Following a another competitive season, USF women’s soccer head coach Jim Millinder has announced the addition of six outstanding players, including a U17 national team pool player, who will join the Dons in the fall for the 2015 season and make up what could potentially be the best group of talent the program has ever had.

“This is really three years of myself, [former associate head coach] Maite [Zabala], [former assistant coach] Katie Burton working, scouring the fields for players,” Millinder said. “Two thousand fifteen and 2016 will be the deepest teams we’ve had during my tenure.”

“We need to continue bringing in players to push the envelope to make everyone else better around them and I think we accomplished that this year.”

The class includes USA U17 National Team member Tiara Webb (Elk Grove, Calif. / CAP FC United), Micaela Mercado (Sacramento, Calif. / San Juan Soccer Club), Sydney Ellis (Long Beach, Calif. / LA Galaxy), Valerie Santana (Corona, Calif. / CZ Elite), Price Keogh (Charlotte, N.C. / Charlotte Soccer Academy), and transfer Rosie Kerstetter (Bainbridge, Wash. / Chapman).

“I think some of them can come in and help us immediately,” said Millinder. “Two or three have the potential to start for us this year. It’s just about how fast they get caught up to speed on the D-1 level.”

Millinder plans to add two to three more players in the next month to round out the 2015 class.

Tiara Webb | Elk Grove, Calif.

Webb comes in having a number of accolades already on her resume. She was invited to train for the CONCACAF qualifiers with the U.S. U17 National Team and has been a consistent scoring threat with CAP FC United. Webb led CAP FC to an 8-0-1 record in the State Gold League and captured the league championship, earning a spot in the NorCal National League this season. Her dribbling skills give her the ability to break down defenders and looks to make an immediate impact.

“She’s just a goal scorer,” Millinder said. “Beautiful athlete up front, very special on a ball, can beat players off the dribble 1-v-1. She’s going to compete for time right away. I think she’s got a chance to be an exceptional player at the next level but she’s got to come in and impose her will, get in there and work hard.”

Price Keogh| Charlotte, N.C.

Keogh played for Charlotte Soccer Academy of the ECNL and helped the team to a top 16 finish in the 2011-12 ECNL National Championships.

“Price is hard working.” Millinder said. “She’s very athletic. She can play out of the back, a very tenacious defender. We’re excited to have her.”

She has averaged seven goals per season through her first three years playing for Charlotte Catholic High School (Charlotte, N.C.) and helped the team reach the state finals in 2012.

Micaela Mercado | Sacramento, Calif.

Mercado played for San Juan Soccer Club in the Elite Club National League, with which she has been a team captain since 2011. She helped to lead the team to the ECNL National Playoffs in Virginia and was named a 2014 Top Drawer Soccer “Ranked Player to Watch.” During the 2012 Manchester United Nike Tournament in Oregon, she scored the game-winning goal against Surf, which advanced the team to the Gothia Cup in Sweden.

Mercado also played for C.K. McClatchy High School (Sacramento, Calif.) and helped the team to the Metropolitan Conference semifinals this past year.

“She’s going to fit into our system very well,” Millinder said. “Possession, gritty kid, can score goals from distance. Very possession oriented player, has a very good understanding of the game. She’s going to compete for time and potential a starting spot right away.”

Valerie Santana | Corona, Calif.

Santana played for CZ Elite in the SCDSL Tier 1 and was teammates with current USF forward Carissa Martine. This past year, she helped guide CZ Elite to a third place finish. She was also the captain of the Santiago High School (Corona, Cailf.) team and helped the team claim its seventh and eighth straight league titles.

“She can play up front, she can play outside back,” Millinder said. “She’s just tough, has good pace, strong girl. She’s going to come in and compete for a job right away as well. I tend to see her as a defender for us at the next level.”

Sydney Ellis | Long Beach, Calif.

Ellis played for the LA Galaxy academy team in the SCDL and was a 2013 U.S. Soccer Federation training invitee. She helped guide the Galaxy to a first place finish in the 2014 Las Vegas Showcase, a 2014 Far West Regionals championship, and a final match appearance in the UC Soccer Club National Cup regionals.

She also played for Long Beach Polytechnic High School (Long Beach, Calif.) and was named the 2014 MaxPreps.com Player of the Year, the 2014 MaxPreps.com Defensive Player of the Year, and earned the Excalibur Tournament MVP in 2013.

“She’s a great teammate, hard worker, she can play multiple roles,” Millinder said. “She’s a task-oriented player. She can fit into an outside back for us. I’ve watched Sydney grow up as a young player and am excited to get her here.”

Rosie Kerstetter | Bainbridge, Wash.

Kerstetter comes to the Hilltop from Chapman University where she played two seasons and scored eight goals in 38 games for the Panthers. In her freshman season, she scored six goals with three assists and played in 21 matches with 11 starts. She finished her two seasons with 19 points and had three game-winning goals.

“Rosie is an exceptional athlete,” Millinder said. “I think she will fit in very well into our culture. She is a very hard working player who has tremendous desire to succeed.”