Wildcats announce recruiting class for 2015

by TopDrawerSoccer
February 9, 2015

Head coach Michael Moynihan today announced the addition of 11 student-athletes to the Wildcats women’s soccer program on National Signing Day. The class is headlined by two players ranked among the Top-32 recruits in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer and five from the state of Illinois, and is ranked by TopDrawer as one of the 15 best in the country.

The 11 young women set to join Chicago’s Big Ten Team for the 2015 campaign are Michele Chernesky (Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein H.S.), Hannah Davison (Geneva, Ill./Geneva Community H.S.), Simmrin Dhaliwal (Surrey, BC, Canada/Panorama Ridge Secondary), Jenny Haskel (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge H.S.), Olivia Kornohen (Bethesda, Md./Maret School), Molly Lansford (Carrolton, Tex./Hebron H.S.), Brenna Lovera (Milford, Mich./Milford H.S.), Aspyn Repp (Lake Bluff, Ill./Loyola Academy), Kayla Sharples (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North H.S.), Kya Suzuki (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai Stevenson H.S.) and Marisa Viggiano (Macomb Township, Mich./Macomb Dakota H.S.)

••••••

Michele Chernesky
Midfield – 5’7
Wauconda, Ill./Mundelein H.S.

Before Northwestern: Represented Mundelein High School as a freshman, junior and senior … Playeed her club soccer with Sockers FC … Earned All-State, All-Conference, All-Academic and Daily Herald All-Area honors … Member of the 2011 & 2014 Illinois Olympic Development Program Girls 97 State Team … Selected for 2014 Illinois ODP Regional Holdover Camp 97 Team … Netted eight goals and ten assists during her junior campaign at Mundelein … Selected Northwestern over Xavier University … National Honor Society member … Parents Tom & Linda … Anticipated major is undecided.

••••••

Hannah Davison
Defender – 5’8
Geneva, Ill./Geneva Community H.S.

Before Northwestern: Ranked as the No. 32 recruit in the nation by TopDrawer Soccer … Player her club soccer for the Eclipse Select Soccer Club from 2010-2015, with future Northwestern teammates Kayla Sharples & Aspyn Repp … 2014 U18 & U19 Illinois State Club champion … Ranked No. 3 regionally and No. 30 nationally in 2015 Girls IMG Academy Player Pool … 2012 United States National Team Training Pool … 2014 & 2011 National Finalist with Eclipse … 2013 Disney Showcase champion … 2011 Region II champion … 2011 Illinois State Cup champion … 2011 Dallas Cup champion … 2011-13 All-Conference honoree in track & field … Illinois state finalist in the triple jump … School record holder in the triple jump (37’4.25”) and 4x100m relay (49.56) … 2011-13 Academic All-Conference … 2011-14 High Honor Roll recipient … Spanish National Honor Society … Selected Northwestern over Michigan, Boston College and Kentucky … Parents Steve & Therese … Sister Stephanie played collegiate soccer at Regis University … Plans to study Biological Sciences or Psychology.

••••••

Simmrin Dhaliwal
Defender – 5’5
Surrey, British Columbia, Canada/Panorama Ridge Secondary

Before Northwestern: Played her club soccer for Whitecaps FC Girls Elite and represented her country for the Canadian National Team … 2014 Whitecaps FC Most Promising Player … U17 Canadian Women’s National Team Player of the Year nominee … Started for Canada in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica … Won silver medal at CONCACAF qualifying tournament … Playing as an underage athlete, represented the British Columbia Provincial Team from U13 to U16 … Won gold medal for Team British Columbia at the Canada Summer Games in Quebec … Won gold at the Gothia Youth World Cup in Sweden … Honor Roll student … Selected Northwestern over Wisconsin, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Memphis and Utah … Parents Gurvinder & Gurmeet … Plans to study Biological Sciences.

••••••

Jenny Haskel
Defender/Midfield – 5’4
Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge H.S.

Before Northwestern: Played four seasons of varsity soccer for Ridge High School … Netted 24 goals and 23 assists in her career … Led Ridge to an undefeated league slate as 2014 Skyland Conference Champions … Two-time Group IV State Finalists … Two-time Sectional Champion 2014 High School All-American (did not participate due to injury) … 2014 Team MVP … 2014 First Team All-TriState … 2012-14 First Team All-State … 2012-14 First Team Courier News All-Area … 2012-14 First Team Star Ledger All-Somerset County … 2011 New Jersey Star-Ledger Top Freshman … Played six years of club soccer with Players Development Academy where she competed against future Northwestern teammates Hannah Davison, Kyla Sharples and Aspyn Repp … Two appearances (2012-13) in the ECNL National Semifinals … National Honor Society … AP Scholar with Honors … National Society of High School Scholars … Selected Northwestern over Virginia, Yale and Richmond … Parents Bill & Amy … Brother Tommy played collegiate soccer at Amherst College … Plans to study Journalism.

••••••

Olivia Korhonen
Midfield – 5’3
Bethesda, Md./Maret School

Before Northwestern: Played four seasons of varsity soccer for the Maret School, leading the team in scoring all four years … Netted 37 goals during her scholastic career … 2014 All-State honoree … Four-time All-League recipient …Team MVP all four seasons … Led her team to an 11-5-1 mark as a senior and a spot in the All-City Semifinals … Played six years of club soccer with VSA Heat 96 Blue … 2014 USYSA U17 National Championship finalist 2014 USYSA National Championship Best 11 honoree… 2013 USYSA National Championship finalist (playing with VSA 94) … 2013 Virginia State Cup champions … Also played two seasons of varsity lacrosse for Maret … Chose Northwestern over Davidson and Lehigh … Parents Esko & Jane are both graduates of the Kellogg School of Management … Brother is a Northwestern undergraduate … Anticipated major in Weinberg is Undecided.

••••••

Molly Lansford
Goalkeeper – 6’0
Carrolton, Tx./Hebron H.S.

Before Northwestern: Played four years of varsity soccer for Hebron High School … Two-time team captain … 2014 5A Girls State Tournament MVP & All-Tournament Team Stopped 2 penalty kicks in the 5A Area Finals and another two to lead her team to victoty in the 5A State Championship Game … Backstopped the Hawks to an undefeated district season and a No. 3 ranking in the nation … Team won its final 22 contests… 2013 & 2014 District 5-5A Goalkeeper of the Year … 2013 & 2014 District 5-5A First Team All-District … MVP of the 2012 Dr. Pepper Pink Tournament … Played club soccer from 2012-15 with D’Feeters 97 … Qualified for the 3024 ECNL Champions League Tournament … Competed for three years on the Hebron varsity track & field team in the shotput and discus … Three-time track team captain … 2013 District 5-5A area qualifier in shotput … National Honor Society … Graduated among the Top-4% of her high school class … Chose Northwestern over Texas A&M … Parents Mark & Michelle … Anticipated major is Engineering.

••••••

Brenna Lovera
Forward/Midfield – 5’8
Milford, Mich./Milford H.S.

Before Northwestern: Played varsity soccer as a freshman at Milford High School … Member of the 2014 Olympic Development Program (ODP) Region II Team … 2013 ODP National Training Camp and National Championship … 2010 & 2012-15 ODP Michigan State Team … Played club soccer for Michigan Hawks ECNL with future Northwestern teammate Marisa Viggiano and Michigan Jaguars FC, competing against future teammates Hannah Davison, Kayla Sharples and Aspyn Repp … 2014 ECNL Championship Tournament … Selected to the 2014 ECNL National Finals ‘Best 11’ … 2012 Michigan State Cup champions (runner-up in 2013, semifinalists in 2014) … Also lettered in basketball, cross country and track & field at Milford … Mavericks posted undefeated track seasons in 2013 & 2014, along with District and Conference titles in both seasons… National Honor Society … AP Scholar … 2014 & 2015 DECA District winner … Chose Northwestern over Michigan, Michigan State, Miami (OH), Dayton and Cincinnati … Parents John & Pam … Has five older siblings (Alaina, Daniel, Andrew, Amanda and Steven) who all graduated from Big Ten universities … Anticipated major is Business or Biomedical Engineering.

••••••

Aspyn Repp
Midfielder – 5’4
Lake Bluff, Ill./Loyola Academy

Before Northwestern:Played six seasons of club soccer (U13-U18) with Eclipse Select alongside future Northwestern teammates Hannah Davison and Kayla Sharples … 2014 U18 State Cup champion … 2014 ECNL U17 national finalist … 2014 ECNL U17 Midwest Conference champions … 2012 ECNL U15 Midwest champions … 2011 U14 national finalist … 2011 U14 State Cup champion and Region II champion … Illinois State Scholar … National Honor Society … Loyola Scholar … Parents Gordon & Kim … Father was an All-American swimmer at Western Illinois … Mother was on the national speed skating team … Grandmother was a professional figure skater … Anticipated major is Economics.

••••••

Kayla Sharples
Defender – 5’11
Naperville, Ill./Naperville North H.S.

Before Northwestern: Started at center back as a freshman for the 24-1-2 Class 3A Illinois state champions, surrendering only 10 goals in 27 games while scoring five of her own … 2012 First Team All-Conference … High school teammate of current Wildcats Jen Korn and Maria Grygleski … 2009-12 Olympic Development Program State Team … 2011-13 ODP Region II Team … 2012 National Development Camp participant … Played six seasons of club soccer for Eclipse Select with future Northwestern teammates Hannah Davison and Aspyn Repp, competing against future Wildcats teammates Grace Orndorff, Michele Chernesky, Jenny Haskel, Brenna Lovera and Marisa Viggiano … 2014 ECNL National Finalists … 2014 U18 State Cup champions … 2013 U19 State Cup champions (while playing U17) … 2013 Disney Cup champions … 2012 ECNL Midwest champions … 2011 Region II Champions and National Finalists … 2011 Illinois State Cup champions … 2011 Dallas Cup champions … Also played four seasons of basketball at Naperville North, scoring more than 1,600 as a four-year starter … Averaged 18.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.3 steals as a senior captain for the Huskies … 2012 Naperville Sun All-Area Freshman of the Year … 2014 & 2015 Team MVP … Named to 2012-14 Daily Herald Top-12 Girls Basketball Players In DuPage County Chose … 2014 All-State Honorable Mention … National Honor Society … Spanish Honor Society … 2014-15 Illinois State Scholar … Northwestern over Illinois, Michigan, Iowa and Boston College … Parents Matthew & Michele … Father played basketball at the University of Chicago … Older brother Connor attends Northwestern … Uncle rowed crew at Harvard University … Anticipated major is Communciation Studies.

••••••

Kya Suzuki
Midfield – 5’3
Buffalo Grove, Ill./Adlai Stevenson H.S.

Before Northwestern: Played four seasons of varsity soccer for Stevenson High School, serving as a team captain … Played club soccer for Barrington FCX, which finished fourth in Illinois in 2014 … National Honor Society … Gold Honor Roll … IHSA Academic Honors … AP Scholar with distinction … Parents Satoru & Sania … Father is a professor in the Northwestern Psychology and Interpersonal Neuroscience departments … Anticipated major is undecided.

••••••

Marisa Viggiano
Midfield – 5’4
Macomb Township, Mich./Macomb Dakota H.S.

Before Northwestern: Ranked as the No. 25 recruit in the nation and the No. 5 recruit in the Great Lakes Region by TopDrawerSoccer … 2015 U.S. Women’s U20 Youth National Team Player Pool … Played three seasons of club soccer for Michigan Hawks ECNL with future Northwestern teammate Brenna Lovera, competing against future teammates Hannah Davison, Kayla Sharples and Aspyn Repp … Hawks ranked Top-10 nationally in 2014 … National Honor Society … Parents Tom & Lisa …Father played ice hockey at Kent State University and was inducted into the KSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013 … Sister Natalie won 2014 U14 National Championship with Michigan Hawks ECNL … Anticipated major is Biological Sciences.

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