Four Former SoCal FC Players Drafted by NWSL Teams
LOS ANGELES – The NWSL held its 5th annual college draft, which took place at the NSCAA Convention in Downtown Los Angeles on Thurs., Jan. 12 . Four of the players selected have formerly played with SoCal FC.
Morgan Andrews was the first of the four to be drafted. She was the 3rd overall pick selected by the Boston Breakers. Andrews played with SoCal FC in 2015 and 2016. She was a WPSL All-Star in 2015.
After the draft she stated, “this day has always been in the back of my mind, I’ve always wanted to be a professional soccer player ever since I knew what soccer was. I’ve never had this type of energy, it’s really exciting.
“I’m ready for any challenge that Boston has for me,” she added. “It’s an exciting time. Looking at the picks we have, it’s exciting, and I will fight for a [starting] spot, but I’m going to do whatever the team needs from me.”
Darian Jenkins followed closely behind, going 7th overall to the North Carolina Courage. Jenkins played with SoCal FC in 2015 and 2016, and was an All-Star in 2015.
She thanked the Carolina Courage for their belief in her even though she is still coming back from an injury in the middle of her senior season with UCLA.
Sammy Jo Prudhomme was one of three goalkeepers selected with the first pick of the 4th round by the Boston Breakers. Prudhomme played in all but one match for SoCal FC over two seasons. She was a 2016 WPSL All-Star.
Lauren Kaskie was selected by the Chicago Red Stars later on in the 4th round as well. She played with SoCal FC during the 2015 WPSL season.
2018 BEST of the WPSL West Region Winners Unveiled
The WPSL announced on Monday, Aug. 13, that SoCal FC defender Ally Prisock was named the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year for the Coastal Conference, as voted on by other clubs.
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Women’s Premier Soccer League, the largest women’s soccer league in the world, has announced its 2018 Best of WPSL winners for the West Region.
WPSL champions Seattle Sounders Women highlight the list of winners for the West Region. The club received all four awards for the Northwest Conference. Georgia Cloepfil, who had two assists during the Sounders’ 3-1 victory against Pensacola FC during the WPSL Championship match, was named the Northwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
NORTHWEST REGION
Defensive Player of the Year: Jessica Udovich, Seattle Sounders Women (University of Washington)
Offensive Player of the Year: Georgia Cloepfil, Seattle Sounders Women (Macalester College, 2013)
Coach of the Year: Scott Ford*, Seattle Sounders Women
Franchise of the Year: Seattle Sounders Women*
COASTAL CONFERENCE
Defensive Player of the Year: Ally Prisock, SoCal FC (University of Southern California)
Offensive Player of the Year: Leah Pruitt, LA Villa FC (University of Southern California)
Coach of the Year: Will Lopez, LA Villa FC
Franchise of the Year: So Cal United FC
PAC SOUTH CONFERENCE
Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Staab, San Diego Parceiro Ladies (Clemson University)
Co-Offensive Players of the Year: Elissa Magracia, San Diego SeaLions (University of San Diego, 2011) and Makaela Thompson, LA Galaxy San Diego (MiraCosta College, 2016)
Coach of the Year: Amy Garelick, FC Tucson Women
Franchise of the Year: FC Tucson Women
PAC NORTH CONFERENCE
Defensive Player of the Year: Haley Lukas, San Ramon FC (California, Berkeley, 2017)
Offensive Player of the Year: Miranda Nild, San Francisco Nighthawks (California, Berkeley)
Coach of the Year: Jill Lounsbury, San Francisco Nighthawks
Franchise of the Year: Fresno FC Ladies
Clubs within the conference vote to determine the Best of WPSL winners. The remaining three regions will be announced throughout the week.
SoCal FC to Play Friendly Match Against FC Barcelona
Join us at Drake Stadium on the Campus of UCLA on Saturday, July 28th, at 10 AM to watch us take on FC Barcelona!
This match is FREE to attend! RSVP and register HERE for a chance to win two tickets to see the FC Barcelona men’s team take on Tottenham at the Rose Bowl!
Former SoCal FC players selected in the 2018 NWSL Draft
Two former SoCal FC team members were selected in the 2018 NWSL Draft held on Thursday morning at the United Soccer Coaches Convention (USC) taking place in Philadelphia. Midfielder Bri Visalli (’16, ‘17) and defender Zoey Goralski (’15, ‘16, ‘17) were drafted by the Chicago Red Stars in the second and third rounds, respectively.
Drafted 19th overall, Visalli led SoCal FC in goals (six) in 2017 before heading into her outstanding senior year at Pepperdine. She led the Waves and West Coast Conference (WCC) with 14 goals and 6 assists. She topped off her college career with All-West and All-WCC honors, was a MAC Herman Trophy semifinalist, WCC Player of the Year, was a USC second team All-American. Visalli has also earned called-ups to the U-23 USWNT and most recently trained with them earlier in January of 2018.
Goralski, a founding member of SoCal FC and WPSL Championship finalist in 2015, was drafted 27th overall. The Naperville, Ill. native will return home to play in front of a home crowd in her professional career. Goralski will join another college teammate and SoCal FC alumna, Lauren Kaskie (’15, ‘16), who was drafted by the Red Stars in 2017. As a Bruin, Goraliski won the College Cup in 2013, and captained the 2017 team, helping them to the College Cup final.
2017 SoCal FC Forward Alex Anthony Named Finalist For Senior CLASS Award
Alex Anthony, a SoCal FC forward for the 2017 season, has been named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. Alex is a driving force for the top-ranked Trojans, but she doesn't only stand out on the pitch; she's been hard at work off the field as a graduate student and active member of the community.
Click HERE to read all about Anthony’s outstanding work on the field, in the classroom, and in the community.
SoCal FC boasts a roster loaded with talent from top universities across the country as well as notable veterans of the game ahead of the team’s first game of the 2017 WPSL season against Beach FC on Sunday, May 21st, at 6:00 p.m. PT.
USC standouts Dominique Randle, Erika Okuma, Sydney Sladek, and England international Ashleigh Plumptre, who will be a sophomore in the fall, will take the field for SoCal this year. Randle will be playing her third consecutive WPSL season with SoCal FC while Okuma will be playing in her second. Additionally, Randle, Okuma, and Sladek were all part of the Trojans team that won the NCAA College Cup in 2016.
Joining them is UCLA’s Zoey Goralski, who is returning for her third-straight WPSL season with SoCal FC. Coming along with her are Teagan Micah, Gabrielle Matulich, Anika Rodriguez, and Hailie Mace.
Long Beach State’s Jessica Vincent and Tori Buda, who were both also SoCal FC teammates last year, will be returning for another shot at the WPSL title in 2017.
A quintet of Pepperdine Waves is also on SoCal FC’s roster this year. Bri Visalli will return for a second consecutive year along with Brielle Preece, Meghan Healy, Katy Byrne, and Danielle Thomas.
Dani Solaru, who just completed her freshman year at Auburn, will play a third consecutive WPSL season with SoCal FC.. Her older sister Sam Solaru, recent Auburn graduate, will be joining her.
Other current college student-athletes who will play for SoCal this year include 2015 team member Sarah Sanger from LMU, Boston’s McKenna Doyle, a standout for SoCal in 2016, UCI’s Reema Bzeih, a force in the back line for SoCal in 2016, and Cal State Fullerton’s Brooke Ligtenberg, who also played for SoCal in 2016.
Tara McKeown, who will attend USC in the fall, will return to SoCal this year, as previously announced.
Grace Cutler from West Virginia, Jocelyn Orejel from Colorado, Alex Best from Fresno State, and Courtney Assumma, a recent Pepperdine graduate, will be new members of the team in 2017.
Rounding out the roster are veterans Dyanne Anderson and Michelle Enyeart, who both have been with SoCal since 2015, alongside Autumn Altamirano, a USC alumna.
SoCal FC matches are free to attend. See the ‘Venue’ and ‘Schedule’ pages for more information regarding games. SoCal FC begins 2017 WPSL season play on Sunday, May 21st, at 6:00 p.m. PT against rival Beach FC.
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