Cornell women’s soccer program introduces Class of 2028, featuring 7 recruits

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell women’s soccer head coach Rob Ferguson announced the addition of seven players to the Class of 2028. All seven players will join the program as freshman and be eligible to play in the upcoming 2024 campaign.

“I’m tremendously excited about this incoming class,” Ferguson said. “On a culture and soccer level, we have recruited players who help us improve and continue the upward trajectory of our program. They bring a lot on the field both in terms of technical and athletic quality and from versatility perspective. I am confident we are better and deeper with the addition of this incoming class, and we are very excited to see them join up with our exciting group of 27 returners.”

Those that will join the Big Red this fall include three forwards (Evelyn Chudowsky, Estelle Jarrells, and Amanda Polyniak), three midfielders (Lauren DiPierri, Ella Koschineg, and Ivy Tolbert), and one defender (Jane Offit).

INCOMING PLAYER BIOS

Evelyn Chudowsky

Forward • 5-8 • Westport, Conn. • Staples HS • New York SC

• Four-year letterwinner at Staples HS, where she captained team to pair of state championships in 2021 and 2022.
• Three-time All-League selection (2021, 2022, 2023), two-time All-State honoree (2022, 2023), and was tabbed to All-New England Team in 2023.
• Awarded 2024 CAS-CIAC Scholar-Athlete award.
• Named team captain for New York Soccer Club in 2021 and 2022.
• Member of the Domincan Republic Under-17 Youth National Team.
• Four-time honor roll student and member of athletic leadership council.
• Father, Walter, played soccer at Columbia (1982-85), and was inducted into Columbia’s Sports Hall of Fame for being member of Lions’ 1983 team that finished as a runner-up in NCAA Tournament.
• Sister, Natalie, has represented the Dominican Republic and United States in soccer at youth level.

Ferguson on Chudowsky: “Evelyn brings excellent versatility to our team having played across the front line and throughout the midfield. Although there is no doubt it was her attacking threat in wide forward areas which really made her stand out, she is good on the ball and has pace to accelerate past opponents.”

Lauren DiPierri

Midfielder • 5-7 • Plainview, N.Y. • Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy HS • Long Island SC

• Four-year starter at Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK HS.
• Named Conference Player of the Year in 2023, in addition to being an All-New York State and All-Long Island selection.
• Two-time Newsday Top 100 Girls Soccer Players (2022, 2023) and was a two-time Nassau County All-County selection (2022, 2023), Nassau County All-Conference selection and All-County honorable mention in 2021.
• Selected team captain for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
• Achieved High Honor Roll for 12 consecutive marking quarters and was member of National, Spanish, and English Honor Societies.
• Played club soccer for Long Island SC, where she was a three-time Northeast Girls Academy Talent ID selection (2021-23).

Ferguson on DiPierri: “Lauren brings excellent game sense, savvy, and vision to our team. She is excellent technically and very smart tactically, which makes her a well-rounded and legitimate threat in the final third.”

Estelle Jarrells

Forward • 5-7 • Atlanta, Ga. • Marist School • Tophat GA Gold

• Two-year letterwinner in soccer at Marist School in Atlanta, named First Team All-Region in 2023.
• Aided Marist School to GHSA Class AAAA championship in 2022 and was runner-up for same title in 2023.
• Member of National Honor and Spanish Societies … named to Honor Roll in 2022 and Deans List for 2023-24.

Ferguson on Jarrells: “Elle brings good qualities as a back-to-goal nine who can link up very well, but who also has the willingness to run onto things and be a threat in behind. Elle is tenacious, determined, and gritty, all things we love to see in our players.”

Ella Koschineg

Midfielder • 5-3 • Ambler, Pa. • Gwynedd Mercy Academy • FC Bucks

• Two-time MaxPreps Soccer Player of the Year (2022 and 2023).
• Named AACA League First Team All-Star in 2022 and 2023.
• Bucks/Intelligencer All-Area First Team selection in 2023.
• Tabbed Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and was team MVP in 2023.
• Selected to PSCA All-State Team in 2023.

Ferguson on Koschineg: “Ella is physically strong, technically very clean, and has a winning and aggressive mindset. She can play in central midfield or as a central defender, and this versatility is a big plus for us.”

Jane Offit

Defender • 5-7 • New York, N.Y. • Horace Mann School • Players Development Academy

• Played three seasons of soccer at the Horace Mann School, earning First Team All-Ivy League honors in 2022.
• Captained NYSAIS championship team in 2023.
• Played club soccer for the Players Development Academy.
• Father, Ned, played soccer and baseball at Johns Hopkins.
• Mother, Amanda, and grandfather both attended Cornell.

Ferguson on Offit: “Jane is a player who caught our eye a long time ago, and never failed to impress us with her intensity and her attacking intent as a wide defender. She has since transitioned in to a central defender in a back three at the club level and has continued to impress, which only adds value to her coming in to our program.”

Amanda Polyniak

Forward • 5-7 • River Vale, N.J. • Pascack Valley HS • World Class FC

• Earned four letters in women’s soccer at Pascack Valley HS, aiding program to consecutive league championships in 2022 and 2023.
• Nominated for North Jersey Girls Soccer Player of the Year and earned First Team All-North Jersey honors in 2023.
• Four-time New Jersey Girls Soccer Coaches Association (NJGSCA) Top 20 Player North I and four-time NJGSCA All-State honoree.
• Received four First Team All-Big North National Conference awards and was a three-time First Team All-Bergen County selection.
• Named team captain for 2023 season.
• Member of National and Science Honor Societies … also named to High Honor Roll.
• Played club soccer for World Class FC in the ECNL.
• Mother, Karen, played softball at Lehigh from 1991-95.

Ferguson on Polyniak: “Amanda brings legitimate pace, technical quality on the ball, and an eye for goal to our front line, and we are very excited to integrate her in to an already exciting attacking group of players.”

Ivy Tolbert

Midfielder • 5-7 • Commerce, Ga. • Commerce HS • Gwinnett Soccer Academy

• Three-time Georgia High School Player of the Year.
• Four-time Georgia All-State First Team member and four-time First Team All-Region selection.
• Three-time regional Player of the Year and three-time Athens Area Player of the Year.
• Two-time Georgia All-Class Super XI Team and two-time Southeast All-American selection.
• Two-time finalist for USA Today National Player of the Year.
• Named 2023 GACA State Player of the Year.
• Amassed 695 career points in four years (266 goals, 163 assists), all of which are Georgia state records.
• Scored 104 goals in 2022, establishing Georgia’s single-season record.
• Captained women’s soccer team at Commerce HS for three seasons.
• Became second female in Georgia HS football history to score 100 points, serving as placekicker for Commerce HS football team, earning 2023 First Team All-Region honors after being a second-team selection in 2022.
• Lettered in track for two seasons, finishing as state runner-up in 4×400 (2023) and 4×800 (2022) relays, setting school records in 800-meter and in 4×400 and 4×800 relays.
• Class valedictorian and member of National Honor Society.
• Aided Gwinnett Soccer Academy to three consecutive Southeast Conference championships (2020-22).

Ferguson on Tolbert: “Ivy is a player with the energy and quality to win the battle and set the tempo and control things in the middle of the park, while also possessing the attacking threat to get forwards and score goals.”

LOOKING AHEAD

The seven freshmen will join a Cornell squad that finished last season with a 4-5-6 record, the program’s best finish to a year since 2015 (9-4-4).

Cornell will be returning just shy of 70 percent of its games played from last year (193 of 276 — 69.9 percent) while bringing back 12 of its 21 goals scored (57.1 percent) and 33 of its 58 points (56.9 percent) recorded last season in the Big Red’s largest offensive output since 2014.