West Virginia adds 10 to roster

The West Virginia women’s soccer team announced the addition of 10 new players for the 2013 season.

"I’m very excited about our recruiting class," said WVU head coach Nikki Izzo-Brown. "We’re excited because of the depth and the enthusiasm and the abilities they all bring."

Izzo-Brown announced the signed recruits Feb. 8.

The recruiting class is made up of Bryce Banuelos of Elmhurst, Ill.; Tessa Broadwater of Midlothian, Va.; Kadeisha Buchanan of Brampton, Ontario; Sarah Howley of Dallas, Texas; Haley Keefer of Grand Blanc, Mich.; Ashley Lawrence of Toronto, Ontario; Daniela Neves of Springfield, Va.; Michelle Newhouse of Pinch, W.Va.; Amandine Pierre-Louis of Montreal, Quebec; and Ashley Woolpert of Springboro, Ohio.

"We brought kids in with World Cup Youth National experience. Two of our players have even been training with the Canadian full women’s national teams," Izzo-Brown said.

Midfielder Bryce Banuelos was ranked No. 66 in ESPNHS Top 150, ranked No. 9 in TopDrawerSoccer.com’s midwest regional top 10 and ranked No. 89 in the Girl IMG Academy Top 150. Banuelos played club soccer for Team Chicago, winning 2012-13 USYSA National League championship and the 2012 USYSA Region II championship. She is a two-time Illinois State Cup champion and a 2009 Illinois State Cup Finalist.

Midfielder Tessa Broadwater totaled 36 goals and 17 assists in three seasons (2010-12). Broadwater played for Cosby High School. In 2012, the team won the state AAA title. As a junior Broadwater scored 16 goals and was a member of the 2012 Richard Times Dispatch all-Metro first team; she was all-Region and all-District, all-academic honoree in three sports: soccer, cross country and track.

Defender Kadeisha Buchanan has experience and a strong international club background. She stood out as a defender at Cardinal Leger Catholic Secondary School. Buchanan is a silver medalist with the full Canadian national team at Yongchuan Cup in China (2013). In 2012 she represented Canada at the U-17 CONCACAF Women’s tournament, winning a silver medal and game MVP against Jamaica at U-17 CONCACAF. She helped lead club teams to league championship and Ontario Cup titles in 2008 and 2011 and national championship title in 2011.

Defender Sarah Howley is a four-year letterwinner at Highland Park High. Her senior year Howley was named team captain. As a junior, Howley helped her team clinch a 2012 4-A state championship title. She was named the championship MVP, 4-A all-state tournament team member, 2012 all-district first team member and 2010-11 all-district second team member.

Goalkeeper Haley Keefer did not play soccer for her high school but instead played club for the Michigan Hawks. In 2011, her team became Region II finalists and state cup champions. In 2010, the Keefer assisted the team and became USYSA national semifinalist and Region-II champions.

Forward Ashley Lawrence also has international experience. Lawrence was a member of Canadian Youth National Teams, winning gold medals with Team Ontario at U-14 Nationals and U-16 Nationals. She represented Canada at the 2010 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago. She was named captain for Canada’s U-17 teams at CONCAF qualifiers, 2012, and Women’s World Cup 2012. She was twice named U-17 Canadian player of the year, 2011-12. In 2012 and 2013, she attended U-20 and Full National Team camps, including international CAPS at the Four-Nation Tournament in China. Lawrence played club for Erin Mills Mighty Eagles, leading team to gold medal at 2010 Ontario Summer games, two gold medals at the Ontario Cup championship and a gold medal at the National Club championships in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Forward Daniela Neves was ranked No. 138 in the SPNHS top 150. Neves was a three-time MVP at Robert E. Lee High School, leading the district in scoring for three consecutive years. She played club for VSA Heat and was the lead scorer in the 2012 Youth Regional and helped guide her team to a 2012 national championship.

Goalkeeper Michelle Newhouse was named 2012 NSCAA Girls High School all-American. As a goalkeeper Newhouse was a standout and four-time MVP at Capital High School. She recorded 483 saves and 30 shutouts in her career and made 93 saves against 121 shots as a senior. Newhouse is four-time all-state, 2012 AAA state player of the Year, MSAC player of the year, and 2012 team captain and North South All-Star Game participant.

Forward Amandine Pierre-Louis too has international experience. She was a Canadian U-17 Player of the Year finalist. She won a silver medal at the 2012 CONCACAF U-17 Championship in Guatemala. Pierre-Louis represented Canada at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup Azerbaijan 2012. She played club for Saint-Leonard and was named 2011 Quebec player of the year.

Midfielder and defender Ashley Woolpert played club for the Cincinnati United Premier. She led her team to the 2008 state championship, the 2010 CASL Showcase championship and the 2011 Ohio South State Cup finals. As a junior and senior, she was named captain. In 2012, she was named Greater Western Ohio conference player of the year and Springboro High offensive player of the year. Woolpert was a state ODP member from 2008-11 and helped the 2010 squad to Region-II eam championship and 2010-11 ODP state team national championship semifinalist.

Izzo-Brown has high expectations for the incoming recruiting class of the 2012 season.

"Ashley (Lawrence) and Kadeisha (Buchanan) have international experience that is going to make a huge impact on our team imminently," Izzo-Brown said. "I want them to give us they’re best. I want to see them impact the program the best that they can."