Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Soccer Recruiting Class Earns High Marks from SoccerBuzz
5/7/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
May 7, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's incoming women's soccer recruiting class for the 2007 season was recognized recently by SoccerBuzz as the best in the Patriot League and ranked among the strongest in the Mid-Atlantic region. The Bison were tabbed No. 1 out of the six PL schools that have released their lists of newcomers, with Navy and Lehigh rounding out the top three, while Bucknell head coach Ben Landis' group of eight recruits received a No. 16 rating regionally out of 47 teams.
"Anytime we receive recognition as the best in our conference, especially in the ultra-competitive arena of recruiting, it is a tremendous accomplishment," said Landis. "We feel that each of these players has the ability, competitive nature and experience in championship environments to positively impact our team. The true mark of a recruiting class is best measured after their four-year careers and the work to put our entire team together to achieve our collective maximum potential begins when we convene for our preseason in mid-August as we will work to capture the PL Tournament Championship."
Amanda Citron, Kelliann Doherty, Julianne Harris, Caitlin Holtz, Kelsey Johnson, Christa Matlack, Brooke Stokes and Rosemary Walker comprise the solid group that will join the Orange and Blue this year from California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Doherty is a two-time all-state selection and was the Philly Inquirer Player of the Year in 2006. Holtz, Citron and Johnson all were members of ODP state teams, while Walker played club soccer for the ACC Mavericks out of Oakland, Calif. All three recruits from Pennsylvania won state titles during their high school careers, Harris and Stokes with their respective club teams and Matlack was part of a high school state championship at South Williamsport.
With the addition of these newcomers, the Bison will look to build off a successful 2006 campaign that saw the squad capture a share of the Patriot League regular season title and equal program bests for overall and league win totals with a record of 12-5-1, 6-1-0 PL. The Orange and Blue also posted the highest winning percentage in program history at .735 and were ranked in the final NSCAA and SoccerBuzz Mid-Atlantic regional polls.
Bucknell will kick off its 2007 season with a match against Sacred Heart at the Yale Tournament in New Haven, Conn., on Friday, Aug. 31, at 5 p.m. On Sunday, Sep. 9, the Bison will play their first contest at the newly-completed West Fields complex on Varsity Soccer Field against Maryland-Baltimore County at 2 p.m.
