The Penn State freshmen will have a big task in front of them: to contribute their services toward a share of a 14th consecutive Big Ten title.

Penn State

Signings: Kori Chapic, (Cleveland Cobras), Whitney Church (Loudoun FC), Britt Eckerstrom (FC Frederick), Kindrah Kohne (Empire Syracuse)
Skinny: The Nittany Lions are already littered with young talent but that sure didn’t stop them from adding more. Church is a special player on the defensive side, in fact, there is only one defender ranked higher than Church (No. 10 on our Top 100) in the country. Eckerstrom, No. 75 in the Top 100, is a goalkeeper who brings great stability. She’s a good shot stopper and will join an already solid group of goalkeepers. Chapic is the No. 13 ranked player in the Great Lakes Region and is a speedy striker.

Daphne Corboz

Georgetown

Signings: Audra Ayotte (Soccerplus/FSA), Jessica Clinton (Scorpions Soccer Club), Daphne Corboz (PDA), Emma Newins (Richmond Strikers), Elizabeth Schubauer (Rockville Center), Emilia Sens (RFC Arsenal), Ashley Shaffer (CASL Spartan Elite), Vanessa Skrumbis (Real So Cal)
Skinny: Gems from this class include Clinton (ranked No. 5 in our Northeast Region), Corboz (No. 5 in our New Jersey Region) and Shaffer (No. 6 in our South Atlantic Region. Ayotte is a powerful attacker who could develop into a valuable player while Newins is a goalkeeper with good hands and a solid work ethic.

Gonzaga

Signings: Mikayla Anderson (Spokane Shadow), Cricket Harber (Emerald City/Seattle United), Tori Lee (Emerald City/Seattle United), Kenzie Lubeck (Crossfire Premier), Kasey Rubosky (Spokane Shadow), Jordan Travis (Emerald City/Seattle United), Ava Vogel (Emerald City/Seattle United)
Skinny: One of Gonzaga’s most consistent inconsistencies in 2010 was its defense. That could be on the verge of changing as the Zags have attacked that weakness head on. Three instate defenders will arrive this fall, including center back Harber, Lubeck, Rubosky and outside back Travis. Meanwhile, Vogel is a goalkeeper with good size and technical ability.

On the offensive side, Anderson is our No. 11 ranked player in the Pacific Northwest. She should contribute fairly quickly as either an attacking midfielder or forward.

Samford

Signings: Amanda Abbott (Cobb FC), Allison Bond (Cobb FC), Katie Danehy (Birmingham United), Joy Grove (Richmond Strikers), Lindsey Hansen (Carmel United Soccer Club), Maggi Panagiotis (Cajun Soccer Club)   
Skinny: Having finished second in the Southern Conference last year, Samford is bringing in an interesting cast of players.

Panagiotis prepared for her college career by playing with the boys during her high school years. She’s a tough athlete that will bring an edge to her defensive duties. Hansen, also a defender, is the No. 18 ranked player in the Great Lakes and gave consideration to other strong programs before joining the Bulldogs. Abott brings goal-scoring and was a teammate of Bond’s at Cobb FC.