National signing day: Potomac region’s best and brightest make their commitments
National signing day 2015 saw a number of highly rated players from the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area finalise their college choices, while the Potomac region’s schools also now have a much better idea about how their rosters will shape up in the coming years.
+ SoccerWire.com’s list of 2015 National Letter of Intent commitments
The Potomac region’s MLS team D.C. United celebrated another strong year, as 16 of their academy players from the USSDA signed their National Letters of Intent to play college soccer.
A number of United’s players will stay relatively close to home, including three who will make their way to College Park to enroll at the University of Maryland. Daniel Reeves will join Eryk Williamson and Jorge Calix on coach Sasho Cirovski’s Terrapins squad as they seek to defend their Big Ten Championship from last year.
Also staying in the Potomac region are Jimmy Filerman and James Knoebel, who will join Old Dominion; Patrick Jean-Gilles, who heads to College Cup semifinalists UMBC; Antonio Bustamante, who joins William & Mary; Tyler Beaudoin, who heads to Loyola Maryland; Austin Pelto, who makes the short trip west to play for James Madison and Jean-Christophe Koffi, who will play for College Cup national champions Virginia.
Elsewhere, Alonzo Clarke will join Akron, Brennan Ireland will head to Penn State, Owen Marshall will join Columbia and Ibrahim Seye will join the Black Knights of Army at the U.S. Military Academy. Finally, Timothy Oberg will join Colgate and Scott Rissler will play for Duquesne.
Another club in the Potomac region to see plenty of players commit to college on national signing day was Bethesda SC, who will send a total of 28 players from their USSDA and ECNL teams. On the boys’ side, Lukas Zinngrebe and Liam Hoen-Beck stay close to home as they join American University, while Nolan Axenfeld and Phillip Grossman will also stay close by as they join Virginia Tech and Old Dominion respectively. Meanwhile, Sam Sergei and Stephen Harlan both head to the Big East with Xavier and Villanova respectively.
On the girls’ side, Bethesda SC had a total of 18 commitments from the graduating class of 2015, including a number who will stay in the local area. Kali Amoah will join Old Dominion, while Kearia Clark will head to Richmond, Makela Davidson joins Howard, Mikaya Krinetz heads to UMBC and Jasmine Wright will play for Virginia. Two players — Rachel Alexander and Stephi Shin — will play for Columbia, while Sam Sullenger has committed to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Richmond United also had a large number of boys and girls commit to playing college soccer on national signing day, with a total of 18 announcing commitments to Division I schools.
+READ: How to be intentional with your college commitment
Ryan Anderson and Brittany Borum will stay in Virginia at James Madison University, while William Zarco will do the same with George Mason University. Meanwhile, Lyndsey Moreland, Brittany Beckwith and Tori Browne will stay in Richmond with Virginia Commonwealth University, while Mackenzie Cox and Bailey Cristian also stay in town as they head to the University of Richmond.
Elsewhere, Myles Brown will play for 2013 College Cup champions Notre Dame, while Darby Moore and Olivia Mills will join Maryland’s women’s team. Ann-Robert Goode and Katie Cousins have officially committed to Davidson College and Tennessee, respectively.
McLean YSA will send a total of 29 players from their ECNL class of 2015 into college soccer, with a number staying in the Potomac region and heading to some of the top schools in the local area. Four players will head to national runners-up Virginia — Ayan Adu, Alex Connell, Mia Hoen-Beck and Lorato Sargeant — while three others head to Virginia Tech: Alia Abu Hawa, Kristina Diana and Carolina Kearns.
Staying in-state also will be Stephanie Stahl, Julia Suarez and Sidney Tison, who will play for VCU, while Audrey Denkler does not have far to travel as she heads to American. Also in D.C. will be Ta-Tiana Brodie, who will play for Howard. Other notable commitments include Hannah Natanson, who will attend Harvard, and three players who join the Wildcats of Kentucky: Rebeca Callison, Kaitlyn Forsht and Katelyn Jensen.
Elsewhere in the ECNL, FC Virginia have just three players staying in the Potomac region from their class of 2015, as Emma Lark, Anna Tapen and Sara Vigen will attend George Mason, George Washington and William & Mary respectively. Maryland United will send a total of 22 players on to college teams, including three to UMBC — Karen Aye, Katie Berkowitz and Fern Peters.
Finally, Baltimore Celtic standout and NSCAA National High School Player of the Year Connor Smith confirmed that he will join Maryland, while his Celtic teammates Gavin and Timothy Barger will both join Penn.
It was a monumental day for many youth soccer players in the Potomac region, and just the start of what many hope will be continued success in the sport. And with signing period extending until August 1, there are plenty of chances between now and then for more players to affirm their commitment to play college soccer.
