SFA Soccer Recruiting is First-Class
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
May 1, 2007
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Last spring, Soccer Buzz Magazine ranked the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack recruiting class No. 24 in the Central Region, marking the first time for an SFA class to crack the Top 25. This spring, head coach Jaime Frias and his staff upped the ante, signing the top recruiting class in the Southland Conference and earning a school-best No. 23 ranking among Central Region teams.
"This is an exciting time for our soccer program," Frias said. "As a staff, we're excited about the recognition we're getting for our recruiting efforts. This incoming class will help us attain the lofty goals we've set for ourselves."
Each of Frias' first two signing classes have been ranked in the Central Region's Top 30. The Ladyjacks are the only school in the Southland Conference to have inked Top 30 recruiting classes in both 2006 and 2007.
Frias signed seven prep recruits and brought in a ringer of a collegiate transfer to give himself a strong eight-player class. The list includes Texas natives Sarah Gregory (midfielder, The Colony), Brittney Barker (forward/midfielder, Keller) and Kelli Barnes (defender, Allen), as well as Canadian imports Kesia Broome (forward/midfielder/Toronto), Breanne Vernon (forward/midfielder, Calgary) and Jamie Snow (midfielder, Mississauga). The Ladyjacks also signed goalkeeper Courtney Bauder from Las Vegas, Nevada. Frias capped off the class last month by adding Megan Cash, a forward from Tulsa who led the Golden Hurricane in goals and points as a freshman last season. Cash is an Austin, Texas, native.
"I want to give a lot of credit to our recruiting coordinator Tara Schuling," Frias said. "Tara's done a great job of identifying talent and establishing relationships with prospects throughout the recruiting process. I also want to thank all of the club coaches who encouraged their players to look at SFA as a possible college choice. These coaches believe our training environment will continue to develop these young women into great players."
The Ladyjacks are coming off a 9-8-1 season in 2006. SFA finished third in the Southland Conference with a 5-2-1 league record. The Ladyjacks will lose just four seniors to graduation from that team.
SFA was the only Southland team to break into the Central Region Top 25 this spring. SLC foes Texas State and Sam Houston State signed classes that ranked 28th and 29th, respectively, in the region.
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