Women's Soccer Inks Seven in 2024 Recruiting Class

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's soccer team will enter the 2024 season as the three-time defending Patriot League champion, and now head coach Kelly Cook has signed seven newcomers who will help bolster the team's title defense both on and off the field.

Joining the Bison next fall will be twin sisters Bella and Katie Connell from West Vancouver, British Columbia; Leah DeLaurentiis from Fairfield, Conn.; Reese Dolan from Monroe, N.Y.; Ava Palladino from Shemong, N.J.; Presley Sutter from Darien, Conn.; and Louisa Thomsen from Waterbury Center, Vt.

"My staff and I are very excited about this class," said Cook, who has guided the Bison to five conference titles in her nine years at the helm. "I think this has the potential to be an impact class that will bring the athleticism and technical quality that we are looking for while also developing into future leaders of the program. We have had incredible leadership and culture within our team, and this group will add and enhance what has been built. We are adding seven great people to our Bison Athletics community, and I can't wait to start working with them next fall."

This class covers a variety of positions on the field, from goalkeeper to striker, as the Bison will look to replace five graduating seniors, four of whom were starters. That includes two-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Jenna Hall and First Team All-Patriot League center back Brooke Tracey.

Here is a closer look at Bucknell's six 2022 newcomers:

Bella Connell
West Vancouver, British Columbia/Collingwood School/Mountain United FC

Personal/High School: Born Dec. 20, 2006 … daughter of Grant and Sarah Connell … twin sister, Katie, is also joining the Bucknell women's soccer team in 2024 … also has three older siblings, Madison, Cooper, and Charlotte … father was a two-time tennis All-American at Texas A&M, played in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, and was a three-time Wimbledon finalist and an Australian Open finalist in doubles … he won 22 doubles titles on the ATP Tour and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1993 … Madison played field hockey at Stanford … Cooper plays hockey at Bentley … grandfather, Alex Cooper, sailed for Bermuda in the 1972 Olympics … member of the Class of 2024 at Collingwood School in West Vancouver, where she played both soccer and field hockey … varsity soccer MVP and captain … 2024 field hockey captain … helped lead team to BC provincial championship and Canadian national championship.

Kelly Cook Says: "Bella brings an attacking style to our midfield group, with great vision and technical ability. She is exceptional on set pieces, and she brings a ton of creativity. She's a true playmaker."

Katie Connell
West Vancouver, British Columbia/Collingwood School/Mountain United FC

Personal/High School: Born Dec. 20, 2006 … daughter of Grant and Sarah Connell … twin sister, Bella, is also joining the Bucknell women's soccer team in 2024 … also has three older siblings, Madison, Cooper, and Charlotte … father was a two-time tennis All-American at Texas A&M, played in the 1988 and 1996 Olympics, and was a three-time Wimbledon finalist and an Australian Open finalist in doubles … he won 22 doubles titles on the ATP Tour and was ranked No. 1 in the world in 1993 … Madison played field hockey at Stanford … Cooper plays hockey at Bentley … grandfather, Alex Cooper, sailed for Bermuda in the 1972 Olympics … member of the Class of 2024 at Collingwood School in West Vancouver, where she played both soccer and field hockey … two-time all-star in both sports … varsity soccer MVP and two-time provincial Golden Boot winner … helped lead team to BC provincial championship and Canadian national championship.

Kelly Cook Says: "Katie comes in as a forward who is exceptional on the ball and is very crafty in 1v1 situations. She strikes the ball well and just has a knack for scoring goals. She plays with a certain finesse, and that combined with her high-level technical ability makes her very effective in tight situations."

Leah DeLaurentiis
Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe H.S./Connecticut FC ECNL

Personal/High School: Born Jan. 20, 2006 in Bridgeport, Conn. … parents are Dorian and Kristen DeLaurentiis … has two sisters, Ava and Lauren … four-year varsity letterwinner at Fairfield Ludlow H.S. … captained the team as a senior … two-time First Team All-FCIAC selection and one-time Second Team All-FCIAC honoree … also played with Connecticut Football Club, the same club that produced recent Bison stars Jenna Hall and Brooke Tracey along with fellow recruit Presley Sutter … earned First Team All-New England Conference honors at the U15, U16, and U17 levels … helped the team to the ECNL Champions League Round of 16 in 2023 … team won the ECNL New England Conference title and the Jefferson Cup in 2021 …

Kelly Cook Says: "Leah is a center back who is just a tremendous competitor. She brings a great work rate has terrific defensive instincts both 1v1 and off the ball. She's a very well-rounded player who will be an exciting addition to our back line."

Reese Dolan
Monroe, N.Y./Monroe Woodbury H.S./Force FC ECNL

Personal/High School: Born June 21, 2006 in New York … daughter of John and Lisa Dolan … has an older brother, Jack … father played football at UAlbany … competed in soccer and track & field at Monroe Woodbury H.S. … captained the soccer team as a senior goalkeeper, helping her team win the Section IX title and advance to the state Class AAA final team finished the year ranked No. 2 in New York Class AAA … team also won a sectional title and advanced to the state semifinals in 2022 ... team co-MVP ... earned First Team All-State honors … named to New York Section IX Select All-Section and All-Class teams … named to 2023 United Soccer Coaches High School All-East Region Team … in track & field was part of a 4x400 relay that won a Section IX title in 2020 and qualified for states in 2021 ... part of an indoor 4x400 relay team that competed at Championship New Balance Nationals … played club soccer for Force FC, which has been ranked as high as fifth nationally … helped team win USYS National League New York State Cup titles in 2021 and 2023, along with a berth in the finals in 2022 … club was an Eastern Regional finalist in June 2023 and a qualifier for the Nationals Tournament later in the summer.

Kelly Cook Says: "Reese is an extremely athletic goalkeeper with a great work rate. She has the ability to make big saves, she is a strong communicator, and her distribution is good. We are excited to have her join our goalkeeper group."

Ava Palladino
Shamong, N.J./Seneca H.S./PDA South ECNL

Personal/High School: Born Dec. 16, 2005 … parents are Mark and Melissa Palladino … has an older brother, Mark, who played soccer at TCNJ … father played soccer at Virginia Tech … two-year team captain who helped lead Seneca H.S. to back-to-back South Jersey sectional titles … three-time New Jersey All-State selection … also earned All-South Jersey and All-Olympic Conference recognition … named MVP of South Jersey Group 2 playoffs by NJ.com … ranked among the Top 20 players in New Jersey by the NJ Coaches Association in 2023 ... named a Top-10 Freshman in New Jersey in 2020 … set her school's single-season (29) and career (69) goal-scoring records ... 29 goals in 2023 led the Olympic Conference and South Jersey ... also holds records for total points in a season (67) and career (159) … led the South Jersey group in goals as a senior … played club soccer with PDA South ECNL, leading the team in scoring twice … First Team All-ECNL North-Atlantic honoree.

Kelly Cook Says: "Ava plays on the outside, either up top or in the back. She is a left-footed player with great speed, and she plays with a ton of grit and tenacity. She can score goals, get services into the box, and really stretch the opposing defense. She is also an excellent 1v1 defender, so she is very effective in a number of different roles."

Presley Sutter
Darien, Conn./Darien H.S./Connecticut FC ECNL

Personal/High School: Born Jan. 17, 2006 in Manhattan Beach, Calif. … daughter of Chris and Diane Sutter … has two sisters, Reese and Lilly … Reese played soccer at Penn … father played baseball at Washington … team captain and three-time All-FCIAC selection at Darien H.S. … team was co-FCIAC champion in 2021 and FCIAC Tournament semifinalist in 2023… also played with Connecticut Football Club, the same club that produced recent Bison stars Jenna Hall and Brooke Tracey along with fellow recruit Leah DeLaurentiis … top goal-scorer on the team in 2020 and 2021 … two-time All-ECNL New England selection … named ECNL Player to Watch in 2021-22 … helped the team to the ECNL Champions League Round of 16 in 2023 … team won the ECNL New England Conference title and the Jefferson Cup in 2021.

Kelly Cook Says: "Presley is a striker who is very strong with her back to goal. She can hold the ball up and distribute, or she can spin and create for herself. She has a big shot and is also a strong presence in the air."

Louisa Thomsen
Waterbury Center, Vt./Loomis Chaffee School (Conn.)/FSA FC ECNL

Personal/High School: Born Feb. 19, 2005 in Burlington, Vt. … parents are Lorne and Alexandra Thomsen … has two older brothers, Jack and Gavin … father and grandfather (Len Thomsen) both played lacrosse at Princeton … grandfather Robert Harding played soccer at Harvard … earned five varsity letters in both soccer and ice hockey at Harwood Union H.S. in Vermont and then at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Conn. … captained the soccer team in 2023 and was an All-State and All-NEPSAC selection in 2022 … Vermont All-State and All-League selection in 2020 and 2021 … Burlington Free Press All-Star in 2021 … in hockey was the Vermont D2 Girls Player of the Year in 2021 and an All-State selection in 2020 and 2021 … helped lead Loomis Chaffee to the NEPSAC Class A semifinals in 2022 and Harwood to the Vermont D2 state finals in 2019 … recorded more than 100 points in three seasons of hockey at Harwood Union, setting single-season assists and points records … played club soccer for FSA FC ECNL … 2023 ECNL Second Team All-Conference … lived in Spain in second grade and played on an all-boys soccer team and for the FC Barcelona youth hockey team.

Kelly Cook Says: "Louisa will most likely play in the midfield but could also play up top if needed. She is very skillful and brings a great mix of technical ability and athleticism. She is very strong on the ball, which means she can take players 1v1 and create opportunities for herself and others."

Women's Soccer Inks Seven in 2024 Recruiting Class

Players Mentioned

Jenna Hall

Brooke Tracey

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