Brown University women’s soccer signs 8 recruits ahead of 2020 season

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University women’s soccer will welcome eight new student-athletes into the program as members of the Bears’ Class of 2024, Brown head coach Kia McNeill announced on Tuesday.

The class – currently ranked in the top 20 nationally by TopDrawerSoccer – provides balance across the pitch with a goalkeeper, three defenders, and four attacking players. The group spans the continental United States with two student-athletes from California and one each from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Nevada.

The members of the Class of 2024 include midfielder Lucinda Anderson (San Francisco, Calif.), forward/midfielder Cam Berry (Las Vegas, Nev.), midfielder/forward Evelyn Calhoon (Menlo Park, Calif.), forward Naomi Ferguson (St. Louis, Mo.), defender Kiera Fullick (Orland Park, Ill.), goalkeeper Clare Gagne (Orono, Minn.), defender Jessica Hinton (Middletown, Conn.), and defender Kaitlyn Williams (Peachtree Corners, Ga.).

Lucinda Anderson

Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-foot-8
Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.
High School: Marin Academy
Club Team: San Francisco Elite Academy

Prep Accolades: Garnered Second Team CIF All-North Coast Section honors as a junior … Earned First Team All-League honors twice … Gained Second Team All-League accolades as a freshman … Totaled 91 career points on 54 career goals and 37 career assists … Notched 19 goals and 17 assists as a senior … Played for head coach Josh Kalkstein … Competed on the club level for Mill Valley Rockers, Paris Saint Germain, Marin FC, San Francisco Elite Academy, and NorCal ODP.

Why Brown? “I chose Brown because the open curriculum will allow me to study a plethora of subjects that I’m interested in. As a curious person, I will have the ability to take many classes that aren’t in my concentration. I also am excited about the reputable professors, amazing opportunities for scientific research, and the diversity and intellectual spirit of the student body. I’m also super excited for the soccer team because the coaches and the players seem to share the same intensity, love for the game, and kindness.”

McNeill on Anderson: “Lucinda is a midfielder/forward who has an engine to compete on both sides of the ball. She covers a lot of ground and has a competitive fire to her game that has led to a lot of success at the club and high school level, and most recently was announced as the MVP of the BCL-West in California. She has continually gotten better every year in her high school career, and I look forward to seeing her continued development here at Brown.”

Cam Berry
Position: Forward/Midfielder
Height: 5-foot-7
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
High School: Bishop Gorman
Club Team: Heat FC ECNL

Prep Accolades: Ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer IMG Top 150 and as the No. 49 player in the nation … Gained Nevada All-State All-Desert Region accolades … Captured a Nevada state title as a junior … Won team’s Defensive Player of the Year … Captained team as a senior … Played for head coach Doug Borgel … Competed on the club level for Heat FC ECNL; played for coaches Tom Amick and JJ Wozniak … Gained All-ECNL First Team Southwest Conference honors in 2018-19 … Selected for ECNL PDP Mountain Event … Participated at the US National Training Center in 2018-19 … Earned the Scholar-Athlete Award and Nevada All-State Academic Team accolades twice … An AP Scholar with Distinction.

Why Brown? “I knew I wanted to go to Brown the moment I set foot on campus! First, I love how competitive yet welcoming the entire soccer program is. I am so excited to grow as a player and learn as much as I can from so many incredible athletes. Second, the academics at Brown are simply unparalleled. The high-level classes mixed in with the open curriculum ensures that I will be able to maximize my academic experience at Brown, as here I am encouraged to follow both my love for science and my passion for languages. I truly am ecstatic to be a Brown University student-athlete!”

McNeill on Berry: “Camden is a highly touted attacking player out of Las Vegas who has had an incredible club career with Heat FC. She is ranked as one of top 50 players in the 2020 class. She has great vision and awareness in the final third and is a true finisher in and around the box. She also has a great work ethic which fits well with our up-tempo style of play.”

Evelyn Calhoon

Position: Midfielder/Forward
Height: 5-foot-6
Hometown: Menlo Park, Calif.
High School: Menlo-Atherton
Club Team: Mountain View Los Altos SC

Prep Accolades: Started every game over her four seasons … Selected for ECNL PDP Northwest in 2017 … Part of the 2014 US Soccer Regional Training Pool … Played for coaches Albertin Montoya and Seth Alberico … Competed on the club level for Mountain View Los Altos SC … Also competed in wrestling – a program which she co-founded – for head coach Phil Hoang … Placed first at the 2019 Central Coast Section Tournament and third at the 2019 California State Tournament in wrestling … Took a gap year before attending Brown, taking part in a documentary filmmaking program in Colorado which included a 30-day mountaineering trek in Patagonia in South America.

Why Brown? “The balance of continuing to grow my academic curiosity and challenge myself on the soccer field is very important to me. I’m excited about the community I’ll find at Brown and the ability to pursue passions, while pushing personal limits.”

McNeill on Calhoon: “Evelyn is an incredibly technical and active player that will help us in the midfield. She has good vision and creativity on the ball to unlock defenses and her ability to play make will complement the forwards on our roster well.”

Naomi Ferguson

Position: Forward
Height: 5-foot-3
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
High School: MICDS (Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School)
Club Team: St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL

Prep Accolades: Participated at U.S. National Team U15 National Training Camp in June 2015 … Earned St. Louis American Soccer Player of the Year honors … Gained First Team All-Conference accolades twice … Garnered First Team All-State and First Team All-Region laurels … Played for head coach Jack Fischer … Competed on the club level exclusively as a junior and senior … Played for St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL … Participated at U.S. Girls National Team U15 National Training Camp in June 2015 … Honor Roll student.

Why Brown? “Brown University gives me an opportunity to pursue a world-class education, while also playing soccer in the very competitive Ivy League. The diversity of the women’s soccer team as well as the open curriculum at Brown were also very attractive to me.”

McNeill on Ferguson: “Naomi is an extremely dangerous forward. She has deceptive pace and strong 1-vs-1 abilities that make her a handful to defend. She has a knack for the goal and has been a proven gamechanger for her club team. She has been fun to watch over the years, and I am excited to finally have her here playing for me at Brown.”

Kiera Fullick

Position: Defender
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Orland Park, Ill.
High School: Carl Sandburg
Club Team: Eclipse Select Soccer Club

Prep Accolades: Won an Illinois State Cup Championship in 2017 … Selected for the ECNL Midwest CSP Camp in 2019 and ECNL Midwest PDP Camp in 2018 … Helped lead team to the ECNL Midwest Conference Title … Played for coaches Marc McElligott and Nick Kolliniatis … Competed on the club level for Eclipse Select Soccer Club … An AP Scholar with Distinction and National Merit Semifinalist.

Why Brown? “I chose Brown because attending Brown would allow me to continue my academic career at the highest level, while also continuing to play the sport I love. Brown also was the perfect location for me: a mix of an urban lifestyle, with Providence right by it, and a college campus that would allow for a more traditional college experience. The first time I visited Brown, I immediately fell in love with the school.”

McNeill on Fullick: “Kiera is a hard, gritty defender who plays with her heart on her sleeve. She is fearless and willing to do whatever it takes to get results and plays for one of the most reputable club teams in the country, Eclipse SC in Illinois. She is extremely coachable and disciplined and will be a great addition to our defensive unit.”

Clare Gagne

Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 5-foot-10
Hometown: Orono, Minn.
High School: Orono
Club Team: Minnesota Thunder Academy

Prep Accolades: Ranked in the TopDrawerSoccer IMG Top 150, as the No. 51 player in the nation, and as the No. 5 goalkeeper in the nation … Received Great Lakes Class of 2020, High School Stars: Top Honors … Earned All-State accolades twice … Gained All-Conference honors all four years … Garnered First Team All-Metro laurels … Selected as a Minnesota State Ms. Soccer Finalist … Helped lead team to state runner-up finishes three times … Gained MNHSL All-Tournament Team accolades twice … Tallied 51 career shutouts … Served team as captain twice … Played for head coach Erin Murray at Orono … Competed on the club level for Minnesota Thunder Academy and coaches Danny Storlien and Terry Leindecker … Selected to the Midwest Player Development Program (PDP) and ODP Region II Pool twice … Earned ECNL Midwest All-Conference honors as a junior … Reached the ECNL National Playoffs twice … An AP Scholar with Distinction.

Why Brown? “Brown provides the unique opportunity for me to push myself both on the field as well as in the classroom, allowing me to explore many different interests in an academically intense environment, while also continuing to play the sport I love in a competitive program.”

McNeill on Gagne: “Clare is a phenomenal goalkeeper and ranked as one of the top five goalkeepers from the 2020 class in the country. She thrives under pressure, is a good organizer, technically sound, and has great distribution. She will be a great complement to our strong goalkeeper unit, and her game is going to continue to soar here at Brown.”

Jessica Hinton

Position: Defender
Height: 5-foot-6
Hometown: Middletown, Conn.
High School: Loomis Chaffee School
Club Team: Oakwood Soccer Club USSDA

Prep Accolades: Earned Prep School Defender of the Year honors from New England Soccer Journal … Gained All-NEPSAC All-Star Team honors twice … Garnered All-State accolades … Invited to the 2019 Connecticut Senior Bowl …. Played as a center defender for head coach Linda Hathorn … Competed on the club level for Oakwood Soccer Club USSDA as a center defender for head coach Matt Cameron.

Why Brown? “I chose Brown because it provided me with the perfect balance between soccer, academics, and extracurriculars, allowing me to fulfill my aspirations in all three.”

McNeill on Hinton: “Jess is a lockdown defender who is very good defensively 1 vs. 1, strong in the air, and has good distribution playing out of the back. Her strength, athleticism, and speed make it difficult for forwards to get by her, and I’m confident she will help us maintain our BWS reputation of being stingy defensively.”

Kaitlyn Williams

Position: Defender
Height: 5-foot-7
Hometown: Peachtree Corners, Ga.
High School: Greater Atlanta Christian School
Club Team: Atlanta Fire United

Prep Accolades: Garnered First Team All-Region accolades in 2019 and Second Team All-Region in 2017 and 2018 … Won two region titles … Helped lead team to State Tournament semifinals twice … Earned team’s Defensive Player of the Year honors twice … Started all four seasons … Served team as a senior captain … Played for head coaches Tia Graves and Mike Giuliano at GACS … Competed on the club level for Atlanta Fire United (2016-19), United Futbol Academic (2015-16), and Norcross Soccer Academy (2008-15) … Won a 2016 Super-Y National Championship in 2016 … Gained Gwinnett County Scholar-Athlete honors … National Merit Commended Scholar … AP Scholar with Distinction Award … National Honor Society student.

Why Brown? “I chose Brown because of the top-notch academics coupled with the strong and competitive athletics. Brown’s open curriculum really appealed to me with the possibility to expand my learning beyond my concentration. After visiting many schools, when I stepped on campus at Brown – it is hard to describe – but I got the feeling it was the right place for me. The size of the student body, the potential to continue playing soccer at the highest level, and the stellar academics, along with the atmosphere and all that Providence has to offer, made Brown an overwhelmingly easy choice for me.”

McNeill on Williams: “Kaitlyn is a hard-working and tough defender from Atlanta. She reads the game well to close down attackers, and does a good job mitigating chances on goal from the opposition. She plays with passion and is a fierce competitor which are some qualities I love to see in defenders, and I look forward to having her join our team this fall.”