Long Beach State women’s soccer signs five incoming freshmen for 2022

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State women’s soccer head coach Mauricio Ingrassia has announced the signing of five incoming freshmen for next season.

Cherrie Cox, Felicia Jastré Högberg, Julia Moore, Litzy Morales, and Kana Uchida all signed National Letters of Intent during the signing period.

“The best part of this group is that they are amazing people that will fit right into our culture,” said Head Coach Mauricio Ingrassia. “This class, while a bit smaller, has a lot of quality and we are expecting them to make an immediate impact on our program.”

Cherrie Cox | Midfielder | Torrance, Calif. | Beach FC

Cox comes to Long Beach State after a phenomenal career at West Torrance High School where she broke the school’s single-season goals record this season. As a junior with the Warriors, she helped lead her team to an 11-2-2 record while going undefeated in league to win the championship. She was named the league and team MVP after scoring 21 goals in her 14 games. In addition to her time on the pitch with West HS, she plays for Beach FC where she helped her team win the ECNL-RL Southwest Conference Championship as well as the ECNL Open Cup Championship.

Coach Ingrassia: “Cherrie is a five-star recruit, and in line with the best attacking players in the history of our program. She is a local product and has been committed to Long Beach State since her freshman season. She can do a lot of things well on the attacking end, from playmaking, to finishing, to controlling tempo. We are looking forward to Cherrie’s impact on our program for years to come.”

Felicia Jastré Högberg | Forward | Kungsbacka, Sweden | Jitex BK

Jastré Högberg joins the Beach from Sweden where she is a forward playing for Jitex BK of the Elitettan League. Previously, she was the leading scorer for division two IFK Fjärås, scoring 36 goals in 22 games over the last two years.  Last season, she scored 23 times including a six-goal game followed by a five-goal game, leading her squad to a second-place finish in the U18 National Championship. She also helped her team to a second place finish with the U17 Swedish District Team where she scored seven goals in five games. She has received camp call ups to the U16 and U17 Swedish National Team.

Coach Ingrassia: “A talented forward from Sweden that uses finesse and power to maneuver around defenders. Felicia is a real talent and we are looking forward to integrating her to our current attacking players. Her international experience will be a welcome addition to The Beach.”

Julia Moore | Midfielder/Defender | Santa Cruz, Calif. | Mountain View Los Altos

Moore joins Long Beach State after playing four years with Santa Cruz High School. In her sophomore year, she was named the SCCAL All-League Midfielder of the Year after leading her team in goals and assists. Academically, she owns a 4.6 weighted GPA and earned a National Merit Letter of Accommodation. In addition to her time on the pitch with Santa Cruz HS, she plays club with Mountain View Los Altos, where she helped her team win the 2021 ECNL National Championship.

Coach Ingrassia: “We have tracked Julia for a very long time, and since our initial discovery, she has grown tremendously as a player and as a competitor. She can play in the center of midfield or as an outside back, where she starts for MVLA 2004, the 2020-2021 ECNL National Champions.”

Litzy Morales | Defender | Santa Ana, Calif. | Pateadores Soccer Club

Morales comes to Long Beach State after an MVP season at Santa Ana High School. This past June, she was named to the under-20 Mexico National Team and has competed with the national team every year since playing for the under-15 team. An all-OCC First Team selection, she totaled 16 goals and 14 assists in 14 games as a junior. In addition to her time with the Mexico National Team and Santa Ana HS, she currently plays with Pateadores Soccer Club.

Coach Ingrassia: “Litzy is a talented one vs one defender that we are very excited about. She has represented Mexico’s youth national teams at all levels and will be a great addition to our back line.”

Kana Uchida | Defender | Urayasu City, Japan | JEF United Ichihara Chiba

Uchida comes to the Beach from Japan where she was a starting defender for one of the top club teams in Tokyo, JEF Ichihara Chiba and also spent time with the U-17 Japan Women’s National Team. Since 2019, she helped guide her team to two National Club Youth Cup titles and a U-18 National Cup title. In 2022, she was named the MVP of the National Club Youth Cup after leading her to team to their second title in three years.

Coach Ingrassia: “Kana will play anywhere on the flank for The Beach. She plays for one of the top Japanese Clubs, and is part of the Japanese Youth National Team system. She has tremendous technical and tactical ability, and will fit right in to our style of play.”