Saint Louis University announces 10-player women’s soccer recruiting class

ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis University head women’s soccer coach Katie Shields has announced the addition of 10 student-athletes to the Billikens’ program. All 10 will have four years of eligibility beginning next fall.

“We are excited to welcome our 2023 recruiting class officially into the Billiken family,” Shields said. “Associate head coach Chris Allen and assistant coach Olivia Silverman were instrumental in recruiting this group of exceptionally talented student-athletes.

“These 10 individuals have high character and have achieved at elite levels in their high school and club soccer environments,” Shields said. “We believe they will come to campus ready to make an immediate impact on our program. This recruiting class will be instrumental in helping our program continue to dominate within the Atlantic 10 Conference and continue our climb to the top of the NCAA college soccer mountain.”

The new Billikens are:

• Alyssa Bockius • M • St. Louis, Mo. (Lindbergh H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
• Samantha De Luca • F/D • Little Rock, Ark. (Episcopal Collegiate School | Arkansas Rising)
• Jordan Gary • F • Collinsville, Ill. (Collinsville H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
• Autumn Jackson • D • O’Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt West H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
• Ashley Koch • F • Kansas City, Kan. (Shawnee Mission East H.S. | KC Athletics)
• Macy Lutz • D • Sylvania, Ohio (Sylvania Northview H.S. | Michigan Hawks)
• Nina Preusser • M • St. Louis, Mo. (Nerinx Hall H.S. | Sporting STL)
• Eva Schreiber • D • Nashville, Tenn. (Battle Ground Academy | Tennessee Soccer Club)
• Lucie Schwartz • F • St. Louis, Mo. (Visitation Academy | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
• Maddie Sibbing • G • Kansas City, Mo. (Lee’s Summit North H.S. | Kansas City Scott Gallagher)

Alyssa Bockius • M • St. Louis, Mo. (Lindbergh H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)

Considered one of the top five players in the Heartland Region by Top Drawer Soccer … earned a spot in the IMG Academy Top 150, ranking 38th among midfielders … was a standout for St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL … participated in the USYNT ID training centers while in Texas and was a Top Drawer Soccer “One to Watch” in the 2023 class … earned a USSF national D coaching license at age 17 while still an ECNL player … helped create St. Louis Scott Gallagher’s Big Sister Program to build leadership within the clubs … 2021-22 ECNL club captain … part of the SLSG Leadership Academy … honor roll student … member of NHS for Future Medical Leaders … coach and private trainer.

Shields on Bockius: “Alyssa is a tactically sophisticated box-to-box midfielder. She finds space exceptionally well and has a tremendous footprint on the game. Alyssa is a clever passer and playmaker who can set play for us at a high level. In addition to her playmaking ability, she will be a dominant defensive presence and a set-piece threat in the air. Alyssa will be an excellent addition to our midfield.”

Samantha De Luca • F/D • Little Rock, Ark. (Episcopal Collegiate School | Arkansas Rising)

As a junior, was the Arkansas Player of the Year, All-State, All-Conference and All-Tournament … registered a record 42 goals and 15 assists in 16 games … All-Arkansas Preps first team … helped Episcopal Collegiate reach the 3A state championship game … played for the ECNL North Texas regular-season undefeated champions and the undefeated USYS Arkansas state champions … was a member of the 2020-21 USYS Arkansas state champions and the Red River NPL regular-season champions … played for the 2019-20 USYS Arkansas state champions and the Red River NPL champions … two-time All-State and All-Conference in tennis … 2022-23 4A overall girls’ state champion, doubles state champion and doubles conference champion … state finalist as a junior … also played basketball and was a member of a conference championship team.

Shields on De Luca: “Our first-ever recruit from the state of Arkansas, Samantha is an elite athlete and competitor. Whether it is soccer or tennis, she finds a way to win. She has the potential to be either a goal-scorer or a lockdown defender in our program. She competes on her edge every day and will be a tremendous addition to our daily environment. Student-athletes like Samantha thrive in our program.”

Jordan Gary • F • Collinsville, Ill. (Collinsville H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)

Midwest Conference ECNL Player to Watch in 2019-21 … ECNL Phoenix Showcase Standout in 2019 … ECNL 2004 Midwest first-team All-Conference from 2018-21 … member of International Champions Cup Futures Midwest All-Star team in 2019 that played against FC Barcelona, Paris St. Germain and other European teams and went on to win the Trophy Division championship of the International Champions Cup Tournament … made the 2019 International Champions Cup Futures Tournament Top 11 … won the 2019 International Champions Cup Futures Golden Boot Award … selected for the 2020 U.S. Soccer id2 National Selection International Tournament … lettered in soccer, basketball, cross country and track at Collinsville … first-team All-Conference and All-County in cross country in 2019, when she was an individual qualifier for the sectional meet … won the basketball team’s 6th Man and 110 Percent awards in 2020 … county 400 meters champion in 2022 … was a 2020 St. Louis Post-Dispatch soccer Player to Watch … first-team All-Conference in 2022 and third-team All-Conference in 2021 … made the 2022 All-Sectional team … soccer team captain as a junior … was Collinsville’s Most Valuable Player and recipient of the 110 Percent Award in 2022 … three-year Academic All-Conference honoree, KahokStrong Club officer, National Honor Society member and English Honor Society member.

Shields on Gary: “Jordan is an elite athlete and phenomenal leader. She is a dynamic attacking player who can take on opponents 1v1 or through combination play, and she is a tenacious defender. Her work rate, intellect and coachability are outstanding. Jordan will be a tremendous addition to our flank players as well as a future leader within our program.”

Autumn Jackson • D • O’Fallon, Mo. (Fort Zumwalt West H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)

Member of the 2019 ICC Midwest team that competed against FC Barcelona, PSG and several other teams … won the ICC Futures Trophy Division … attended the Youth National Team Kansas City Training Identification Center in 2019 … at Fort Zumwalt West, was a 2021 second-team All-Conference choice … selected to the 2020-21 ECNL U16 All-Conference second team … competed in the ECNL SuperCup League in the 2021-22 spring season on a team that went 7-1 … 2021 U17 Youth National Team pool player … attended the Youth National Team Indianapolis Regional Identification Center in 2021 … earned Top Drawer Soccer national rankings of No. 41 among defenders and No. 8 in the Heartland Region … selected as Top Drawer Soccer South Carolina Best of Saturday on Dec. 6, 2020, South Carolina Best XI on Dec. 10, 2020, and ECNL Florida Standout on Jan. 10, 2021 … standout player for St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL for several years.

Shields on Jackson: “AJ comes to us with a terrific pedigree as a standout at St. Louis Scott Gallagher with Youth National Team experience. She is a dynamic end line-to-end line outside back. AJ is both a lockdown individual defender and playmaker out on the flank. We look forward to AJ making an immediate impact on our backline.”

Ashley Koch • F • Kansas City, Kan. (Shawnee Mission East H.S. | KC Athletics)

As a sophomore, helped Shawnee Mission East to the Kansas Class 6A state final, scoring a league-leading 21 goals to go with 13 assists … 6A Forward of the Year, first-team All-Region, first-team All-State, first-team Kansas City All-Metro, first-team All-Conference and the team’s Most Valuable Player … made the 2021 Bob Durig Mo-Kan All-Tournament team … selected for the 2021 Kansas High School Sports Award (Top 12 Player – Best of Kansas, USA Today) … was a Preps Soccer Prospect Player to Watch as a junior when she made the All-State, Kansas City All-Metro and All-Conference first teams as well as the Bob Durig Mo-Kan All-Tournament team … selected to play in the inaugural Kansas vs. Oklahoma High School All-Star Game in 2022 … National Honor Society member with a 4.58 weighted grade point average … played club soccer for the ECNL top-five nationally ranked Kansas City Athletics that captured the 2022 Midwest Conference title … was a 2021 ECNL first-team All-Conference performer … 2019 ECNL Player Development Program invitee … 2018 and 2019 USWNT ID invitee.

Shields on Koch: “Ashley is a forward who will thrive in our system. She has the athleticism, mentality and work rate to relentlessly press an opponent’s backline, as well as stretch the game for us to get in behind on the dribble or on the run. She can score goals off the dribble or through combination play. Ashley will add another level to our outstanding attacking group.”

Macy Lutz • D • Sylvania, Ohio (Sylvania Northview H.S. | Michigan Hawks)

Starting center back for a Michigan Hawks club team that has been ranked among the nation’s top 10 from 2016-22 … competed in the national tournament every year, including the 2019 and 2020 quarterfinals … was the starting center back for an ’03/’05 Hawks international travel team that went undefeated in Holland and Germany in 2018 … has played on state championship teams with the Hawks and with Pacesetter FC in Ohio … named a Class of 2023 elite player by Top Drawer Soccer … currently competes in the ECNL Midwest Region for a Hawks team ranked sixth in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer … will play in Italy in January 2023, competing in Series B with Rome City FC.

Shields on Lutz: “Macy comes to us from one of the best youth clubs in the country, the Michigan Hawks. She is an athletic, tough-tackling, hard-nosed center defender. Macy does a tremendous job controlling the space both in front of and behind the line with her tactical awareness and athleticism. She is a tremendous individual defender who can lock down the opponent’s attacking threats. Macy will be a tremendous addition to our daily competitive environment and elite backline.”

Nina Preusser • M • St. Louis, Mo. (Nerinx Hall H.S. | Sporting STL)

Four-year varsity starter and team captain as a junior and senior at Nerinx Hall … tallied 26 goals (11 game-winners) and 23 assists in her first three seasons … as a junior, was a United Soccer Coaches All-America and All-Region selection, first-team All-State, region Offensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Region, first-team All-District, St. Louis Post-Dispatch first-team All-Metro, first-team All-Conference, and Nerinx Hall’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive MVP … helped lead the team to the Class 4 state final for a second consecutive season … second-team All-Conference, team’s Offensive MVP and a Post-Dispatch Athlete of the Week as a sophomore … plays club soccer for Sporting STL … made the 2022 USYS Best 11 tournament team … Midwest Conference Best 11 selection in 2018 and 2019 … Girls Academy Advisory Panel team representative in 2021 and 2022 … part of six state championship teams and a regional championship squad … in 2022, her team was an NPL national finalist, a USYS national semifinalist and GA Frontier Conference champion for a second straight year … first honor roll every year with a 4.0 grade point average … Nerinx Hall Ambassador.

Shields on Preusser: “Our coaching staff has known and been excited about getting Nina in Billiken Blue for years. She will be the “glue,” both on and off the field, for our program. She holds herself and everyone around her to incredibly high standards while also making those around her better. Nina is an excellent passer and finisher out of the midfield with a willingness to do the dirty work defensively. She lives and breathes the game and will continue to develop into a tremendous collegiate midfielder with her consistent growth.”

Eva Schreiber • D • Nashville, Tenn. (Battle Ground Academy | Tennessee Soccer Club)

Four-year varsity starter … four-time All State and four-time All-District performer … three-time All-Region selection … earned a regional tournament Most Valuable Player award … Battle Ground Academy played in four consecutive state finals, winning two titles … earned multiple nominations for Tennessee Athlete of the Week … two-time recipient of Gateway Tire Athlete of the Week award … member of DiGamma Honor Society and National Honor Society … four-year honor roll student … her ECNL team competed at the national tournament multiple years.

Shields on Schreiber: “Eva is an exciting attacking outside back. She flies forward on the dribble and creates havoc for the opponent’s defense, while also being an outstanding individual defender. Eva is a tremendous athlete with exceptional potential to make an immediate impact in our defensive group.”

Lucie Schwartz • F • St. Louis, Mo. (Visitation Academy | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)

Played on a Lou Fusz team that won the 2019 Missouri State Cup … selected to the 2019 National League Midwest Conference Best IX … named to the 2020-21 ECNL U16 All-Conference first team … earned All-State honorable mention, All-Region, first-team All-Conference and Visitation’s Most Valuable Player plaudits as a sophomore … ranked No. 14 in the Heartland Region by Top Drawer Soccer … varsity starter in basketball, making the All-Conference second team twice … National Honor Society member.

Shields on Schwartz: “Lucie is a dynamic and creative left-footed attacking player. She can score from distance as well as make plays for her teammates. The combination of Lucie’s technical and tactical ability will help us possess the ball through the phases of the game. She can wiggle out of tight spaces both on the dribble and through combination play, while using her outstanding vision to unlock the game in the final third. Lucie will add quality and sophistication to our attacking group.”

Maddie Sibbing • G • Kansas City, Mo. (Lee’s Summit North H.S. | Kansas City Scott Gallagher)

First-team All-State as a junior, second-team All-State as a sophomore … Region 4 and Suburban Gold Conference Goalkeeper of the Year as a sophomore and junior, making 350 saves those seasons … played for the Kansas City Scott Gallagher Academy team that won four state championships and advanced to the national championship series … four-year player in Missouri ODP … 2022 NAIA Champion of Character … also a four-year varsity letter recipient in volleyball, earning first-team All-District accolades as a sophomore, junior and senior and second-team All-Conference honors as a junior and senior … amassed more than 600 kills during her career … Academic All-State as a junior and senior … National Honor Society member and ambassador.

Shields on Sibbing: “Maddie is the best goalkeeper from Kansas City in the 2023 recruiting class. The combination of her size and athleticism makes her dominant in the air on service and an outstanding shot-stopper. Maddie has tremendous instincts and a growth mindset. Under the guidance of assistant coach Olivia Silverman, she will develop into the next great Billiken goalkeeper.”