Ten international signings to watch in 2016

Ten international signings to watch in 2016
by Travis Clark
February 11, 2016

International recruits continue to make a huge impact in women’s college soccer.

Look no further than last fall's TopDrawerSoccer.com Freshman of the Year: Irish midfielder Megan Connolly, who enjoyed a tremendous season for Florida State in 2015.

As 2016 classes become official, plenty of international names dot various rosters around the country. Here’s a look at 10 players to keep an eye who have recently signed their National Letters of Intent.

M Andrea Ran Snaefeld Hauksdottir, South Florida

International players have enjoyed success for the Tampa program before, and Hauksdottir is one of four additions from outside the United States. An extensive veteran of Icelandic youth national teams, she's made appearances for the U17 and U19 squads over the past four years.

F Bel Van Noorden, Pittsburgh

Pitt made extensive strides last season, albeit unable to really climb the table in the ACC. Van Noorden is one of their intriguing additions who comes all the way from the Southern Hemisphere. A New Zealand youth international, she’s a striker who stands at 5-foot-10, certainly indicating that she should have the physicality to match up against ACC defenses.

Bel van noorden new zealandBel Van Noorden

“Bel is another late addition to the class,” Pitt head coach Greg Miller said in a release. “She has had a good deal of national team experience playing for her home country, New Zealand, including competing in a U20 World Cup. She is an extremely mature young woman with great size, talent, and ability in front of goal. She gives us a presence up front we don’t currently have right now, and we look forward to the impact she’ll have.”

D Julia Ekholm, UCF

Along with the normal stable of American talent, UCF have tabbed three players from abroad, including France, Finland, and Ekholm from Sweden. The defender’s pedigree stands out slightly more than the other two, as she played for Sweden’s U19 at the European Championships in Israel and is an intriguing player to watch this fall.

M Julia De Angelis, Indiana

The rate of Aussies heading over to the States for college soccer continues to increase, and De Angelis is one of the contingent making the long trip from Down Under. A midfielder from Canberra who competed in the W-League for Canberra United, she’s also a veteran of the Australian U20 WNT and U17 WNT.

M Alzbeta Chlumova, Tulsa

A recent addition to Tulsa’s recruiting class, Chlumova’s interesting because of her origin – it’s rare to see players from the Czech Republic make it across the Atlantic. The captain of the Czech Republic’s U19 women’s national team, Chlumova’s success – or lack thereof – could end up paving the way for more players from her country to seek soccer opportunities over here.

M Caitlin Cantrill, LSU

There’s a long tradition of international talent heading to LSU, and Cantrill is one of the latest after joining up with the Tigers in 2016. An attack-minded midfielder who has excelled for various youth national teams as well as Canberra United, her addition to LSU in the spring is certainly going to be a boost as the team seeks to build on its NCAA Tournament appearance last fall.

F Demi Koulizakis, Texas Tech

Another Australian youth international, Koulizakis is a native of the Sydney region, having played for the Western Sydney Wanderers prior to making the move to Lubbock. The loss of Janine Beckie is sure to open the door for Koulizakis to take her experience and insect it into the starting lineup from day one of her college career.

"We are excited for the depth of experience she will bring to our locker room and our team," Texas Tech head coach Tom Stone said in a release. "Demi is a dynamic dribbler and passer and obviously can score. She has played most of her career as an attacker. We are excited to bring Demi out here and we can't wait to see what sort of player we can help her become. I think she has aspirations well beyond college and we are excited to help her achieve those goals. Her time in the international arena will help her transition to college soccer."

M Ricarda Walkling, NC State

Coming off a winless season in the ACC, NC State’s recruiting class included two players from Bayern Munich, Walkling and defender Kristina Schuster. Walkling is a veteran of the German U16 and U17 national teams, and can stake a claim on a starting role this fall.

“Ricci will make an immediate impact in our midfield,” NC State head coach Tim Santoro said in a release. “She claimed a spot in the first team of one of the world’s best clubs at such a young age and is a major part of the German National Team program. It will be fun for everyone to see this type of player at NC State and in the ACC.”

GK Rylee Foster, West Virginia

The graduation of Hannah Steadman in the Mountaineer goal is an opportunity for Foster, a veteran of the Canadian U20 and U17 national teams. She’s a strong candidate to feature at this year’s U20 World Cup after helping her team qualify for this year’s competition in Papua New Guinea.

D Chloe Froment, Long Beach State

While no official announcement has come from Long Beach State, Chloe Froment is listed on the team’s roster as a freshman. Given France’s ability to churn out players, the addition of the U19 French captain is a coup for the Big West side. Froment arrives in Long Beach after playing three years for the Olympique Lyonnais U19 as well as the youth national side of her home country.

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