Middle Tennesee State University Athletics
Raider soccer adds 11
2/8/2016 10:30:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Coach Rhoden announces 2016 signing class
2016 Recruiting Guide
MURFREESBORO – Aston Rhoden and Middle Tennessee soccer announced today the signing of 10 new players for their program.
Two goalkeepers, four midfielders/forwards, and four defenders will all join the Raiders this fall along with Judith Verdaguer-Sanchez, an international forward from Spain who is already on campus.
"With the loss of so many seniors, our main objective for this recruiting period was to secure a group of versatile players capable of transitioning quickly into Conference USA," Coach Rhoden said. "With the help of my staff, support personnel and our players, we were able to accomplish this objective with the 2016 recruiting class. The versatility and talent in this class will increase the depth of our team and allow us to maintain a good level of play while minimizing injuries and fatigue to our team. I can hardly wait to blend our new talent with our very experienced and very capable group of returning players."
Sydney Chalcraft and Maddy Kim will help boaster the Raiders in goal. Chalcraft is from the St. Louis area and played high school soccer at Francis Howell Central in St. Charles, Mo., along with club soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher. In 2013 she helped her high school team to the State Cup Championship. Then, in 2014 she led her district in Class 3 in saves and playing time. She also won the Spartan Outstanding Defensive Player award and was named GAC South second team All-Conference.
The four-year starter followed that up in 2015 with 15 shutouts during the high school season. For her efforts she won Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, second team All-Metro and led her team to Class 3 State Runner-up. She also helped her club team finish second in the North American Nationals in Seattle, Wash.
Kim is from California, Ky., and played at Notre Dame Academy. She also played for Ohio Elite Academy during the club season. In high school, she won All-State honors each season from 2012-14. Kim helped guide her team to the Kentucky High School State Title in 2013, and they returned in 2014 to earn the Runner-up trophy. She also performed well in the classroom as she was Academic Honorable Mention from 2012-14.
Sam DeBien is a native Tennessean from Cleveland and in the 2013-14 season she won All-District, All-Region and All-State honors at Cleveland High School. She also won Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps awards that season. In 2015-16 she again had a great season, taking home MVP, All-District, All-Region, District Player of the Year, and Region Player of the Year awards. DeBien was also named First Team All-State and again won the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps award. She played her club soccer with FC Alliance, and can play either forward or midfield for the Raiders.
Taylor Hatch is another athlete who can play either forward or midfield and comes to Murfreesboro from Fort Myers, Fla. As a freshman at Estero High School, she was named News-Press All-Area Soccer Honorable Mention. Her sophomore year she helped lead her team to a District Championship and as a junior she was named to the News-Press All-Area Soccer First Team, MVP, and helped bring home another district title. Hatch was a varsity captain as a senior. Off the field she won the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientist Award of Excellence and was part of the 2015 Homecoming Court as a senior. Hatch also competed for Florida Fire Juniors in club.
Amber Hoot is a native of Churubusco, Ind. At Carroll High School she was named First Team All-District in 2013, 14 and 15, and was named Third Team All-State in 2013. Hoot was rewarded with First Team All-State honors in 2014 and 2015. She also earned NSCAA All-Region honors each of those seasons and was an All-American Participant in 2015. Her team won Sectional Titles all three years and the Regional Championship in 2014. Amber was a Team Captain in 2014 and 2015 and won the Mental Attitude Award in 2014. She was the Team MVP and picked up News Sentinel Player of the Year in 2014 and 15. Hoot also won a State Cup Championship with Fort Wayne United in 2013 and was a part of an ECNL National Tournament Qualifier in 2014 and 2015 with Indiana Fire Juniors.
Salera Jordan is another Tennessee native from the Clarksville area. Originally from Palmyra, Tenn. she earned All-District honors all four years at Clarksville High School. She was named an All-State player three times, a two-time All-South player, was named Leaf Chronical Player of the year twice and Tennessean Player of the Year twice. She was also a two-time team captain. The former TSC16 Club member is another versatile player who can play midfield or forward for the Blue Raiders.
Knoxville native Casey Riemer is a very versatile attacking defender. The former Bearden Bulldog was named to the AAA All-State team in 2014 and 15. She earned Region 2 MVP Honors in 2015, was a Region 2 First Team selection in 2014 and 15, won District 4 MVP in 2015 and was named to the District 4 First team in all three years, 2013-15. She also picked up PrepXtra First Team honors in 2014 and 15, All KIL each year from 2012-2015 and was named to the NSCAA All-South Region Team in 2015. Riemer, a team captain, will join FC Alliance Sam DeBien on the team.
Another East Tennessee native and FC Alliance Club member is Savannah Stair. She's also another defender and at Sevier County High School was named First Team All-District twice and Second Team All-District once. Stair also earned IMAC All-Conference honors and was named to the All-Conference team. In track, Stair was part of the 4x400 relay team that won first place in the Inter-Mountain Athletic Conference and was named to the IMAC All-Conference team. In the classroom, Stair won the geometry award as a sophomore.
Hannah Tkacz comes to Murfreesboro from Leo, Ind. At Leo High School she earned All-State honors in 2015 while being named All-District in each season between 2013-15 and First Team All-Conference from 2012-15. Tkacz was named to the All-Area Team and was a Journal Gazette Player to watch in 2014 and 15. She was a team captain in 2014 and 15, was voted Most Motivating Player in 2015, and was her team's leading scorer in 2015. Hannah also excelled in the class room as she was named to the All-State Academic team in 2014 and 15. Stair is another defender and played her club soccer at Fort Wayne United with Amber Hoot.
California native Katelynn Traver comes to Middle Tennessee from Yorba Linda. At Esperanza High School she was named First Team All-League all four years. Traver earned best newcomer as a freshman, Defensive MVP as a sophomore and junior, and was named to the Excaliber All-Tournament Team as a junior and senior. Traver also excelled in the classroom, earning Scholar Athlete honors all four years. Traver will likely play defense as she did in high school and for her club team Legends North.
Judith Verdaguer-Sanchez makes the longest trip to Murfreesboro as she comes across the pond from Granoillers, Spain to play forward for the Blue Raiders. Verdaguer-Sanchez scored 43 goals in the 2013-14 season and became the top scorer in the Under 18 Division 2 Spanish league as well as the top scorer on her team. She was then chosen for the RCD Espanyol U-18 squad to compete at the IBER CUP Tournament in the summer of 2014. Verdaguer-Sanchez represented her team in Malaga, Spain and Portugal and helped the team finish in third place. Judith was also voted MVP in the Jose Quintana senior tournament in Barcelona, Spain.
Listen to Coach Rhoden talk about the class here
MURFREESBORO – Aston Rhoden and Middle Tennessee soccer announced today the signing of 10 new players for their program.
Two goalkeepers, four midfielders/forwards, and four defenders will all join the Raiders this fall along with Judith Verdaguer-Sanchez, an international forward from Spain who is already on campus.
"With the loss of so many seniors, our main objective for this recruiting period was to secure a group of versatile players capable of transitioning quickly into Conference USA," Coach Rhoden said. "With the help of my staff, support personnel and our players, we were able to accomplish this objective with the 2016 recruiting class. The versatility and talent in this class will increase the depth of our team and allow us to maintain a good level of play while minimizing injuries and fatigue to our team. I can hardly wait to blend our new talent with our very experienced and very capable group of returning players."
Sydney Chalcraft and Maddy Kim will help boaster the Raiders in goal. Chalcraft is from the St. Louis area and played high school soccer at Francis Howell Central in St. Charles, Mo., along with club soccer for St. Louis Scott Gallagher. In 2013 she helped her high school team to the State Cup Championship. Then, in 2014 she led her district in Class 3 in saves and playing time. She also won the Spartan Outstanding Defensive Player award and was named GAC South second team All-Conference.
The four-year starter followed that up in 2015 with 15 shutouts during the high school season. For her efforts she won Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, second team All-Metro and led her team to Class 3 State Runner-up. She also helped her club team finish second in the North American Nationals in Seattle, Wash.
Kim is from California, Ky., and played at Notre Dame Academy. She also played for Ohio Elite Academy during the club season. In high school, she won All-State honors each season from 2012-14. Kim helped guide her team to the Kentucky High School State Title in 2013, and they returned in 2014 to earn the Runner-up trophy. She also performed well in the classroom as she was Academic Honorable Mention from 2012-14.
Sam DeBien is a native Tennessean from Cleveland and in the 2013-14 season she won All-District, All-Region and All-State honors at Cleveland High School. She also won Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps awards that season. In 2015-16 she again had a great season, taking home MVP, All-District, All-Region, District Player of the Year, and Region Player of the Year awards. DeBien was also named First Team All-State and again won the Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of Preps award. She played her club soccer with FC Alliance, and can play either forward or midfield for the Raiders.
Taylor Hatch is another athlete who can play either forward or midfield and comes to Murfreesboro from Fort Myers, Fla. As a freshman at Estero High School, she was named News-Press All-Area Soccer Honorable Mention. Her sophomore year she helped lead her team to a District Championship and as a junior she was named to the News-Press All-Area Soccer First Team, MVP, and helped bring home another district title. Hatch was a varsity captain as a senior. Off the field she won the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientist Award of Excellence and was part of the 2015 Homecoming Court as a senior. Hatch also competed for Florida Fire Juniors in club.
Amber Hoot is a native of Churubusco, Ind. At Carroll High School she was named First Team All-District in 2013, 14 and 15, and was named Third Team All-State in 2013. Hoot was rewarded with First Team All-State honors in 2014 and 2015. She also earned NSCAA All-Region honors each of those seasons and was an All-American Participant in 2015. Her team won Sectional Titles all three years and the Regional Championship in 2014. Amber was a Team Captain in 2014 and 2015 and won the Mental Attitude Award in 2014. She was the Team MVP and picked up News Sentinel Player of the Year in 2014 and 15. Hoot also won a State Cup Championship with Fort Wayne United in 2013 and was a part of an ECNL National Tournament Qualifier in 2014 and 2015 with Indiana Fire Juniors.
Salera Jordan is another Tennessee native from the Clarksville area. Originally from Palmyra, Tenn. she earned All-District honors all four years at Clarksville High School. She was named an All-State player three times, a two-time All-South player, was named Leaf Chronical Player of the year twice and Tennessean Player of the Year twice. She was also a two-time team captain. The former TSC16 Club member is another versatile player who can play midfield or forward for the Blue Raiders.
Knoxville native Casey Riemer is a very versatile attacking defender. The former Bearden Bulldog was named to the AAA All-State team in 2014 and 15. She earned Region 2 MVP Honors in 2015, was a Region 2 First Team selection in 2014 and 15, won District 4 MVP in 2015 and was named to the District 4 First team in all three years, 2013-15. She also picked up PrepXtra First Team honors in 2014 and 15, All KIL each year from 2012-2015 and was named to the NSCAA All-South Region Team in 2015. Riemer, a team captain, will join FC Alliance Sam DeBien on the team.
Another East Tennessee native and FC Alliance Club member is Savannah Stair. She's also another defender and at Sevier County High School was named First Team All-District twice and Second Team All-District once. Stair also earned IMAC All-Conference honors and was named to the All-Conference team. In track, Stair was part of the 4x400 relay team that won first place in the Inter-Mountain Athletic Conference and was named to the IMAC All-Conference team. In the classroom, Stair won the geometry award as a sophomore.
Hannah Tkacz comes to Murfreesboro from Leo, Ind. At Leo High School she earned All-State honors in 2015 while being named All-District in each season between 2013-15 and First Team All-Conference from 2012-15. Tkacz was named to the All-Area Team and was a Journal Gazette Player to watch in 2014 and 15. She was a team captain in 2014 and 15, was voted Most Motivating Player in 2015, and was her team's leading scorer in 2015. Hannah also excelled in the class room as she was named to the All-State Academic team in 2014 and 15. Stair is another defender and played her club soccer at Fort Wayne United with Amber Hoot.
California native Katelynn Traver comes to Middle Tennessee from Yorba Linda. At Esperanza High School she was named First Team All-League all four years. Traver earned best newcomer as a freshman, Defensive MVP as a sophomore and junior, and was named to the Excaliber All-Tournament Team as a junior and senior. Traver also excelled in the classroom, earning Scholar Athlete honors all four years. Traver will likely play defense as she did in high school and for her club team Legends North.
Judith Verdaguer-Sanchez makes the longest trip to Murfreesboro as she comes across the pond from Granoillers, Spain to play forward for the Blue Raiders. Verdaguer-Sanchez scored 43 goals in the 2013-14 season and became the top scorer in the Under 18 Division 2 Spanish league as well as the top scorer on her team. She was then chosen for the RCD Espanyol U-18 squad to compete at the IBER CUP Tournament in the summer of 2014. Verdaguer-Sanchez represented her team in Malaga, Spain and Portugal and helped the team finish in third place. Judith was also voted MVP in the Jose Quintana senior tournament in Barcelona, Spain.
Listen to Coach Rhoden talk about the class here
Players Mentioned
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