The University of Montana women’s soccer team officially announced the signing of nine new players to be added to the 2010 Grizzly roster. The players will be joining the UM team from seven different states, ranging from Illinois to California.
Freshmen under Sedgwick: UM Head Coach Neil Sedgwick, who will be starting his seventh year with the Montana soccer reins next fall, is well aware what a strong incoming class can do for his program. In 2009, Sedgwick found as many as six true freshmen on the field for his team at one time, including four who quickly became regulars in the UM back four. Following the 2009 season where UM finished sixth in the Big Sky, Missoula native Lauren Costa, a true freshman, garnered the honor of All Big Sky-second team for the Grizzlies.
The incoming class, which includes nine players who submitted letters of intent within the past week, will include members from Arizona, California, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana and Washington.
By the numbers: Incoming players have earned a total of 15 all-state honors. Four have played on state champion teams in the states of Arizona (2), Idaho, and Illinois.
The Griz soccer coaching staff is excited about the academic accolades of the incoming class as well as their athletic ability. Incoming players combine for eight Academic All-State honors, over sixteen Honor Roll designations and three are members of the National Honor Society. Montana women’s soccer has established a strong tradition of academic excellence under Sedgwick in the past six years, including an athletic department-leading 3.31 cumulative team GPA after the fall semester.
Sedgwick on signees: Waiting for the final signed letters of intent in his office early this week, Sedgwick said, “This is a group that adds elements of athletic ability, pace, soccer experience, a great deal of enthusiasm, and hunger to our UM team. Beyond those elements, this group is going to maintain that desire to achieve that we have seen with so many of our athletes her at UM, from our graduating seniors, down through that 2009 class that performed so well for us this past fall.
Signed athletes:
Rachel Bindl: a 5’5” outside-fullback out of Kent, Washington.
Prep: Four-year Kentwood varsity player… SPSL League MVP… Three-time SPSL First Team All-League selectee… Three-time team defensive MVP… Two-time Star Times All-Area Player (Seattle Times)… Two-time first team all state… Helped team to a third place finish in state playoffs… The anchor of a stingy defense that allowed only two goals in 2009.
Assistant coach Peter Underwood on Bindl: “Rachel has family links here in Montana, which is a great condition for an incoming player. Her abilities include being able to get up and down the field well, striking the ball and not backing down from tough tackling situations.”
Bindl says, “I felt that I needed to play for UM, partly because my parents were Bobcats. I also thought that the campus was beautiful and the physical therapy program was competitive and matched my interest in becoming a physical therapist.”
Carley Duvall: a 5’9” full-back out of Boise, Idaho.
Prep: Four year defensive starter...2009 Idaho State High School Soccer championship team...2009 Defensive High School Player of the year…Four year Academic All-State Team Title...2009 Idaho All-Star Team...2007-2009 Southern Idaho All-Conference Defensive Player Honorable Mention honoree … Awarded 2008 Teachers Choice Award… Logged nine years with the Boise Capitals Soccer Club.
Coach Sedgwick on Duvall: “Carley is a strong player who is good in the air. She is another one of those players that we have seen at our soccer camps. Because of that experience, she knows the style of Griz soccer. I’m excited to see how she progresses over the next seven months coming into the Grizzly 2010 preseason.
Maddey Frey: a 5’4” forward out of Kalispell, Montana.
Prep: : Four year letter winner in soccer and track…Leading scorer at Glacier High School sophomore, junior and senior years…Led Montana in goals scored junior year… Team captain sophomore and senior years...First team all-state selection sophomore, junior, and senior years…Western Conference AA Player of the Year junior and senior years…Named to Great Falls Tribune Super State team junior and senior years...Played club soccer for seven years with the Flathead Force… All-State Track freshman and junior years…State AA Champion in the 100M and a member of State Champion 4X100M Relay team junior year… Varsity letter winner in basketball sophomore and junior years… Academic All-State four years running.
Coach Sedgwick on Frey: “Maddey is a tremendous athlete, having done everything in the game in her Montana prep career. Her impressive pace allows her to do a lot of things that other players cannot do in competitive situations.”
Frey says, “I have lived in Montana my whole life and I love the state. I am constantly outdoors and Missoula is a great town for me to do all the things I love, including soccer. UM is really the only school that I seriously considered. My dad is a UM alum and now I will be entering school 30 years after he graduated. That’s pretty cool!”
Julianna Jack: a 5’6” goalkeeper out of Ramsey, Minnesota.
Prep: Goalkeeper, captain, and MVP of Shattuck's U16 team in '07 and '08 and U18 team in '09 and '10 … selected for the MN State Olympic Development team in '05-'10 … selected for the Region II ODP tournament in Costa Rica, '07 … a High Honor Roll recipient in '06-'10 at Shattuck St. Mary's School in Faribault, MN … Recipient of the Scanlon Award in '07 … …Recipient of the Yale Cup Award in '08 … An Inductee of the Cum Laude Society in spring of '09 … The recipient of the Wellesley College Book Award and the Bloom History Award in '09 … a High Honor Roll recipient for the fall of '09.
Assistant Coach CJ Cooper on Jack: “Julianna is the most competent keeper that I saw this year. She reads the game well, and has quick hands. Her active-footed style makes everything appear easy for her in-goal. Though she is small in stature, she plays a game much bigger than she is.”
Jack says, “Everything about the University of Montana and Missoula was striking to me before I even stepped off the plane. Flying in over the mountain tops was absolutely amazing, especially for a girl like me who hails from the flats of central Minnesota. However, even more striking than the sheer beauty of the city and the location was the professionalism and attitude of the coaching staff and players. While visiting, I was met by the most genuinely sincere people who did everything to make my trip worth the while. I will always remember how each of the girls on the team took a break from their workout to shake my hand and introduce themselves. That level of respect and maturity told me immediately that this team is the right place for me. I have no doubt in my mind that I will continue to be impressed by the people and experiences that are waiting for me at the University of Montana.
Ashley Robertson: a 5’11” center midfielder out of Scottsdale Arizona.
Prep: Seven years of club experience with Soccer Del Sol, one with Sereno soccer club…Started and played all games freshman through junior year on the varsity soccer team at Horizon High School... Earned best goal of the year freshman and sophomore year… Rookie of the year as a freshman… MVP and unsung hero junior year… Led her high school team to a state championship in 2009.
Coach Sedgwick on Robertson: “Ashley is a skillful player and a good decision maker. We are expecting here to be a dominant player on set-pieces (free and corner kicks). Her years of club participation have given her ample experience in addition to her Arizona high school league play.”
Robertson says, “I fell in love with Missoula because it seemed like the perfect college town for me and everything I saw on my visit was about the school. The girls on the team are super cool and very welcoming. I chose UM because I like the size of the school and where it's located, it's the perfect fit for me.”
Maddie Simmel: a 5’5” midfielder/striker out of Missoula, Montana.
Prep: Four year varsity letter winner at Missoula Sentinel High School… Started for 3 years... All-Conference junior and senior year… Played club soccer from the age of 12 for the Missoula Strikers.
Coach Sedgwick on Simmel: “Maddie is an exceptional local player that did well in High School. She has good technique, which she uses very simply. Her running work rate will make a great addition to our team.”
Simmel says, “I chose the UM because I love Missoula and I wanted to be close to home. Everyone on the UM soccer team seemed so nice and welcoming and the University has a beautiful campus.”
Taylor Swenson: a 5’5” fullback out of Tacoma Washington.
Prep: Started for Bellarmine Preparatory School… Second team all-league 2008-and 2009… Honor Roll 2006-2010… National Honor Society 2008-2010.
Assistant Coach Peter Underwood on Swenson: “Taylor struck me as an incredibly athletic player, bringing speed and the ability to put on quick pressure in a tackling situation. We see her as a player that can contribute to getting the ball up to the box as well as dealing with tough situations in a defensive role.”
Swenson says, “On my visit, I was impressed with how close the members of the team seemed to be with one another. I chose UM because I had grown up in Montana before moving to Washington. To me, it is a place that will feel like home again.”
India Watne: a 5’6” midfielder/striker out of Los Angeles, California.
Prep: 4 year varsity starter at Marymount high school…League honorable mention freshman year…All league junior year…Captain of both Club and High School teams...Lead club team into state gold division on two different levels…Track and field league champion 100m junior year, second place 100m sophomore year, third place long jump.
Coach Sedgwick on Watne: “India will be our fastest athlete coming in, bringing great ability to move the ball forward. She additionally has a strong striking ability, which makes her dangerous from a distance. As she develops within a Division I training situation, it can be imagined that she could become a dominant one-on-one player in the Big Sky.”
Watne says, “I selected Montana because I am after a full college experience. I also wanted to be able to play division 1 soccer and compete right away, and I feel like that can happen at Montana. I liked the athletic history of the school, specifically the football team. At UM, I was able to find the exact major that I was looking for and the mountain setting was a real draw for me.”
Courtney Watson: a 6’ center-back out of Scottsdale Arizona.
Prep: Five time club soccer state champion… Took third at club in regionals twice… 2009 high school soccer state champion with Horizon High School… Second team all-state for high school.
Coach Sedgwick on Watson: “Courtney is a strong center-back, and a very physical player. She has developed a great ability to read the game, and at six-feet, she is strong in the air as well.”
Watson says, “What I found striking about Missoula is the fact that its not a crazy-busy town, but peaceful and everyone is welcoming. The University caught my attention because it seemed like the perfect fit for me. It is a place where I can be successful. The soccer team made a good impression on me when I visited, making me feel like I was already a part of the team.
In addition to signed athletes, Illinois native and Big Sky High School graduate Sierra Smith has accepted a scholarship from UM and is currently enrolled for spring semester. She will be a new addition to the program, bringing four years of all-state honors to an already impressive incoming class.
Sedgwick has also spoken with a few existing UM students whom he expects to walk on, starting practice with the squad as early as spring of 2010. Sedgwick was unable to comment on specifics, but guarantees that soccer fans will be seeing even more notable talents on his roster in 2010.
UM soccer will begin official practices with the 2010 incoming class August 4, though many players will be participating with the UM team during Griz soccer camps the team will be putting on in the summer months.