have offers from Division 1 schools in general, it is quite another thing to have offers from the elite programs in the country.

White has played on the U-15 USGNT and currently the U-17 USWNT. Back in 2018 she led the U-17 team to a gold medal in an Internaitonal Girl's Tournament in Weifang, China as a 13 year old! She scored three goals against the Chinese team. White has a twin sister named Sophia who also excels at soccer and plays the defender position. Amelia is just 16 years old and her birthday is in June. So after this June sometime she will have to tryout for the U-19 USWNT.....I'm pretty sure she will make the team. LOL.

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The guy asks the same question rhetorically that she had already answered previously.

He stinks!!

Hope it was not you!

 

[PSUQBKeeper]

On September 27th., 2019 Kaitlyn MacBean, a Penn State WSOC 2020 signee did something that is extremely rare and that I had never heard of. She took the opening kickoff for Breck High School and seconds later the ball was in the back of their opponents net! She scored just seconds into the match. And this from a high school player albeit not your average high school player. MacBean is the #13 player in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.

U.S. high school soccer field dimensions are set according to NFHS (the National Federation of State High School Associations) rules. High school fields range in size from 55 yards wide x 100 yards long to 80 yards wide x 120 yards long. So MacBean's kick was from at least 50 yards out and possibly 60 yards out! An opposing coach was quoted as saying: "Girl can rip the ball!" But scoring a goal from 50-60 yards from the goal?!? That's crazy!

Link to article about Kaitlyn's incredible goal: https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/1051903

heh in a 1-0 shutout, the opposing keeper has to be pissed

 

[TheGLOV]

On September 27th., 2019 Kaitlyn MacBean, a Penn State WSOC 2020 signee did something that is extremely rare and that I had never heard of. She took the opening kickoff for Breck High School and seconds later the ball was in the back of their opponents net! She scored just seconds into the match. And this from a high school player albeit not your average high school player. MacBean is the #13 player in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.com.

U.S. high school soccer field dimensions are set according to NFHS (the National Federation of State High School Associations) rules. High school fields range in size from 55 yards wide x 100 yards long to 80 yards wide x 120 yards long. So MacBean's kick was from at least 50 yards out and possibly 60 yards out! An opposing coach was quoted as saying: "Girl can rip the ball!" But scoring a goal from 50-60 yards from the goal?!? That's crazy!

Link to article about Kaitlyn's incredible goal: https://www.mnsoccerhub.com/news_article/show/1051903

Any film of this??

 

[TheGLOV]

Camp Hill's Julia Raich has reportedly verbally committed to Penn State WSOC as a member of the 2021 class. Raich is rated a 3 star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer. In February, she was named to the U.S. Youth O.D.P. (Olympic Development Program). Only 18 players from 14 states from the East made the squad. She is scheduled to play in a USYODP tournament in Paris, France from April 4th. through April 12th. Raich was named 1st. Team All-State after leading Camp Hill to a perfect 25-0-0 record and the Class A State Cup title.

Raich scored 42 goals and had 18 assists for a total of 102 points. She broke Camp Hills career points record and now has 204 career points and is only a junior.

Link to her commitment on FieldLevel.com: https://www.fieldlevel.com/view-commitments?page=3

Back on board after never really being off.

Welcome young lady!!

PSU for YOU!

 

[The Shelter]

 

[Tom McAndrew]

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I thought Saquon's tweeted reply was even better:

 

[soccerfanatic1]

WSOC wish list for the 2024 (8th. grade) class:

Sophia Bradley a 5'9 F, from Wayne, NJ, rated 4 stars by TDS. Scored 4 goals in the inaugural US Soccer Girls DA Winter Cup, including a 'hat trick' in the U15 age group finale. Scored 27 goals in just 15 games for STA DA this past season. Very athletic. Already has college frame. Can play Midfielder but projects to be a Forward at the next level.

Rutgers usually gets the majority of these top shelf soccer players from New Jersey, but it would be nice to "steal" this one. Of course with the new NCAA recruiting rules that went into effect on May 1st., of last year, it will be awhile before any college can begin recruiting this talented player. Coaches must now wait until June 15th. after a recruit's sophomore year of high school to have any communication with a recruit. IMHO, believe Bradley will be a star in college.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

WSOC wish list for the 2024 (8th. grade) class:

Sophia Bradley a 5'9 F, from Wayne, NJ, rated 4 stars by TDS. Scored 4 goals in the inaugural US Soccer Girls DA Winter Cup, including a 'hat trick' in the U15 age group finale.

she's quite good. I've seen her play 3 or 4 times, most recently about a month ago. Her STA coach knows he has something special with her. It's kind of funny to hear him, as he has an accent, calls her Soph, and screams out loud encouragement whenever she has the ball on her feet, and also calls out for her to get the ball when he doesn't like the way the game is going for his team.

Based on the way she currently excels on the field, she's likely to have her pick of college opportunities. I wouldn't worry about Rutgers, specifically -- all the elite teams in the country will know about her.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Hard to believe that Ava Minnier a 4 star MF from Downingtown, PA is still available. Is 5'-10. Have not seen her play in person, just have watched a lot of her videos on HUDL: https://www.hudl.com/profile/8588808/Ava-Minnier/videos

Plays a little awkward at times, but really can score. Not sure if PSU is interested in her or not but think she would be an excellent addition to their 2022 class. Class already has five 4 star recruits, but after this past season of injuries...you never can have enough depth. TDS ranks PSU's 2022 class at #3 currently. Anyhow I like to see some PA girls on the squad.

Since Minnier did not commit to any school before May 1st., of 2019 when the new NCAA recruiting rules for men's & women's soccer and a few other sports went into effect, college coaches must now wait until June 15th. of this year to communicate with her. She could make her verbal announcement shortly after that. No doubt Minnier has tons of Power 5 schools recruiting her. If she doesn't end up at Penn State for whatever reason (lack of interest from either side), I hope she doesn't end up playing for a B1G school for obvious reasons.

FWIW, PSU's 2020 class has fallen from #6 to #10 according to TDS.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Julia Raich 5'-7 MF/F and a Penn State WSOC Class of 2021 commit ended the 2019 Fall high school season tied for #28 in the country in goals scored with 42 according to MaxPreps. Raich also racked up 18 assists. Her 102 points ranked her at #15 in the nation for her junior season. Has 204 career points which smashed the old Camp Hill girls soccer record of 186 career points. And she still has a full season to go.

Her head coach at Camp Hill, Jared Latchford has actually tried to get her to stop passing the ball so much and just score more herself. But by involving her teammates in the play more, Raich led Camp Hill girls soccer to the PIAA Class A State Cup championship, with a perfect 25-0-0 record. Perfect records are very rare in soccer, whether at the club, high school or college level. In soccer it is common for average teams and even below average teams to upset superior teams on occasion by playing stout defense/fouling a lot and getting a break or two on how the ball bounces.

Raich who is currently rated a 3 star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer is a perfect fit for the PSU WSOC program. She sports a 4.0 GPA and takes several honors courses. She also volunteers for the Special Olympics, where she teaches soccer to younger players. And as an outstanding attacking center mid she will make an immediate impact on the pitch her freshman season for the Nittany Lions. In return she will get a great education at Penn State and will play for the premier women's soccer program in the B1G and a perennial Top 10 program in the NCAA Division 1 WSOC ranks. Sounds like a win-win all the way around.

Last, Raich, a rising junior in U.S. girls soccer, is a phenomenal natural athlete also who competes in 4 sports at Camp Hill: Soccer, Track & Field, Cross Country and Basketball. And she doesn't just compete in those 4 sports...she actually excels in them and has from her freshman season on. She earned 11 medals (Bronze, Silver and or Gold) her freshman year alone at Camp Hill. Was scheduled to compete for the Eastern ODP (Olympic Development Program) squad on which she is a starter (leading goal scorer on team) in Paris, France from April 4th. through April 12th., but due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic her soccer career has been placed on a temporary hold. Hopefully she and sports athletes worldwide will be able to resume their careers in the relatively near future (read weeks or months).

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Penn State WSOC 2021 Recruiting Class

1. Jillian Shimkin - 5'-3 MF Rockville Centre, NY *****
2. Riley Gleason - 5'-7 MF Mission Viejo, CA****
3. Julia Raich - 5'-7 MF/F Mechanicsburg, PA***
4. Amanda Poorbaugh - 5'-8 GK Westerville, OH (No star rating)

As of today, this class is maybe just barely a Top 15 class. Most likely will drop lower if no more recruits are added to it. All the 5 star recruits (8 total) and the vast majority of the 4 star recruits have already verbally committed to other schools.

Below is a list of the remaining 4 star recruits still uncommitted and some of the top 3 star recruits still on the board in the TDS Top 150 database for the 2021 recruiting class. I've maked in green the players I feel that PSU has the best chance of landing. This is of course assuming that A. They are still recruiting for this class. And B. they are recruiting the player in question. Note: Most of these remaining players are outside of what historically has been a PSU recruiting footprint.

• Payton Cahill - GK **** Good MN
• Jessica Carlton - MF **** Fair CA
• Carol Cazares - D ****
• Macenzie Gorski - D ****
• Abigal Harris - D ****
• Anna Hurley - F **** Excellent MA
• Haley King - MF ****
• Alayna Lynchard - D **** Fair MD
• Kait Raffensperger - D ****
• Lilly Reale - D **** Good MA
• Dorrian Savage - F **** Poor CA
• Adrianna Serna - D ****
• Ava Akeel - MF *** Good MI
• Maggie Albunio - *** Good NY
• Caileen Almeida - F ***
• Peyton Anderson - MF ***
• Bizzy Arevalo - F ***
• Simi Awujo - F ***
• Tatiana Banilshema-Bani -D ***
• Savannah Barron - GK *** Fair FL
• Lily Becker - MF *** Excellent PA
• Adelyn Boer - MF ***
• Kyra Bolden - F *** Excellent VA
• Alison Brockelman - MF ***
• Alejandra Brotherton - D ***
• Alec Baumgardt - MF ***
• Jayden Bayes - MF ***
• Alexandra Lewis - D *** Excellent PA
• Hailie Yoder - MF *** Good PA

Note: There are approximately another 80 3 star recruits for the '21 class still undecided/uncommitted.

Penn State WSOC recruiting classes have historically averaged between 4-6 players per class. On average. The 2021 class currently only has 4 recruits and so is somewhat thin in terms of numbers. Also only ranks around #15 currently and would fall lower if no new recruits are added. PSU would most likely be a finalist for Anna Hurley a 4 star Forward from Massachusetts and also Kyra Bolden a 3 star Forward from Virginia. 2021 class is top heavy in Midfielders and has no Forwards or Defenders at present. Not sure if they want to add a second Goalkeeper or not.....if yes, then Payton Cahill a 4 star GK from MInnesota and who plays for the Eclipse Select (IL) club team (think Kerry Abello and Caitlin Haislip) would be a target. So depending on how things pan out with this class, it could either be a Top 10 class or fail to make the Top 20.

Last, all the players I did not select in green above are good players, I just don't feel that there is much chance they would go to Penn State. Many are from out west, not in a historical PSU recruiting footprint, have excellent school choices much closer to their home and on and on. Same with the other 80 or so 3 stars not listed here. Majority would be long shots for various reasons.

Forgot to mention that of course there is always the possibility of eventually bringing in an International player once things get back to normal.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Hard to believe that Ava Minnier a 4 star MF from Downingtown, PA is still available. Is 5'-10. Have not seen her play in person, just have watched a lot of her videos on HUDL: https://www.hudl.com/profile/8588808/Ava-Minnier/videos

Since Minnier did not commit to any school before May 1st., of 2019 when the new NCAA recruiting rules for men's & women's soccer and a few other sports went into effect, college coaches must now wait until June 15th. of this year to communicate with her. She could make her verbal announcement shortly after that. No doubt Minnier has tons of Power 5 schools recruiting her. If she doesn't end up at Penn State for whatever reason (lack of interest from either side), I hope she doesn't end up playing for a B1G school for obvious reasons.

I've seen her play multiple times -- most recently about a month ago. She is long and lean, and if you see her walking before a game, or at times on the field, she doesn't always seem like a smooth, well-coordinated, athlete. But that's really not the case. She's really coordinated, and despite her size, she can break down a lot of defenders. Plus, her size is quite an asset around the net. Her Penn Fusion team runs specific plays on corners to try to get the ball to her so she can head it. I've seen her score several times on set pieces around the net.

I haven't a clue what her parents or her are thinking in terms of college. Penn Fusion, her club team, has quite of bit of experience with their players getting recruited by elite college teams. They work with their players (and their respective families) to assist them with the recruiting process.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

I've seen her play multiple times -- most recently about a month ago. She is long and lean, and if you see her walking before a game, or at times on the field, she doesn't always seem like a smooth, well-coordinated, athlete. But that's really not the case. She's really coordinated, and despite her size, she can break down a lot of defenders. Plus, her size is quite an asset around the net. Her Penn Fusion team runs specific plays on corners to try to get the ball to her so she can head it. I've seen her score several times on set pieces around the net.

I haven't a clue what her parents are her are thinking in terms of college. Penn Fusion, her club team, has quite of bit of experience with their players getting recruited by elite teams. They work with their players (and their respective families) to assist them with the recruiting process.

Yeah, Minnier would be an offensive weapon on corner kicks alone. Tall but also has great leaping ability. If Tim can get her I think she would be an outstanding player in the future for the WSOC program.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Lily Reale - 5'-7 D 2021 South Shore Select SC DA is rated 4 stars by TDS. Hails from HIngham, Massachusetts. Has an extensive background playing on both the U-15 and U-17 USWNT teams. Has been a regular starter on the U-17 team and has played alongside of Jilly Shimkin and Amelia White both Penn State WSOC commits.

Would elevate the '21 class most likely into the Top 10 in TDS rankings. Besides the fact that PSU WSOC is a national powerhouse, Reale could choose the Nittany Lions as the Boston and MA has long been part of the Penn State recruiting footprint, current player Payton Linnehan is from MA, as is Molly Martin a 2022 class PSU commit.

Also as mentioned above she has played extensively with both Jilly Shimkin, PSU '21 and Amelia White, PSU '22 commits. All of this is why I said that PSU has a good chance of landing her. The problem is of course that she has no doubt multiple Division 1 schools recruiting her. Think we might know in a couple of months what school she selects. Would be a HUGE get for the NIttany Lions.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Ava Minnier - 5'-11 MF/F 2022 Penn Fusion (DA), Downingtown, PA is rated 4 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. Has been a member of the U-14 and U-15 USGNT teams.

Assuming PSU is recruiting her, seems like there would be an excellent chance of landing her. Still growing into her body. Has strong dribbling skills, can navigate around would be defenders, is physically strong, uses her height around the goal to her advantage on headers and just in general. Knows how to find the back of the net. Has outstanding size. Easy to see why she is rated 4 stars. Most likely has a lot of colleges recruiting her. But I still rate PSU's chance of getting a commitment from her between good and excellent.

The PSU 2022 class is currently ranked as the #3 class in the country, but with Minnier, the class would most likely jump to #1. Class would then have six 4 star recruits. Amelia White would have to be considered a high 4 star and most likely will get her 5th. star before graduating. White is rated as the #3 player in the nation for her class.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Kyra Bolden - 5'-9 F 2021 McLean Youth Soccer (ECNL) Virginia is rated 3 stars by Top Drawer Soccer.

Another long and lean soccer recruit. Penn State WSOC has long had a pipeline to the McLean Youth Soccer club. Most recently, current roster player Kristin Schnurr played for McLean Soccer as did incoming 2020 freshman Natalie Wilson. I believe that PSU WSOC would have an excellent chance of getting a commitment from Bolden.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Alexandra Lewis - 5'-9 D 2021 Penn Fusion (DA), Bloomsburg, PA is rated 3 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. Yet another long and lean recruit.

Penn State WSOC has had several players in the past who played for Penn Fusion, most recently Laura Suero and current roster member Shea Moyer. It's a solid club team in the Development Academy and as pointed out by Tom McAndrew PF routinely supplies recruits to the college ranks. I believe that PSU WSOC would stand an excellent chance of landing this recruit...again IF they had interest in recruiting her.

I've felt for a lot of years now that compared to many of their opponents that Penn State's WSOC teams have been somewhat small by comparison. So a lot of 5'4 players going up against much bigger opponents in many matches. So with soccer recruits like Ava Minnier, Alexandra Lewis, Kyra Bolden, Sophia Bradley and others still undecided/uncommitted on a college, there is a golden opportunity at present to upgrade the physical size and hopefully the strength of the team also.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Anna Hurley - 5'-2 MF/F 2021 Seacoast United (DA), Wakefield, MA is rated 4 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. A really diminutive soccer player. With Jillian Shimkin already committed to PSU it is doubtful that the staff would want to bring in Hurley. Looks smaller than both Jordan Canniff and Shimkin. Was invited to the U-15 USGNT camp.

But is from Massachusetts and PSU has recruited well over the years from there so who knows? I'm guessing that PSU is most likely not recruiting this player because of her size.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Maggie Forbes - 5'-8 MF 2021 1776 United FC, Strath Haven, PA is rated 2 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. IMHO, Forbes is a *diamond in the rough*, just waiting for some very lucky WSOC program to find her.

Forbes also excels in track at Strath Haven as did her two older sisters, Maddie and Grace, both of whom now run track for Rice University. Both also played soccer at Strath Haven, but the younger Forbes seems destined to play soccer in college. See below for just some of Forbes soccer awards/accomplishments.

• PSCA (Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association) Girls Soccer All-State for 2019 as junior
• All-Delco County Player of the Year
• 2019 Daily Times Soccer Player of the Year
• Led Strath Haven to their first state soccer tournament in 7 years
• Runs track in the 400M dash, 600M, 800M and 1600M runs in high school
• Very athletic
• Being recruited by coaches for both soccer & track

Maggie Forbes has a really nice blend of size, speed, technical skills and decision making that makes her an excellent center midfielder. I believe that Forbes is at least a 3 star soccer talent. Splitting her time in high school between track and soccer has held her back some and kept her under the radar. Now, it seems she has made up her mind to pursue a different path from her older sisters and play soccer at the next level instead of track.

Player has only just scratched the surface soccer wise. Will only get better and better once she focuses in on just soccer. Her best soccer will come in college. If I were an RC at a D1 high major, I would offer her in a heartbeat.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Kylie Hummel - 5'-6 F 2021 Mustang SC (ECNL), Danville, CA is rated 3 stars by Top Drawer Soccer.

Helped lead her Monte Vista High School girls team to a 19-3-2 record and a #12 ranking in the country. #2 ranking in California. Would be a nice addition to the '21 class which could use another Forward. Was a member of the U-15 USGNT back in 2018.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Lilly Frick - 5'-9 D 2021 Cedar Stars Academy (DA), Rumson, NJ is rated 3 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. Class needs a Defender, she'd be a solid choice. Has nice size. Has played Forward and so would be best suited at the full back right position.

That's just a few of the remaining 4 star (12) and 3 star recruits still uncommitted for the '21 class.

Of the players I have listed...getting LIly Reale and Ava Minnier would be really big. Kyra Bolden, Lilly Frick, Alexandra Lewis would be next. Then Hummel and Forbes.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Maggie Forbes - 5'-8 MF 2021 1776 United FC, Strath Haven, PA is rated 2 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. IMHO, Forbes is a *diamond in the rough*, just waiting for some very lucky WSOC program to find her.

Forbes also excels in track at Strath Haven as did her two older sisters, Maddie and Grace, both of whom now run track for Rice University. Both also played soccer at Strath Haven, but the younger Forbes seems destined to play soccer in college. See below for just some of Forbes soccer awards/accomplishments.

I've seen her play quite a few times. She's not as refined or as elite as Ava Minnier or Sophia Bradley, at least at this time. Is that because she hasn't been solely committed to soccer, or is her peak just not as high? Coaches get paid big bucks to answer that question -- I haven't a clue what the answer is.

She's quite fast, and has a nose for the ball. She has long red hair, and sometimes will play without braiding it or putting it up -- both of which cause her to stand out from the other players, in addition to her abilities with the ball.

I saw her sisters play as well, and they were good as well. Maggie seems to be a tad better than her older sisters were at soccer.

I haven't spoken with Maggie, her coach, or her parents, about her college plans; I really try and avoid those type of discussions. I have heard some comments about her being an excellent student, and there has been some talk that academics will be as big a piece of her decision as will the quality of the sports program. I'm simply mentioning what I've heard, but have no way to verify the accuracy of it.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Lilly Frick - 5'-9 D 2021 Cedar Stars Academy (DA), Rumson, NJ is rated 3 stars by Top Drawer Soccer. Class needs a Defender, she'd be a solid choice. Has nice size. Has played Forward and so would be best suited at the full back right position.

she's good, for sure. I've seen her play a half dozen times. I don't recall anything special about her game, but the last couple of times I watched her team play I wasn't focusing too much on the defenders.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

she's good, for sure. I've seen her play a half dozen times. I don't recall anything special about her game, but the last couple of times I watched her team play I wasn't focusing too much on the defenders.

As I said she is a solid defender. Nothing flashy. Only had one goal all season. She's a legit 5'-9 and so I like her size and that she is nearby and maybe would consider PSU.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

I've seen her play quite a few times. She's not as refined or as elite as Ava Minnier or Sophia Bradley, at least at this time. Is that because she hasn't been solely committed to soccer, or is her peak just not as high? Coaches get paid big bucks to answer that question -- I haven't a clue what the answer is.

She's quite fast, and has a nose for the ball. She has long red hair, and sometimes will play without braiding it or putting it up -- both of which cause her to stand out from the other players, in addition to her abilities with the ball.

I saw her sisters play as well, and they were good as well. Maggie seems to be a tad better than her older sisters were at soccer.

I haven't spoken with Maggie, her coach, or her parents, about her college plans; I really try and avoid those type of discussions. I have heard some comments about her being an excellent student, and there has been some talk that academics will be as big a piece of her decision as will the quality of the sports program. I'm simply mentioning what I've heard, but have no way to verify the accuracy of it.

I agree that Maggie is not as polished as the players you mentioned. And she is a tad thin, so needs to build herself up some. IMHO, I think she has a high ceiling. As high as the other two? I don't know. But I see something in her, she has a fight about her. Is highly competitive. Still feel her best soccer will come at the next level. I kind of think maybe she is a late bloomer.

 

[soccerfanatic1]

Kait Raffensperger - 5'-9 D 2021 Crossfire Premier SC U-16/17 (DA), Redmond, WA is rated 4 stars by Top Drawer Soccer.

Raffensperger started for the Black team in the ECNL National Selection Game held in Sanford, Florida back in January, 2020. Made ODP Regional Team, ODP State Team, had U.S. Soccer training invite, was Club team captain. Has a 4.0 GPA. Girl would look good in Blue & White.