Washington State inks seven recruits during early signing period

PULLMAN, Wash. – Reloading once again, Washington State soccer head coach Todd Shulenberger has officially announced the signings of seven soon-to-be Cougs to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period.

Joining the ranks for 2022 are: Lily Boyden (Salt Lake City), Lexi Lerwick (Des Moines, Wash.), Jensyn Lins (Issaquah, Wash.), Peyton Price (Sammamish, Wash.), Aurora Schuck (Lakewood, Calif.), Kiki Smith (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Savannah Walenczak (Kirkland, Wash.). The Cougs class has been ranked in the top-10 by TopDrawerSoccer.com.

“I am super excited to announce this 2022 class to Washington State,” said Shulenberger. “This class is represented from the great soccer states of Washington, Arizona, Utah and California. They all bring that winning mentality in positions all across the field. I know these young ladies are excited to jump in and contribute as we continue to try and stay in the top part of the Pac-12 and compete for postseason play. Go Cougs!”

Lily Boyden | Forward

Playing just one season of high school soccer at Skyline, Boyden made a name for herself as a senior earning All-America honors as well as being named the state of Utah’s Ms. Soccer according to the Desert News. In her only season on the pitch for her school, Boyden punished opposing defenses as she finished the year with 34 goals and 12 assists en route to being named first team all-league and all-state. With Boyden at the point of the spear the Eagles finished the year a perfect 20-0 including 12-0 in league play to earn a 5A state title and the No. 6 ranking in the country. At the club level, Boyden has been a member of the La Roca Premier in the ECNL where she would earn all-conference honors out of the Northwest as well as a spot on the Academy Top Scorers List. Boyden even made her way to the Boys State Cup in 2020 as a member of the La Roca 2004 U17 ECNL team. She would net three goals in the attack for her squad. Her play earned her a spot in the U18/19 women’s national team virtual training camp last spring. Academically, Boyden is a high honor roll student at Skyline where she will graduate from in the spring.

Lexi Lerwick | Defender

Coming across the state from the Westside, Lerwick is a two-sport star at Kennedy Catholic High School, dominating the defensive end of the pitch and the hardwood for the Lancers. As a senior, Lerwick has her team in position to play for the state title as they are in the midst of postseason play in the 4A State Tournament at the time of this release. The Lancers finished the year second in the Cascade Division in the NPSL after posting a 9-2-1 league record. Outside of high school, Lerwick is a member of the PacNW Soccer Club in the ECNL. With Lerwick patrolling the defensive third the PacNW took home the SurfCup championship in 2019 taking down the best club teams in the nation en route to raising the cup. In addition, she would be invited to play in the ECNL National Selection game in 2020 as well as take part in the U18/19 women’s national team virtual training camp in the spring of 2021.

Jensyn Lins | Forward

A four-year letterwinner at Issaquah High School, Lins has helped lead her team into the 4A State Championships as the Eagles won their first round game Tuesday night to advance the quarterfinals prior to this release. Prior to playing their way into the state tournament, Lins and her Eagles fell just short of winning the District championship, taking home a second place finish. For her play on the year, Lins was named to the Girls Soccer All-KingCo team. On the club scene she has been a member of Crossfire in the ECNL.

Peyton Price | Defender

Named her team’s defensive MVP, Price has put together a solid four years in the heart of the defense for Eastlake High School. Most recently, Price and her Wolves took down her future teammate Jensyn Lins’ Eagles in the District championship to earn the No. 3 seed in the 4A State Championships. For her play Price was named to the First Team All-KingCo team, her second all-league award in her career. While competitors at the high school level, at the club level Price plays alongside of Lin as well as future Coug Savannah Walenczak as a member of the Crossfire in the ECNL. Price has been a long time member of the Crossfire, helping the team earn a championship at the 2018 SurfCup.

Aurora Schuck | Goalkeeper

The lone California kid in the 2022 class of signees for the Cougs, Schuck will come to the Palouse upon graduating from Los Alamitos High School. In her first varsity season, and playing alongside current Coug Khalia Gathright, Schuck helped lead the Griffins to the Sunset League Championship and a semifinal run in the CIF playoffs. Defensively the Griffins allowed just six goals while recording 11 shutouts in the shortened season. As a senior this season she will assume the captain’s armband for her team. Prior to playing for her high school team, Schuck played in the Developmental Academy for three years with the Pateadores. In 2020, she led the Academy with the fewest goals against. Off the field, Schuck is a 4.0 student earning a spot on the academic honor roll each year she has been eligible.

Kiki Smith | Defender/Midfielder

Playing all over the defensive third for Desert Vista High School, Smith has proven herself one of the elite players in the state of Arizona. As a junior at Desert Vista, Smith was named the team defensive MVP while also earning first team all-conference and all-region honors for her play. Prior to Desert Vista, Smith showed off her elite skills early on as she became the youngest player to ever earn a spot on the varsity squad at V. Sue Cleveland High School in New Mexico, playing at the top level as just an 8^th grader. On the club level Smith has been a stalwart for the Utah Royals AZ in the ECNL, earning a spot in the league’s Selection Game in mid-November. Academically, Smith worked her way on to the honor roll in her first year at Desert Vista.

Savannah Walenczak | Midfielder

Yet another standout player from the Westside, Walenczak will finish her academic career in the spring where she will graduate from Lake Washington High School. Prior to focusing on club soccer the last two years, the young attacking midfielder dominated the high school scene earning first team all-league, all-county, and all-state honors as just a sophomore. The second-year star would earn the array of awards after leading the Kangaroos to their first 3A state title after finishing the year 18-1-1. After winning the state title in high school, Walenczak shifted her focus to her club playing exclusively for Crossfire Premier playing alongside of Jensyn Lins and Peyton Price. Academically, Walenczak is a member of the National Honor Society.