MILWAUKEE, Wis. (Feb. 4, 2011) - The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee women’s soccer team has added 10 players to its roster for the 2011 season, head coach Michael Moynihan announced today.

Eight high school seniors signed National Letters of Intent, another has declared her intent to enroll and a ninth player graduated high school in January and has been enrolled at UWM this semester.

The newcomers include Amy Kaffung of Hartland, Wis.; Kelsey Holbert of Western Springs, Ill.; Emily Scott of Tinley Park, Ill.; Kelly Lewers of Homewood, Ill.; Sara Zawacki of Dearborn, Mich.; Morgan LaPlant of Madison, Wis.; Vienna Behnke of Neenah, Wis.; Natalie Fettinger of Hemlock, Mich.; Lauren Jimenez of St. Charles, Ill.; and Emma Worthington of Shoreview, Minn.

“This is an extremely strong and deep recruiting class, probably our deepest we’ve had in years.” Moynhian said. “We are adding some tremendous athletes, some fierce competitors and a lot of players that have already been playing at a very high level. The transition to collegiate soccer should go smoothly for many of them and we expect many of them to step into prominant roles as freshmen. Add in two key players, Steph Condon and Sammy Vovos, that redshirted this past year due to injury, and we are in an incredible position. We are adding 12 strong players to an already strong roster. When you look at the strength of our returning team and then you look at the strength of this class, it’s easy to get excited about the future of Milwaukee Soccer.”

Kaffung is a defender out of Arrowhead High School, where she played high school soccer for two years before graduating last month. She has already been enrolled at UWM and is eligible to participate in the Panthers’ 2011 spring season. A two-time all-state honoree, she has also been an all-area and all-conference selection at Arrowhead. She also played club soccer for FC Milwaukee, including during the spring of her freshman year. She also played four years at the state ODP level and three years at the regional level.

“We feel we have added the top player in the state and one of the top 11 in the Midwest Region with Amy,” Moynihan said. “She has excelled for FC Milwaukee and been a key member of the Region II ODP Team for the past few years. She is a versatile player, playing mostly in defense, and is as tough as they come. She is a relentless competitor and fierce ball winner. She has graduated from high school early and is already training and with us, so she will be in a fantastic position to be a major contributor next fall.”

Holbert, Scott and Lewers were club teammates with a Windy City Pride team that won the U17 US Club National Championship in 2010.

“Three more players with regional team experience join us from Windy City Pride,” Moynihan said. “In addition to their Regional ODP experiences, their Windy City team won the Club National Championship this past summer. We expect Kelsey, Emily and Kelly to all have an immediate impact on the field.”

Holbert is a midfielder out of Lyons Township High School. She has earned all-conference honors in each of her first three season, being named all-sectional her last two seasons. As a junior, she was also named to the all-state team. Holbert has two years of Region II ODP experience, including a trip to Germany in 2008.

“Kelsey is a skillful central midfielder that combines well with other people and likes to get forward,” Moynihan said. “She is an attacking threat on and off the ball, but she is also an aggressive and determined defender with a great competitive edge.”

Scott earned all-conference and all-area honors in each of her three seasons at Andrew High School, despite being limited to eight games as a sophomore with an injury. A 5-foot-9 forward, she had 17 goals and eight assists as a freshman and 22 goals and nine assists as a junior. She has also helped her team to three regional championships so far.

“Emily is another technically gifted and attacking-minded player,” Moynihan said. “She is a tremendous athlete and has some breathtaking moments on the ball where her individual instincts and creativity allow her to shine.”

Lewers is another high-scoring forward, playing at Homewood-Flossmoor where she was a teammate of current Panther Melanie Coderre. Over her first three seasons, Lewers has 81 career goals and 41 assists. As a sophomore, she finished with 37 goals and 21 assists on her way to all-state, all-area and all-conference honors while being honored as area player of the year by multiple publications. She also earned all-state, all-area and all-conference honors as a junior and was named to all-conference and all-area teams as a freshman.

“Kelly is a versatile player, capable of influencing the game from a number of positions,” Moynihan said. “She is physically strong and plays with a toughness that causes opponents real problems. While she is strong, she is also technically sound, and her determination makes her a force on the pitch.”

Zawacki, LaPlant and Behnke are familiar faces to the Milwaukee program, having each attended Panther soccer camps in the past.

“Through our camp programs we were able to closely evaluate three players that all came from smaller yet competitive club environments. Sara Zawacki and Morgan Laplant are our two speedsters. Sara attended our camp last summer and Morgan attended our winter camp. Both are electric players that are both quick and fast over distance. Vienna also attended our summer camp and impressed us with her vision and ability to strike the ball with both feet.”

Zawacki is a forward out of Marian High School, where she helped her side to a state championship as a sophomore, assisting on the game-winning goal in the title game. That year, she earned all-district honors. Last season, she scored 9 goals and assisted on 11 more on her way to an all-state honorable mention award and all-conference, all-district and all-county selections.

“Sara is a technically-sound player capable of playing just about anywhere and I think she has (played everywhere),” Moynihan said.

LaPlant has been named All-State Best of the Rest her last two seasons at Madison LaFollete High School, entering her senior season with 92 career goals. She is a three-time all-city first-team selection and all-conference honoree. She is coming off a 39-goal, 10-assist campaign in 2010, her second-straight 30-goal season.

“Morgan is an impressive attacking threat with a nose for the goal and an ability to get behind opposing defenses,” Moynihan said.

Behnke was a first-team all-state honoree as a junior, leading Neenah High School to conference, regional and sectional championships and the state semifinals. She was also an all-state selection as a sophomore and all-area and all-conference selection all three seasons. She tallied 24 goals and 16 assists last season and has 41 goals and 27 assists in her career, despite playing out of the midfield.

“Vienna is a fantastic linking player and a dangerous threat to score from distance,” Moynihan said. “She was the driving force in Neenah’s fantastic run in last year’s state high school tournament.”

Fettinger is a goalkeeper from Michigan, by way of Shattuck St. Mary in Minnesota. She will join the competition for playing time in nets with junior Jamie Forbes and sophomore Gabby Guaiumi.

“Natalie adds competition and depth to our goalkeeping group,” Moynihan said. “She attends Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota where she is exposed to an intense academic and training regimen that will help prepare her for college. Natalie also joins us with Regional ODP Team experience and we expect her to fight for the starting spot from the beginning. She plays with a great presence and energy and communicates well with her defense. Physically, she is very springy and covers the goal exceptionally well.”

Jimenez is a 5-foot-7 defender out of St. Charles North High School. She helped her team to third place at the state tournament her junior season, playing a key role on a defense that allowed just 15 goals in 26 games and posted 15 shutouts.

“From Chicago, we have Lauren Jimenez joining us from Naperville Soccer Association,” Moynihan said. “Lauren is coming off a recent ACL surgery and hopes to be able to compete this coming fall. She is a strong, athletic defender that is strong in the air and has great recovery ability when opponents get behind the defense.”

Worthington was a key contributor in the midfield for Moundsview High School. She was an all-state selection as a junior and was named to the all-state tournament team her senior season. She finished her career with 25 goals and 13 assists, while 17 of her goals were game-winners. In addition to her state honors, she was also named all-conference in each of her last three seasons.

“Emma joins us from the Minnesota Thunder Academy,” Moynihan said. “She features as central midfielder for MTA, which competes at the highest club level in the country as member of the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League). She is another player that plays with a competitive edge; hits great serves on free kicks; and will fit in well with our passing style.”