SFA Women’s Soccer Adds Seven Newcomers to 2024 Signing Class
11/9/2023 2:36:00 PM | Women's Soccer
NACOGDOCHES, Texas- The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Women's Soccer Program added seven new recruits to their team in the 2024 signing class in MacKenzie Arendall, Brinlee Weir, Sydney Williams, Alinessa Salinas, Brooke Phillips, Sawyer Kohutek, and Kaitlyn Ann Gustafson.
MacKenzie Arendall: 5-3 F
MacKenzie currently attends Champion High School and carries a number of personal accolades with her to SFA. She is a four-year lettered varsity player and plays for the ECNL Club Team, while also being named Newcomver of the Year in 2021, named to the 1st Team All-Region 5A in 2021, named to 2nd Team All-State in 2022, and MacKenzie's team finished as 5A State Finalists in 2022. MacKenzie will be majoring in Business/Sports Marketing in SFA.
Here's what Coach Chapman had to say about MacKenzie: "Mackenzie is a high energy, Top Drawer 2-Star, player that will be a good addition to our attacking group. She is the only player coming to us that isn't from DFW area and we expect her to represent the San Antonio market very well. Mack is coming from a great club and team in Classics Elite ECNL. She has also accumulated a number of team and personal accolades in a very competitive Texas High School 5-A State, Regional, and District level."
Brinlee Weir: 5-4 D
Brinlee comes to SFA from Rockwall High School, she is a four-year lettered player that plays for the ECNL as a club team. Brinlee brings a number of personal and team accolades and awards to SFA. She has been named to 1st Team All-State, 2nd Team All-State, First Team All-District, and was named captain of her team. She has been named to the First-Team Academic Team as well as being a state finalist with her team. Brinlee was also named to Team of the Week, and her team are Conference Champs.
Coach Chapman had this to say about Brinlee: "Brinlee is a highly recruited defender across the country playing for a top club, DKSC ECNL. She comes to us as a Top Drawer 3-Star recruit, and we are expecting big things from her early on in her SFA career. She should really help us rebuild our backline, with her tenacity, speed, IQ, and high level of play. She also has a great high school career resume with Rockwall high, where she too amassed a number of team and personal accolades like 1st & 2nd team All-State awards, 1st team All-State Academic Awards, and Team Captain."
Sydney Williams: 5-9 D
Sydney comes to the Pineywoods from Allen High School where she has been a Varsity player all four years of attending. She brings a multitude of personal accolades with her to SFA as she has received both athletic and academic awards. She has been named to the Academic All-District Team twice (2022,2023), and was a 6A District Champ in 2023. Her personal accolades include being named 6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2022, Defensive MVP honors in 2023, ECNL 2nd Team Nominee in 2023, and being named to 1st Team All-District in both 2022 and 2023. Sydney will be pursuing a major in Journalism/Communications with a minor in Business.
Coach Chapman said this about Sydney and what she will bring to SFA: "Sydney is another highly recruited DKSC ECNL Defender that we are expecting great things from in this 2024 class. She is coming to as a 5'9 Top Drawer 3-Star CB, that has a great presence on any defensive unit. She has captained her club & high school team's all the while taking on a number of team & personal achievements. While playing for Allen High she has been named 6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year '22, 1st team All-District '22, 1st Academic All-District '22, Defensive MVP '23, 1st Academic All-District '23, and 6A 2023 District Champs. With her Club team she was awarded ECNL 2nd Team in 2023.
Alinessa Salinas: 5-2 F
Alinessa will be coming to SFA from Wichita Falls High School where she currently plays for the DKSC 05/06 ECNL Club Team. Alinessa has am extensive list of awards to her name as she has been named Newcomer of the Year, Offensive MVP, District MVP, 1st Team All-Region and 1st Team All-State of TASCO, made the KFDX Team of the Week, and was named the NexStar Large School Female Athlete of the Year. In addition to those awards, Alinessa has also won the DKSC ECNL player of the week four times during her time playing for DKSC. Alinessa will be pursuing a major in Business at SFA.
This is what Coach Chapman said about Alinessa and her talents: "Alinessa is a great player from a great DKSC ECNL team. We are excited for her to bring her talents to SFA and can't wait to see how she improves our attacking group. Her vision, and technical skillset fit our team's style of play, and should help us break down opposing team's backlines. She has also shined for her Wichita Falls High School team as a 4 year letter winner, and 3 year starter. She was voted District Newcomer of the year, Offensive MVP, District MVP, 1stTeam All-Region, 1st Team All-State, Multiple KFDX Team of the week honors, and NexStar Large School Female Athlete of the year. She has also broken & set a number of school goal scoring records during her time there. Most recently she broke the 26-year record of most goals in a game when she scored 5 in a single game. Her ability to score, and bring others into the attack is something we have been excited for since announcing her commitment to our 2024 class."
Brooke Phillips: 5-3 D
Brooke attends Colleyville Heritage High School where she is a four-year letterman and currently plays for the Dallas Texans G05/06 ECNL Club Team. In 2021 and 2022, Brooke was named to the District 6-5A First Team All-District Team while being named to the Region 1-5A First Team All-Region Team this year. Brooke will be pursuing a major in Nursing while attending SFA.
Coach Chapman said this about Brooke and what she will bring to SFA Soccer: "Brooke is a great defender from Dallas Texans ECNL. She is a player that we had eyes on for a while, but it was her play at our ID Camp that really sealed deal for us. During her high school career she has had much success. She has been a 4-year letter winner and 3 year starter for Colleyville Heritage, where she has been recognized as a First Team All-District selection in both the 2021 & 2022 seasons, as well as a First Team All-Region selection in 2023 when her team made an appearance in the 2023 Regional Final. She will bring great energy and athleticism to our program."
Sawyer Kohutek: 5-7 D
Sawyer currently attends Flower Mound High School where she has lettered in three years and currently plays for the 05/06 STING ROYAL ECNL as a club team. Sawyer and her team were crowned 6A Texas HS State Champions in 2021 and Sawyer is on the Academic Honor Roll as she carries a 4.6 GPA. Sawyer has a list of personal awards that include being named to the All-District 6-6A Second Team in both 2022 and 2023, as well as being named USYS Frontier Conference Best XI in 2021. Sawyer will be looking to major in Kinesiology/Pre-PT at SFA.
Here is what Coach Chapman said about Sawyer: "Sawyer is a strong 5'8, athletic player that has the potential to play anywhere on the edges for us. She has great ability going forward, and has really developed her defensive tools over the past few seasons which allows her to offer us some versatility on the with her play on the field. She plays for Sting ECNL out of Dallas, and Flower Mound High School, which are two programs that are notorious for success. She is a player that we have been excited about for quite some time, and we can't wait to watch her continuous development here at SFA."
Kaitlyn Gustafson: 5-6 GK
Kaitlyn will be coming to the Pineywoods and Nacogdoches from Celina High School and currently is the goalie for her club team U-19/19 Dallas Texans ECNL. Kaitlyn has a laundry list of awards and accolades to recognize her achievements and play as a goalie. She has been the varsity starting goalkeeper since her sophomore year. As a Sophomore, Kaitlyn was named to the State Tournament All-State Team, was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team, named the MaxPreps Player of the Game and was crowned a 4A State champion. As a junior, Kaitlyn made her second straight State Tournament All-State Team, named to her second consecutive Texas Girls Coaches All-State Team, named to the First Team All-District Team and won back-to-back 4A State Championships. Kaitlyn is currently a three-star goalie on TopDrawerSoccer, is the no. 10 ranked goalkeeper in the nation and the no. 26 ranked player in the state of Texas, while being listed as the no. eight goalie in the state by PrepSoccer. In addition to her multitudes of achievements on the field, Kaitlyn has been named to the Academic All-District team twice as well as was named Team Captain this year.
Check out what Coach Chapman had to say about Kaitlyn: "Kaitlyn is our sole GK in the class, and she is one of the highest rated keepers in the country for the 2024 class. She comes to us from the DFW where she played club for Dallas Texans ECNL. Her abilities in goal are well documented as she is currently a Top Drawer 3 star, and IMG #169, #10 ranked GK in the country, #26 ranked player in Texas. She has also been a Talent ID Center Participant for USWYNT in 2022. Her Celina high school career has been stellar as well. They are currently the 3-time Texas 4-A State Champ, and she is trying to finish it out with a fourth in a row. She is player that has proven so much already, but still has plenty of potential to show in her collegiate career. She will be an elite addition to our already strong Goalkeeper Staff."
MacKenzie Arendall: 5-3 F
MacKenzie currently attends Champion High School and carries a number of personal accolades with her to SFA. She is a four-year lettered varsity player and plays for the ECNL Club Team, while also being named Newcomver of the Year in 2021, named to the 1st Team All-Region 5A in 2021, named to 2nd Team All-State in 2022, and MacKenzie's team finished as 5A State Finalists in 2022. MacKenzie will be majoring in Business/Sports Marketing in SFA.
Here's what Coach Chapman had to say about MacKenzie: "Mackenzie is a high energy, Top Drawer 2-Star, player that will be a good addition to our attacking group. She is the only player coming to us that isn't from DFW area and we expect her to represent the San Antonio market very well. Mack is coming from a great club and team in Classics Elite ECNL. She has also accumulated a number of team and personal accolades in a very competitive Texas High School 5-A State, Regional, and District level."
Brinlee Weir: 5-4 D
Brinlee comes to SFA from Rockwall High School, she is a four-year lettered player that plays for the ECNL as a club team. Brinlee brings a number of personal and team accolades and awards to SFA. She has been named to 1st Team All-State, 2nd Team All-State, First Team All-District, and was named captain of her team. She has been named to the First-Team Academic Team as well as being a state finalist with her team. Brinlee was also named to Team of the Week, and her team are Conference Champs.
Coach Chapman had this to say about Brinlee: "Brinlee is a highly recruited defender across the country playing for a top club, DKSC ECNL. She comes to us as a Top Drawer 3-Star recruit, and we are expecting big things from her early on in her SFA career. She should really help us rebuild our backline, with her tenacity, speed, IQ, and high level of play. She also has a great high school career resume with Rockwall high, where she too amassed a number of team and personal accolades like 1st & 2nd team All-State awards, 1st team All-State Academic Awards, and Team Captain."
Sydney Williams: 5-9 D
Sydney comes to the Pineywoods from Allen High School where she has been a Varsity player all four years of attending. She brings a multitude of personal accolades with her to SFA as she has received both athletic and academic awards. She has been named to the Academic All-District Team twice (2022,2023), and was a 6A District Champ in 2023. Her personal accolades include being named 6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 2022, Defensive MVP honors in 2023, ECNL 2nd Team Nominee in 2023, and being named to 1st Team All-District in both 2022 and 2023. Sydney will be pursuing a major in Journalism/Communications with a minor in Business.
Coach Chapman said this about Sydney and what she will bring to SFA: "Sydney is another highly recruited DKSC ECNL Defender that we are expecting great things from in this 2024 class. She is coming to as a 5'9 Top Drawer 3-Star CB, that has a great presence on any defensive unit. She has captained her club & high school team's all the while taking on a number of team & personal achievements. While playing for Allen High she has been named 6A Defensive Newcomer of the Year '22, 1st team All-District '22, 1st Academic All-District '22, Defensive MVP '23, 1st Academic All-District '23, and 6A 2023 District Champs. With her Club team she was awarded ECNL 2nd Team in 2023.
Alinessa Salinas: 5-2 F
Alinessa will be coming to SFA from Wichita Falls High School where she currently plays for the DKSC 05/06 ECNL Club Team. Alinessa has am extensive list of awards to her name as she has been named Newcomer of the Year, Offensive MVP, District MVP, 1st Team All-Region and 1st Team All-State of TASCO, made the KFDX Team of the Week, and was named the NexStar Large School Female Athlete of the Year. In addition to those awards, Alinessa has also won the DKSC ECNL player of the week four times during her time playing for DKSC. Alinessa will be pursuing a major in Business at SFA.
This is what Coach Chapman said about Alinessa and her talents: "Alinessa is a great player from a great DKSC ECNL team. We are excited for her to bring her talents to SFA and can't wait to see how she improves our attacking group. Her vision, and technical skillset fit our team's style of play, and should help us break down opposing team's backlines. She has also shined for her Wichita Falls High School team as a 4 year letter winner, and 3 year starter. She was voted District Newcomer of the year, Offensive MVP, District MVP, 1stTeam All-Region, 1st Team All-State, Multiple KFDX Team of the week honors, and NexStar Large School Female Athlete of the year. She has also broken & set a number of school goal scoring records during her time there. Most recently she broke the 26-year record of most goals in a game when she scored 5 in a single game. Her ability to score, and bring others into the attack is something we have been excited for since announcing her commitment to our 2024 class."
Brooke Phillips: 5-3 D
Brooke attends Colleyville Heritage High School where she is a four-year letterman and currently plays for the Dallas Texans G05/06 ECNL Club Team. In 2021 and 2022, Brooke was named to the District 6-5A First Team All-District Team while being named to the Region 1-5A First Team All-Region Team this year. Brooke will be pursuing a major in Nursing while attending SFA.
Coach Chapman said this about Brooke and what she will bring to SFA Soccer: "Brooke is a great defender from Dallas Texans ECNL. She is a player that we had eyes on for a while, but it was her play at our ID Camp that really sealed deal for us. During her high school career she has had much success. She has been a 4-year letter winner and 3 year starter for Colleyville Heritage, where she has been recognized as a First Team All-District selection in both the 2021 & 2022 seasons, as well as a First Team All-Region selection in 2023 when her team made an appearance in the 2023 Regional Final. She will bring great energy and athleticism to our program."
Sawyer Kohutek: 5-7 D
Sawyer currently attends Flower Mound High School where she has lettered in three years and currently plays for the 05/06 STING ROYAL ECNL as a club team. Sawyer and her team were crowned 6A Texas HS State Champions in 2021 and Sawyer is on the Academic Honor Roll as she carries a 4.6 GPA. Sawyer has a list of personal awards that include being named to the All-District 6-6A Second Team in both 2022 and 2023, as well as being named USYS Frontier Conference Best XI in 2021. Sawyer will be looking to major in Kinesiology/Pre-PT at SFA.
Here is what Coach Chapman said about Sawyer: "Sawyer is a strong 5'8, athletic player that has the potential to play anywhere on the edges for us. She has great ability going forward, and has really developed her defensive tools over the past few seasons which allows her to offer us some versatility on the with her play on the field. She plays for Sting ECNL out of Dallas, and Flower Mound High School, which are two programs that are notorious for success. She is a player that we have been excited about for quite some time, and we can't wait to watch her continuous development here at SFA."
Kaitlyn Gustafson: 5-6 GK
Kaitlyn will be coming to the Pineywoods and Nacogdoches from Celina High School and currently is the goalie for her club team U-19/19 Dallas Texans ECNL. Kaitlyn has a laundry list of awards and accolades to recognize her achievements and play as a goalie. She has been the varsity starting goalkeeper since her sophomore year. As a Sophomore, Kaitlyn was named to the State Tournament All-State Team, was named to the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-State Team, named the MaxPreps Player of the Game and was crowned a 4A State champion. As a junior, Kaitlyn made her second straight State Tournament All-State Team, named to her second consecutive Texas Girls Coaches All-State Team, named to the First Team All-District Team and won back-to-back 4A State Championships. Kaitlyn is currently a three-star goalie on TopDrawerSoccer, is the no. 10 ranked goalkeeper in the nation and the no. 26 ranked player in the state of Texas, while being listed as the no. eight goalie in the state by PrepSoccer. In addition to her multitudes of achievements on the field, Kaitlyn has been named to the Academic All-District team twice as well as was named Team Captain this year.
Check out what Coach Chapman had to say about Kaitlyn: "Kaitlyn is our sole GK in the class, and she is one of the highest rated keepers in the country for the 2024 class. She comes to us from the DFW where she played club for Dallas Texans ECNL. Her abilities in goal are well documented as she is currently a Top Drawer 3 star, and IMG #169, #10 ranked GK in the country, #26 ranked player in Texas. She has also been a Talent ID Center Participant for USWYNT in 2022. Her Celina high school career has been stellar as well. They are currently the 3-time Texas 4-A State Champ, and she is trying to finish it out with a fourth in a row. She is player that has proven so much already, but still has plenty of potential to show in her collegiate career. She will be an elite addition to our already strong Goalkeeper Staff."
9.11.23 | Soccer Presser Week Three Press Conference x Tony Minatta
Thursday, September 14
8.28.23 | Soccer Week One Presser - Tony Minatta
Monday, August 28
8.20.23 | Highlights x SFA Soccer Vs. Tulane
Sunday, August 20
10.23.22 Goal Lily Hargrove
Sunday, October 23
