University of Kentucky women’s soccer adds 15 new players for 2019 season

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky women’s soccer program is excited to announce the addition of 15 players to the active roster, it was announced by head coach Ian Carry on Wednesday afternoon. The incoming players are composed of 14 true freshman and one junior college transfer.

Of the 15 incoming players, the new Wildcats are from in total five international nations, six different states and five different languages. The 15-player incoming class is Kentucky’s largest group of newcomers since the program-record 15 that were brought in during 2012.

This incoming class features the nation’s leading goal scorer in club soccer in the Midwest region, in Hannah Richardson; players with international experience from the Women’s World Cup runner’s up, Netherlands, Germany, Iceland, Cryrus and the Faroe Islands; and additionally, the first JUCO transfer in the Ian Carry era.

The 15 additions to the squad for 2019 raise the roster size to 28 for the season, the largest roster constructed by Carry in his now three-year term at the helm of Kentucky.

(4) Valdis Björg Sigurbjörnsdöttir
Kopavogur, Iceland

• 10 Youth International games for the Icelandic National Team
• Gothia Cup China U-19 Champion
• Youth team was Champion of Iceland
• Played her first game for the senior team at 13 years old

(7) Madi Rennie
Columbus, Ohio

• Played for Chris King with Ohio Premier for her club soccer
• Was Ohio Valley Conference champion
• Led her team to a national semifinal appearance

(8) Hannah Richardson
Bartlett, Illinois

• Has been called up with the U-20 United States Women’s National Team
• Played for Sockers FC in Chicago, one of the most prominent clubs in the nation
• Top goal scorer in the Midwest Conference of club soccer

(10) Tatiana Hagan
Reno, Nevada

• JUCO transfer from Peninsula College (Port Angeles, Washington)
• Led Peninsula College to the 2016, 2017 and 2018 North Division Championship
• 2016 and 2018 NWAC Champions

(13) Hunter Koziara
Delray Beach, Florida

• Played her club soccer for Mark Barnett at South Florida United DA
• Team went to the WPSL Regional Playoffs in 2019 – the best year in history
• Was 2015 and 2016 All-County and MVP with her high school team

(14) Lisa Blankestein
Eindhoven, Netherlands

• Played with the Eredivisie National U-16 team in the Netherlands
• Her team advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Cup
• Played her club soccer under the direction of head coach Jurgen Schefczyk

(18) Caroline Trout
Northbrook, Illinois

• Played with Hannah Richardson at the well-known Sockers FC club in Illinois
• Was first in conference play and helped lead Sockers to the semifinals for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy
• Intends to major in Finance

(20) Georgia Katsonouri
Paphos, Cyprus

• Won best goalie of her league in 2017-18
• Played with the Cypress U-19 National Team
• Played at Paphia FC under Panagiotis Tsoukkas and Antonis Papantonis

(21) Josie Knight
Flower Mound, Texas

• Played her club soccer for the Dallas Texans
• Competed in the WPSL
• Joins Emma Shields as the two Texas residents on the team

(22) Alex Fava
Lutherville, Maryland

• Played for Premier Soccer Club, USYS National Champions in 2019
• Comes from an athletic family, with her brother playing on the Florida men’s basketball team, grandfather played for Georgetown and Loyola (basketball), father played baseball at NC State, and four cousins who play lacrosse and volleyball at Duke, Arizona State, Michigan and Denison.
• Was a four-year varsity player for Notre Dame Prepatory School

(23) Steph Stull
Charlotte, North Carolina

• Played her club soccer under Philip Poole and Brian Moore at Charlotte Soccer Academy
• Two-time back-to-back state champions in North Carolina
• Intends to major in engineering

(25) Peyton Rimko
Westlake, Ohio

• Played her club soccer for Internationals under Zdravko Popovic
• Led her high school team to the district finals in three out of four years and a SWC Championship
• Was All-State her junior and senior seasons in high school and All-Greater Cleveland her junior and senior years

(26) Rebekka Danielsen
Stavanger, Norway

• Played for the Faroe Islands National Team
• Was a star on her club team, Hinna FK
• Born in Stavanger, Norway

(29) Emily Hähnel
Schkopau, Germany

• Played club soccer at Magdeburger FFC under the direction of Steffen Scheler
• Scouted and trained with the U-17 German National Team
• DIII in Germany, and her team qualified for the DII playoffs
• Was the No. 2 ranked student in her graduating class

(30) Jordyn Rhodes
South Lebanon, Ohio

• Played at Cincinnati DA/Cincinnati United under the direction of Chris Black and David Robertson
• U-17 National Champions in USYS, as well as U-16 national finalists
• Member of the Best XI at the 2015 Nationals

Kentucky begins its training sessions for the 2019 season on Wednesday morning in preparation for the first match of the season on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET vs. Bowling Green. Admission to the match is free and will be held in conjunction with UK Soccer Fan Day.

For the latest on UK Soccer, follow the Wildcats on Twitter at @UKWomensSoccer.