Women’s college soccer used to be an upperclassman’s game. Freshmen especially were expected to patiently bide their time and wait for the old guard to pass before ascending to a regular place in the starting XI.

Those days are plainly over.

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The level of players issuing forth out of the girls club ranks these days is as high and deep as its ever been. College coaches have a dizzying array of talent to choose from, which translated over to quicker impacts on the field at the next level. Freshmen are being asked to fill ever larger roles, and it’s not a surprise as to why. They’re simply better than they’ve ever been.

These freshmen in particular could well have a massive impact on their teams’ respective seasons in 2017. And who knows, one could be hoisting a national title in December.