Long Beach State women's soccer head coach Mauricio Ingrassia has announced the signing of five high school standouts to National Letters of Intent as Alyssa Alvarez, Sarah Maher, Imani McDonald, Rocio Rodriguez and Jordan Sanders will join the Beach in 2015-16. Fatmata Kamara is also enrolled at Long Beach State and will begin her soccer career as a freshman in the fall of 2015.

"This is an exciting class for us," Ingrassia said. "We have inked some excellent soccer players who are solid athletes, great leaders, and fierce competitors. Five of them come with club National Championship experience and they all come from nationally competitive clubs. That type of winning experience will translate immediately to our everyday environment. All of them will push for playing time and possible starting roles. We have a history of playing freshmen if they're good enough, and these young women will raise the level of competition within the group from day one."

Alyssa Alvarez, Defender, Corona, Calif. (Santiago HS)
Alvarez is currently in her senior season at Santiago High School where she has helped the Sharks to an appearance in the CIF-Southern Section Division II semifinals. Alvarez is a two-time All-CIF selection and was named the Big 8 League MVP after scoring 22 goals as a junior. She has also played 11 years of club soccer for both the Corona Eagles and the So Cal Blues. Her U18 Blues ECNL club team won the Surf Cup this past fall.

"Alyssa is a great athlete who grew up playing forward and scoring goals, but was converted to defender over the last couple of seasons," Ingrassia said. "We first identified Alyssa at our ID camp as a sophomore, and she is currently in great form playing at a high level. She usually plays the role of shutting down the opposition's top attacking threat. Her family is from Rosario, Argentina, where soccer is felt in a much different way than almost anywhere else in the world. Her competitive spirit resembles her background, where "futbol" is felt with a warm passion. She comes highly recommended and will push for playing time right away."

Sarah Maher, Defender, Long Beach, Calif. (Wilson HS)
Maher is a senior defender at Wilson High School where she has guided the Bruins to the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals. Maher, who netted a hat trick in a 3-0 first-round win over Chaminade, is a three-time All-Moore League selection. As a sophomore, she helped Wilson HS claim the league and CIF-SS Division II title. Maher has also been a member of Beach Futbol Club for five years, winning the national and regional championship in 2014.

"Sarah is a real Long Beach product and we are very proud to have landed such a quality player for our program," Ingrassia said. "She is a humble and hard-working player who can play anywhere in the back row. You notice Sarah over the course of several games as her consistency and maturity are what sets her apart. She is fearless and strong on the tackle. She will be a leader for us down the road, a real character kid. Look for her to push our starters for time right away. I'm looking forward to having Sarah join our defensive group."

Imani McDonald, Goalkeeper, Long Beach, Calif. (Poly HS)
McDonald is a four-year starting goalkeeper at Long Beach Poly High School. She recently led her team to their second-straight and her third overall Moore League title and has helped the Jackrabbits advance to the CIF-Southern Section Division I semifinals. McDonald earned her 11th shutout of the season in a 0-0 tie in a quarterfinal match-up at Huntington Beach. She then made two key stops in penalty kicks as Poly advanced, 6-5. McDonald is a three-time Moore League Goalkeeper of the Year and garnered All-CIF Division II honors as a junior. In addition, she was selected to the 2014 NSCAA Fall Girls' All-West Region Team. McDonald has also spent the last eight years as a member of Beach Futbol Club, winning the national and regional titles in 2014.

"Imani is one of the best goalkeepers to ever come out of the Long Beach area," Ingrassia said. "She plays big, and her personality and presence can sometimes take over a game. She has cat-like reflexes and an amazing kicking game. She will help us build from the back as she is very comfortable on the ball. I've seen Imani grow up in and around our program and campus, and to finally have her in the black and gold is a great feeling for us. I'm excited to have Imani competing with Ashton (McKeown) and Cynthia (Diaz). We believe the future of the position will be in great hands for quite some time."

Rocio Rodriguez, Forward/Midfielder, Inglewood, Calif. (Elsinore HS)
Rodriguez played two years of soccer and basketball at Elsinore High School. She was an All-Sun Belt League selection as a sophomore and junior as she totaled 14 goals over the two seasons. She did not play her senior year. Rodriguez has been a member of Beach Futbol Club for the past seven years where she helped her squad to both the regional and national championships in 2012 and 2014. They also won the National Cup title in 2014.

"Rocio is a very technically gifted player," Ingrassia said. "She will exponentially improve our ability to possess the ball in the midfield and up top. She has great touch on the ball, great vision of the game, and can be the player setting the tempo on the offensive end. Look for Rocio to be involved in the final pass or the solo effort to create a scoring chance. She will fit right in with the types of soccer players we have been recruiting and developing within our system. I look forward to Rocio making an immediate impact for us."

Jordan Sanders, Defender, Temecula, Calif. (Chaparral HS)
Sanders is a four-year letterwinner and three-time team captain at Chaparral High School. She recently led the Pumas to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division II playoffs for the second-straight year. In 2014, Sanders garnered first-team All-Southwestern League honors after finishing with six goals and seven assists as a defender. She is also a two-time All-CIF selection. Sanders plays club soccer for the DMCV Sharks which won the U16 and U17 national championships in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

"Jordan is an exciting player for us to be landing in 2015," Ingrassia said. "She has a high soccer IQ and tremendous qualities as a leader and teammate. She has led her team to back-to-back National Championships, and is vying for a third. She is a left sided defensive player who can also play in the midfield. Jordan plays with a very calm demeanor, reading the game at a level that she solves problems before they arise. She is capable of challenging for playing time right away, and will be one of our future leaders."

Fatmata Kamara, Forward, San Jose, Calif. (Branham HS)
In addition to the five signees, Fatmata Kamara is enrolled at Long Beach State and will begin her soccer career as a freshman in the fall of 2015. She is a former member of the MVLA Lightning, where she helped her team claim the U14 National Championship, and she was widely recognized as one of the best attacking talents from that squad. Kamara is a former Regional Team and National Pool player. A highly recruited talent, she came to the Beach where she joins former club teammate Mimi Akaogi.

"Fatmata has the potential to be a special player for us and our conference," Ingrassia said. "She has a great feel for the game on the offensive end, where she can create and finish plays. She is a first generation African from Sierra Leone and a product of a great soccer environment during her formative years. Fatmata has no ceiling in terms of her potential, and when we combine her with some of our offensive talent already in our group, we could be seeing an attacking core of players that can make us a real threat on the national scene. I look forward to seeing Fatmata introduced to our fans in the fall of 2015."

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