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BOSTON – Coming off a second straight CAA championship and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA tournament, head coach Tracey Leone and the Northeastern women's soccer program announced an eight-member incoming class on Tuesday.
"Our 2015 class is extremely talented and is a special group of people," Leone said. "They are a versatile, driven, and committed group of student-athletes. We are very excited to have them join us."
The incoming class features one goalkeeper, two defenders, three midfielders and two forwards. The eight newcomers will help fill the void created by the graduation of seniors Paige Burnett, Bianca Calderone, Maria Lanyi, Kelsey McCarthy, Amy Steele, Awnalisa Walker and Lahaina Zoller. Northeastern also returns 21 talented players from last year's championship team, putting the Huskies in prime position to make a run at a three-peat in 2015.
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Background: Abbey Clapp comes to Northeastern after a four-year standout career at Marshfield High School in Marshfield, Massachusetts. A 5-4 forward, Clapp scored 22 goals in 2013 and was named Patriot Ledger All-State, Boston Herald All-Scholastic, and a Gatehouse Media Super Team member. A First-Team Eastern Massachusetts All-Star, Clapp helped Marshfield capture D1 Atlantic Coast League championships in 2011, '12 and '13. Clapp will join a talented group of returning forwards that features the likes of Shayna Blackwood, Kayla Cappuzzo, Carly Wilhelm, Taylor Caparo and Haley Sinclair.
Coach Leone on Clapp: "Abbey is fast, strong, and powerful. She has a real nose for the goal. She will run through brick walls to get get goals. I think she will create havoc for opponents' back lines. She has great potential; I think her best soccer is still ahead of her, which is exciting for us."
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Background: Local product Lizzie George comes to Northeastern after earning four varsity letters from Framingham High School in Framingham, Massachusetts. A 5-6 attacking midfielder, George was named a 2014 Bay State Conference All-Star. George also played for the Boston Breakers Academy U-18 ECNL team, and the U14-U18 MPS Renegades. In 2011 and 2012, George was selected to attend the Nike ID Camp, and in 2011, George was named to the Super Y ODP Camp select team. George previously volunteered with the Big Brother, Big Sister program, and aspires to one day work with children and sports. George will join a skilled midfield group that already features the likes of Hannah Lopiccolo, Breeana Koemans, Carina Deandreis, Krista Meaglia and Kimberly Slade.
Coach Leone on George: "Lizzie is a competitive, blue-collar, talented attacker. She has a lot of grit combined with great technique. She's attack-minded but also is very tough on the defensive side of the ball. Her personality on and off the field are similar; she's very outgoing and vivacious. She's hungry to get better and has a great college career ahead of her."
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Background: Nicole Gorman joins the Husky family from the Birch Wathen Lenox School in New York City. A creative, attacking player, Gorman played two years of soccer as a midfielder/forward, and also played two years of basketball as a point guard. Gorman was named the MVP of both the soccer and basketball teams in 2011-12.Â
Coach Leone on Gorman: "Nikki is special on the ball and is a creative playmaker. She can play up front and in the midfield, central or wide, so she offers a lot of versatility. She's very athletic, confident in one-on-one situations, and is a great passer with terrific vision. In the recruiting process, we liked Nikki for a long time so we are really excited she will be joining us."
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Background:Â A native of Sutton, Massachusetts, Eve Goulet comes to Huntington Avenue after a standout career at Sutton High School and the FC Stars of Massachusetts (ECNL). A 5-9 central defender, Goulet was named the 2013-14 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year and was named All-State in 2013, while helping her school to the Division 4 state championship. Goulet also attended ECNL/ID National Training Camp in 2013 and was named a two-time Central Massachusetts All-Star. The addition of Goulet will help the Huskies replenish the ranks in central defense after graduating Calderone and Walker.Â
Coach Leone on Goulet: "Eve is a strong, powerful left-footed center back. With the graduation of Bianca [Calderone] and Awnalisa [Walker], she will add more depth to the center back position for us. She's done very well in the ECNL against some of the nation's top forwards. She's going to be a wonderful addition to our team as a player and a person. She's very hard-working and is always looking for ways to improve."
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Background: A native of Hewlett, New York, Nathalie Nidetch joins Northeastern after earning four varsity letters as a goalkeeper at G.W. Hewlett High School. The Nidetch helped her school to the 2014-15 conference championship and was named the Conference A5 Player of the Year in 2014. The 5-7 goalkeeper was named All-County and All-State in 2013 and 2014, and earned the 2014 Howard Gould Award for the Top Goalkeeper in Nassau County. Nidetch will add depth to a corps of talented returning keepers in Caton Beaulieu, Jill Quinn and Mollie Rosen.
Coach Leone on Nidetch: "Nathalie is a very accomplished goalkeeper. She's a very good shot stopper, extremely good coming off her line, courageous, and very comfortable with her feet. She's a great all around goalkeeper and plays with a lot of personality. She will be a wonderful addition to an already talented, hard-working group of goalkeepers."
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Background: A native of Lincoln, Massachusetts, Hannah Rosenblatt comes to Northeastern after a standout career at Lincoln-Sudbury High School and the FC Stars of Massachusetts. A dangerous striker, Rosenblatt racked up 59 goals and 50 assists in her high school career, including 24 goals and 19 assists in her senior season. The 5-6 Rosenblatt was named All-Conference all four years, and All-Eastern Massachusetts as a junior and senior. In her final high school season, Rosenblatt was named All-State and Team MVP while helping her team to the North Sectional championship. Coach Leone on Rosenblatt: "Hannah can crush a ball and has a great attitude and ability to score goals. Another tremendous and talented attacking addition to our team, she is very strong and plays with great resolve. She's very good on the ball and finds ways to put the ball in the back of the net. She's a very dangerous player in the attacking third, and I think she will add a great deal to our goal production."Â |
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Background: Valentina Soares Gache joins the Husky family from Tesoro High School and the West Coast Futbol Club. Soares Gache attended the same high school as current Husky Hannah Lopiccolo, and played for the same club team as Lopiccolo and former NU standout Paige Burnett. Soares Gache helped West Coast FC to the ECNL finals in 2013, and helped Tesoro to a league championship in 2015. In the classroom, Soares Gache earned Tesoro's Scholar Athlete Award, and plans to major in marketing at Northeastern. Coach Leone on Soares Gache: "Valentina is very technical and has an Argentinian flair to her game. She covers a lot of ground and will be impactful up top or in the midfield. She has sophisticated ideas and is a good playmaker. She comes from West Coast FC, the same club as Paige Burnett and Hannah Lopiccolo. It's a great club that offers a competitive environment that is great for player development." |
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Background: Joining Northeastern from the West Coast, Michelle Stack will provide the Huskies with another talented presence in central defense. Stack earned two varsity letters at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California, and helped the team to a Central Coast Section championship in 2014. Stack previously volunteered at family shelters and food banks, and plans to major in biochemistry with the hope of becoming a doctor.
Coach Leone on Stack: "Michelle, like Eve Goulet, will add great depth to our talented center back pool. She's very athletic and competitive and is a very good communicator. She comes from the DeAnza club, which stresses a beautiful possession style of play, so she's very comfortable building out of the back."
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