South Carolina women’s soccer head coach Shelley Smith announced the signing of five student-athletes for the 2015 season on Wednesday.

“I’m excited about this incoming class for 2015. We lost four terrific seniors last year, and I really think this class is going to do a tremendous job to come in and fill some of those shoes and also give us some great depth where we need it,” Smith said.

“We have some players who are going to come in and give us some good presence up front in the attack. They’ll push the players here who are working hard to continue to increase our offensive production. The players coming in will do that right away and give us some different looks. They will compliment our returning players quite well.

“They have big shoes to fill with Sabrina D’Angelo graduating. We do have a goalkeeper in the class that I think will be tremendous in Hunter Peifer. We are feeling good about what these freshmen are going to do right away. We’re excited for them to join us.”

The Gamecocks will look to build on a historic 2014 season in which they advanced to the program’s first NCAA Quarterfinal and finished the season 14-6-5. Before falling to eventual NCAA Champions Florida State, the nationally seeded Gamecocks registered three straight shutouts in the NCAA Tournament, advancing past No. 21 Clemson and Seattle, who received votes in the final poll, on penalty kicks before taking down No. 8 North Carolina, 1-0, in the Round of 16. South Carolina matched its best-ever final ranking, checking in at No. 9 in the NSCAA poll.

Kiley Burns

Signed as of 9:43 a.m.

Midfielder • Plano, Texas • Plano West Senior • Dallas Texans ECNL

A captain while playing for Leo Maric and the Dallas Texans ECNL…2013 Texas Conference Champions…2012 & 2014 ECNL Finals, finishing fourth in 2014…2014 Dallas International Cup Champions…Named to Texas Player Development Pool…a two-time captain at Plano West Senior where the team won back-to-back 5A state championships (2012, 2013) while climbing to a No. 1 national ranking in both seasons...2014 5A state finalist…named First-Team All-State, All-Region and All-District while playing for Allie Rogosheske at Plano West

Personal: Born March 6, 1997, Kiley is the daughter of David and Christine Burns….Accepted into the Honors College at South Carolina…National Honor Society inductee and Who’s Who nominee…intends to major in Sports and Entertainment Management…YoungLife and WyldLife student leader…sister Dru Burns played ice hockey at Boston College, brother Matthew Burns played ice hockey at the University of Georgia and grandfather Larry Kalesnick played football at Brown University…also enjoys wakeboarding, spending time with her siblings, playing with her dogs

Courtney Kaplan

Signed as of 8:52 a.m.

Forward • St. Louis, Mo. • Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day • St. Louis Scott Gallagher

Played club soccer for Ralph Richards’ St. Louis Scott Gallagher…was invited and attended ID2 camp for two years…Played for Michael Black at MICDS and also earned letters in varsity basketball.

Personal: Born Feb. 15, 1997, Courtney is the daughter of Gary and Jody Kaplan…received either first or second honors each year of high school…intends to major in finance…has played the piano for the last eight years…brothers Lex and Jonny Kaplan played baseball at Tulane…also enjoys skiing, cooking and watching movies.

Carrie Lawrence

Signed as of 1:50 p.m.

Midfielder • Orlando, Fla. • Timber Creek • Florida Krush

Played for the Florida Krush and Hue Menzies and won state and regional championships…ODP State Team, ODP Region III Team and WPSL team selection…playing for Cameron Stevens at Timber Creek, was named an All-Metro and All-State Player, Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player while capturing Metro and District championships.

Personal: Born Dec., 15, 1997, Carrie is the daughter of David and Cindy Lawrence…an A/B & Principal Honor Roll student and inducted into the Beta Club at Timber Creek…also lettered in flag football…intends to major in exercise science…loves to play pickup soccer and flag football.

Hunter Peifer

Signed as of 9:43 a.m.

Goalkeeper • Colorado Springs, Colo. • Cheyenne Mountain • CO Pride Predators ‘97

October 2014 U-20 Women’s National Team Camp…2009, 2011 & 2012 ODP Colorado Championship team; 2011 &2012 ODP Region IV Camp; 2011 US Club Soccer ID2 Camp…served as a team captain at the club level since 2009…plays for Sian Hudson and the CO Pride Predators ’97…team was 2012, 2014 & 2015 Colorado State Club Champions; 2014 & 2015 U18 Super League Champions; 2014 USYSA Region IV Far West Championship Finalist; 2014 Disney Soccer Showcase Finalist; 2014 & 2015 USYSA National League participant; 2013 US Club National Cup Champions…at Cheyenne Mountain, earned four varsity letters playing for Tomas Martinez…a 2015 team captain….in 2014, was named to Colorado All-Star Team, was First-Team All-Area and Academic All-State First Team…in 2013 earned Honorable Mention All-Colorado, Second Team All-State, Second Team All-League and Honorable Mention All-Conference….in 3,312 minutes played for Cheyenne Mountain, boasts a 0.4 goals against average, allowing just 17 goals, while collecting 177 saves and 28 shutouts.

Personal: Born Nov. 4, 1996, Hunter is the daughter of Bret and Raeann Peifer…mainstay on the academic honor roll…2015 Rotary Champion for women’s soccer…earned three academic letters…member of the National Charity League since 2009…logged volunteer hours with Pikes Peak Hospice, Silver Key Meals on Wheels, Southern Colorado Aids Project (SCAP) Rocky Mountain Kids, Colorado Springs Down Syndrome Association…sister Aspen Peifer currently plays soccer for the University of Montana…intends to major in business/finance…also enjoys wakeboarding.

Simone Wark

Signed as of 10:25 a.m.

Forward • Whitby, Ontario, Canada • Bill Crothers Secondary • Glen Shields FC

2014 Toronto Lady Lynx W-League team member, 2014 Team Ontario Rex Program team member, 2014 member of U20 Jamaican National Team for CONCACAF…2013 member of Team Ontario U18 Canada Games Team, taking bronze….2013 member of Team Ontario U16 National Champions, and was awarded the Golden Boot and named MVP for the Ontario Cup Finalist game…2010-14 Team Ontario member, taking the national championship from 2010-13…Playing for Dave Benning and the Glen Shields FC, won the 2013 League Cup Championship and was a U16 Ontario Cup finalist….2014 Brams United Bandits OYSL U17 highest goal scoring percentage…2013 OYSL U17 leading goal scorer…played two seasons of soccer at Bill Crothers Secondary for Allison Fox, winning the 2014 OFSAA Provincial championship…was a star on the track, taking bronze in the YRAA 100m dash, silver in the YRAA 200m dash and gold in the YRAA 4x100m relay in 2014…was a 2013 OFSAA 4x100m silver medalist.

Personal: Born April 24, 1997, Simone is the daughter of Derek and Sophia Wark…has logged volunteer hours with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and Racing Against Drugs…also lettered in volleyball and basketball in addition to soccer and track & field…intends to major in exercise science…also enjoys movies with friends, swimming, pilates, yoga and reading