Recruiting players is a grueling challenge for schools across the country, and the women’s soccer program at the University of Idaho is no exception.
The anticipation of the recruitment season for the Idaho women’s soccer team came to fruition Wednesday, when the team announced the recruitment of seven high school players for the fall season.
Idaho coach Derek Pittman said in Wednesday’s press conference that being able to recruit seven players boosts the team’s confidence after the program earned the Big Sky regular-season title with an undefeated record of 9-0-1 in conference play.
“The exciting thing about recruiting these players is that we now have a championship under our belt,” Pittman said. “It’s exciting for our players and the recruits that we’re attracting into our program that they can see that trophy. We’re in a great position to go to the NCAA tournament year in and year out.”
Last season, the Vandals were a penalty kick shootout away from winning the Big Sky postseason tournament over Northern Colorado.
“It was a little bit disappointing but at the same time we know that we’re right on the verge,” Pittman said. “This is exciting for recruits and young players to come and be a part of our program because that’s where they ultimately want to be – playing in the tournament.”
Pittman said his association with Gonzaga was a pivotal factor in recruiting Spokane Shadow Soccer Club midfielder Morgan Crosby and forward Alex Chambers.
“I’m excited about those two players and their fan base,” Pittman said. “Our group of fans will get behind them a lot being they are relatively local players.”
Pittman, a former assistant coach at Gonzaga, said he has kept an eye on Crosby since she was in middle school.
“Morgan was one of the first players I went after when I got the head coaching job two years ago,” Pitman said. “It was exciting that we were able to keep her close to home. She’s going to do an excellent job for us on the field.”
Crosby was an All-Greater Spokane League player for the last three straight seasons at University High School.
Pittman said the recruiting process for Chambers didn’t take place until he became Idaho’s head coach in 2014. He also said the team needed an effective forward with Reagan Quigley graduating this year.
“We needed to add a forward to our roster for 2016,” Pittman said. “Alex has excellent athletic ability, pace and strength as an attacking player. We feel she is a dual threat with her ability to face up and attack defenders on the dribble or play back to goal to help hold the ball up in possession.”
Chambers was named the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Athlete of the Week in 2014 when she played for Mead Senior High School.
Chambers scored 24 goals and recorded 19 assists during her high school career.
The first of the five Californian recruits Pittman discussed in Wednesday’s conference was defender Crosby MacKinnon of Cathedral Catholic High School in Del Mar.
“She’s a good, talented outside back,” Pittman said. “I saw her play over a year ago at a tournament in Las Vegas. She’s can fly from box to box, defend and attack, so she’s a talented individual that we’re looking forward to having.”
Defender Taylor Brust of Oceanside saw a lot of success at Oceanside High School. Brust scored 13 goals and recorded 16 assists in her high school career and won Defensive Player of the Year in her league in 2013 and 2014.
“Taylor comes from one of the top club teams in the country,” Pittman said. “She plays at the highest level and I see her ultimately fitting in as a center back. With Amanda Pease as a senior and Kelly Dopke as a sophomore, we fully expect Taylor to come in and compete.”
Defensive recruit Rebecca Buratto has previous ties to Idaho. Her grandfather Steven and grand-uncle Stan both played football for the Vandals in the 1960s.
“She has an ability to add some depth at the center back role as well as playing as a holding midfielder for us,” Pittman said. “She’s very good in the air and a good athlete. There’s a lot of potential for her to bloom into a quality player.”
Midfielder Myah Merino of San Marcos played for Carlsbad United and led the team to the USYSA National League Championship in each of the last three seasons.
“She is a dynamic player that is an absolute blast to watch when on the ball,” Pittman said. “Our staff feels that she has the ability to play as an attacking midfielder or forward, because she is highly skilled, extremely quick on the dribble and can break down defenses with her technical ability or by simply running past helpless defenders.”
The final Californian recruited to play for the Vandals was midfielder Malia Morales of Santa Barbara. Morales earned All-Channel League First Team honors the last two years and won the Player of the Year award from the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table.
“The first time I saw her play, she outworked every individual on the field and then some,” Pittman said. “She leads by example and is always willing to do all the little things right in order to make her teammates better.”
Pittman said recruiting five Californians to play for the Vandals has built excitement within the program.
“We’ve been doing an excellent job in the California area,” Pittman said. “My assistant coach Josh Davis has a lot of recruiting ties to that area. He does an excellent job identifying quality talent.”
Pittman said that there is a lot of potential talent in the Southern California area.
“For us to go there and discuss about the things that we’re doing here in Idaho excites a lot of people,” Pittman said. “We try to find players that may slip through the cracks or be unnoticed and they’ve been able to come here and be fantastic.”
Pittman said last year was a prime example of how young players from California have become successful Vandals. Freshman Amanda Poertner of Fullerton won Big Sky’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
“Those players are proving they can come here and make an impact right away,” Pittman said. “We fully expect the same opportunity for the five kids from California.”
The Vandals will have nine seniors on their fall roster compared to just one last season.
“We needed to prepared now for their departure in nine months,” Pittman said. “We expect these young players to come in and challenge for playing time right away. It’s going to bode well for the future of our program moving forward.”
Luis Torres can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @TheLTFiles