BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Lehigh head coach Eric Lambinus has announced the addition of seven student-athletes, who will join the women's soccer program in the fall. The Class of 2018 features four student-athletes from New Jersey, one from Pennsylvania, one from Ohio and one from Minnesota.

 

“The coaching staff is very happy to welcome seven student-athletes to the women's soccer program at Lehigh,” said Lambinus. “We have gotten to know them very well throughout the extended recruiting process, and we feel that they are a very committed group that are all great fits for us soccer-wise, academically and as individuals who will be very successful in the Lehigh culture.  Each student-athlete has a unique soccer skill or ability that will fit in well with our preferred style of play. 

 

“We look forward to working them into our team culture to help us achieve the program goals we have set,” he continued. “We feel that each one of them will make a significant impact on our program during their four years at Lehigh.”

 

Here is a complete rundown of the incoming freshmen:

 

Alexis “Lexi” Chang – Midfielder/Forward – Morris Plains, New Jersey – Business

Chang is the first of four incoming players from our neighboring state of New Jersey, hailing from Morris Plains, where she was a four-year letter winner for The Pingry School in both soccer and lacrosse. She was the captain of the Big Blue’s soccer and lacrosse teams her senior year, capturing All-State and All-Area honors while leading her team to a Skyland Conference championship in soccer. She was also a leading force in the Big Blue’s back-to-back girls soccer Non-Public A New Jersey State Championship victories in her sophomore and junior years, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2012 championship. Chang plays for the PDA Ginga under Rutgers head women’s soccer coach Glenn Crooks, where she helped the team to a third-place finish at the 2013 USYSA National Championship Series and back-to-back appearances in the Region I championship game in 2012 and 2013. She was also a two-year member of the Olympic Development Program in New Jersey. Off the field, she is an Academic Honor Roll student at The Pingry School.

 

Why Lehigh?

“From my very first visit, I knew Lehigh was the perfect place for me. Lehigh has everything I want in a school: a great academic reputation, a competitive soccer program, a welcoming team and coaching staff, and a vibrant atmosphere on campus. I can’t wait to spend the next four years of my life at Lehigh. Go Mountain Hawks!”

 

Coach Lambinus on Chang:

“Lexi is a high energy attacking player who can play several positions. She has the ability to both create and finish scoring opportunities in the attacking third.  She comes from two great programs in PDA and Pingry, and we expect her to bring that experience to Lehigh. Her leadership qualities are very apparent to everyone as she was named captain of both her Pingry soccer and lacrosse teams.”

 

Grace Correll – Forward – Bay Head, New Jersey – Arts and Sciences

Correll is the second player in the incoming class from New Jersey. She attended Red Back Catholic High School, where she was a four-year letterwinner for the soccer team and captain her senior year. During her career on the field for the Caseys, Correll helped the team to a Shore Conference championship and Co-New Jersey State Championship in her freshman year, the New Jersey state championship match her sophomore year and a Shore Conference Championship her senior year, scoring the game-winning goal in the championship. She was awarded for her efforts with Third Team All-Shore Conference honors her junior year as well as First Team All-Shore Conference, First Team All-Monmouth County and Third Team All-Non Public honors her senior year. Correll also plays for the New Jersey Wildcats, with fellow incoming Mountain Hawk Adrian Vitello, in both the youth team and during the summer for the W-League team, coached by Kevin McDermott and Tommy Boykin. With the Wildcats, she captured championships at the 2013 Disney Showcase and 2013 Jefferson Cup. Off the field, Correll is a two-year member of the National Honor Society and a four-year honor roll student.

 

Why Lehigh?

“I chose Lehigh because it offers the perfect balance between challenging academics and a strong Division I Soccer Program. I knew I wanted to stay on the East Coast, and after being on the beautiful campus and witnessing the comrade between the coaches and players, I knew that Lehigh is where I want to spend my next four years.”

 

Coach Lambinus on Correll:

“Grace is an aggressive and hard-working attacking player.  Her speed, constant energy, strength and high work rate are difficult for opposing players to deal with, and we look forward to adding that element to our attacking dynamic.  She has a great personality and her positive energy is contagious on the teams she has played for.”

 

Kendal Jacobus – Midfield – Eden Prairie, Minnesota – Arts and Sciences

Jacobus is the farthest traveler for Lehigh’s class of 2018, making her way from Eden Prairie High School, where she has had a tremendous career. During the course of her freshman year, she was named the Eagles’ “Newcomer of the Year” en route to their conference, section, and state championship run. As a junior, Jacobus led her team to a Section 2A Championship and was named to the 2012 State All-Tournament Team, making way for her to be named captain as a senior and lead the team to a third Sectional Championship in her four-year career. As a senior, she was Honorable Mention All-State, Lake Conference All-Conference First Team member and named to the State All-Tournament Team for a second year. Jacobus is also the captain for Eden Prairie SC Fusion, coached by Dane Obermeyer, which has won the Minnesota State Cup Championship three of the past five years. She has also represented Minnesota in the Olympic Development Program in 2010 and 2012. Off the field, Jacobus keeps herself quite busy as a member of the National Honor Society, editor of the EPHS Eyrie Newspaper, founder of the Triple A Soccer Camp (a soccer camp for second through sixth grade Somali girls), among other clubs. Because of her outstanding involvement, Jacobus was honored as a junior with the 2013 Minnesota State High School League ExCEL Award, which recognizes juniors who are active in school activities, show leadership qualities and volunteer in their communities.

 

Why Lehigh?

“I chose Lehigh because it’s the perfect mix of rigorous academics and competitive soccer. The second I stepped foot on campus, I fell in love with the majestic architecture and college feel. I knew after I met the welcoming coaches and team that Lehigh was the school for me.”

 

Coach Lambinus on Jacobus:

“Kendal is highly technical midfield player who also has a physical presence on the field. She has a great sense of the game of soccer, and it allows her dictate the game. Kendal also has a great personality that attracts and has a positive influence on everyone around her. From the moment we met her, we knew she would make an excellent addition to Lehigh.”

 

Alyssa Riporti – Defender – Scotch Plains, New Jersey. – Business

The third member of the class from the Garden State, Riporti comes to Lehigh from Scotch Plains. While at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, she was a dominant force as a four-year letter winner for the Raiders, who captured a County championship, a Conference championship and made it all the way to the New Jersey State Sectional match in each of her four years. She was recognized for her impact on the team by being honored as a four-time All-County All-Star as well as earning All-State in her senior year. Riporti, a former teammate of Lehigh rising sophomore Tori Pantaleo, is a captain with the Match Fit Chelsea Beat, coached by Dominick Bucci. After winning the 2012 New Jersey State Cup, the Beat made 2013 their most successful year yet by winning the State Cup and then placing second at both the Region I Championships and US Youth Soccer Nationals. The team competes in both the National League and the ECNL in the 2013-2014 season. Off the field, Alyssa was a member of the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Varsity basketball team her freshman and sophomore years.

 

Why Lehigh?

“I am excited to join the Women's Soccer program at Lehigh. Playing at Lehigh offers me an opportunity to play the sport I love, while receiving a top-notch education. The campus is also beautiful, and the coaching staff and players were extremely welcoming.”

 

Coach Lambinus on Riporti:

“Alyssa is an athletic and physical defender who has a strong presence on the field. She might be one of the toughest players I've seen play and cherishes the role of being a quality defender. Her background playing other sports has helped in her development in soccer, and we think her best is yet to come. Alyssa is one of the hardest working players we recruited over the last year and values the idea of getting better each day. Her game has grown so much over the past year with her Match Fit club team and we look forward to continuing that development.”

 

Rebecca “Becca” Sherry – Forward – West Chester, Pennsylvania – Business

Sherry is the only Pennsylvanian joining the Lehigh Women’s Soccer class of 2018. A West Chester native, she was a two-sport athlete at West Chester Henderson High School, lettering in both soccer (all four years) and track. On the field for the Warriors, Sherry was a captain and led the team in scoring. For her efforts, the Chester County Daily Local honored her with All-Area and All-League accolades. On the track, Sherry won a gold medal her junior year at the PIAA Track Championships in the distance medley relay and received All-American honors. She was also a 2013 State Finalist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. Sherry plays club soccer for Continental FC Delco, under coach Nick Chrisanthon, which competes in the ECNL. During her time with Delco, she led her team to a PA State Cup Championship and the Region I Champions Tournament as the top scorer. She is also a two-year member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Olympic Development Program’s state team. Off the field, Sherry is a four-year honor roll student, a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society, and participates greatly in community service through the Andrew Hicks Foundation and the B. Henderson High School Warrior Guides Program.

 

Why Lehigh?

“Lehigh fulfills both my goals of receiving an excellent education and playing soccer at a competitive Division 1 school. During my visit, the coaches and the girls on the team were so nice and welcoming. I knew it was the perfect place for me.”

 

Coach Lambinus on Sherry:

“Becca is an exceptional athlete with not only great size and speed, but she’s also a tremendous soccer player. She has the ability to play as a center forward with her size, strength and technical ability to hold up the ball and makes great runs off the ball to put herself in position to score goals.  She is great in the air and is a handful to deal with in the 18-yard box. She also has the speed to get behind the defense both as a center and wide forward. She can give us a different dimension to our attacking style.”

 

Amanda Stratton – Defender – Dublin, Ohio – Engineering

Stratton joins the Lehigh class of 2018 from Dublin Coffman High School in Ohio. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Shamrocks, where she helped to lead the team to three consecutive Ohio Cardinal Conference (OCC) championships. In her junior year, Stratton and the Lady Rocks tied a school record for least goals against in a season and became only the second girls’ soccer team in Coffman history to go undefeated. She has been recognized by the OCC the past three seasons with an All-Conference Second Team nod her sophomore year and First Team honors her junior and senior seasons. She also received All-District honors the past two seasons, while also garnering All-Ohio Second Team and All-City “Super 12” First Team accolades in her senior campaign. Stratton is a ten-year member of Ohio Premier Soccer Club, which competes in the ECNL, and is coached by Matt Ogden and Chris King. She was also a three-year member of Ohio’s Olympic Development Program state team. Off the field, Stratton is an honor roll student, a member of National Honor Society and a participant in Coffman’s Student Council.

 

Why Lehigh?

“The first time I visited Lehigh, I knew it was a perfect fit for me. I chose Lehigh because I wanted a college that would challenge me not only athletically with a great Division 1 soccer program, but also academically. The coaches and players were so nice and I felt at home right away. ”

 

Coach Lambinus on Stratton:

“Amanda is a strong defender with a good tactical awareness and highly technical with the ball. We always look for quality defenders who have a high level of technical ability and can help keep possession of the ball. Amanda is exactly that type of player. In addition, her ball striking is exceptional and could be a tremendous asset on set pieces. She is also a great fit for Lehigh, and we knew she would be perfect for our team the first day we met her.”

 

Adrian Vitello – Defender/Midfield – Manalapan, New Jersey – Engineering

Vitello is the final member of the newest class of Mountain Hawks, coming to Lehigh from New Jersey. A letterwinner in soccer, basketball, indoor track and outdoor track at Freehold Township High School, her list of high school accomplishments is quite impressive. On the field for the Patriots, Vitello was a senior captain where she led the team to the New Jersey State Championship semi-final game for the second time in her career. After being a part of the Shore Conference Championship team her sophomore year, she was honored both junior and senior years with Third Team All-State honors and First Team All-District, All-Shore and All-Division accolades. Her senior campaign also earned her Second Team All-Group and A-North Player of the Year honors. On the track, Vitello has been a two-year captain for both winter and spring seasons. She currently holds the Freehold Township HS and district records in the 800M, 4x400M relay, 4x800M relay and the Distance Medley Relay. Her 4x800 relay team placed third at the 2013 Penn Relays while also claiming the championship at the 2013 New Jersey Meet of Champions. Vitello earned All-America status at the 2013 Outdoor New Balance Nationals with a fifth place finish in the 4x800M relay. Vitello plays club soccer with incoming Lehigh classmate Grace Correll for the New Jersey Wildcats, both the youth team and the W-League summer team, which are coached by Kevin McDermott and Tommy Boykin. She was also a three-year member of the New Jersey Olympic Development Program state team. Off the field and track, Vitello is a member of the National Honor Society and a 2013 recipient of the Dwight D. Eisenhower leadership award.

 

Why Lehigh?

“The moment I stepped on Lehigh's campus, I knew it was the right school for me with its beautiful architecture and welcoming atmosphere. It has the perfect balance between a great education and a competitive soccer program. Meeting the team and the coaches only further solidified my love for the school.”

 

Coach Lambinus on Vitello:

“Adrian is a exceptional athlete who has seen a tremendous amount of success on the soccer field and the track over the past year.  She has played primarily as a defender for most of her teams, but we believe Adrian has the ability to be a dominant midfielder in college. She is fast, extremely fit, has great ability on the ball and understands every position on the field. Adrian’s potential was very apparent to us from the first moment we saw her play. Our interest in her only intensified as we got to know her and saw her success in everything she did, from soccer to track to academics.”