EVANSVILLE — After earning a third consecutive berth into the Missouri Valley Conference Championship match in 2016, head coach Krista McKendree has already started her reloading efforts, signing eight newcomers for next fall.
"I am thrilled to be adding eight extremely high-character individuals to our program," McKendree said. "I am thankful for the work my staff put in evaluating and building relationships with these young women. I feel confident that we are adding skilled players that will have the ability to help push our team forward. These student-athletes will be good ambassadors for our program and they exemplify what we are striving to do in all aspects. Academically, this is one of our strongest incoming classes, and I'm happy to welcome them to the Aces family."
Of the eight incoming freshman, four hail from the state of Indiana, including a local product in Castle's Katie Schroeder. A four-time letter-winner for the Knights, Schroeder was frequently considered among the top players in the Tri-State, twice earning first-team all-state honors. A two-time Metro Player of the Year, she racked up 49 goals with 24 assists in 75 career games with Castle.
Karsyn Kleinrichert, an all-state honoree in her own right, will join the team from Bishop Dwenger High School in Ft. Wayne. A forward, Kleinrichert was a two-time all-conference honoree and led the school to three consecutive league championships. She also played on the club level for Ft. Wayne United.
Michaela Till was a two-time all-state goalkeeper for Avon High School, and she especially excelled as a senior with 14 wins and nine shutouts. She also took home the 2016 State Cup as well as a national cup in 2015 with FC Pride.
The final hoosier in the squad is another goalkeeper in Chandler Edwards. A Terre Haute native, she posted six shutouts as a senior with Guerin Catholic High School, helping her team to a sectional final win over state powerhouse Carmel. She also earned a spot on the Academic All-State squad. On the club level, she saved 16 shots in the State Cup with Indiana Fire Juniors.
The duo of Annabelle Hopper and Taran McMillan will be joining the squad out of Ohio.
Hopper was a three-year letter-winner for Ursuline Academy, earning all-conference honors. On the club level, she helped Kings Hammer Academy to a State Cup title and a spot in the regional semifinals.
McMillan, meanwhile, starred in the midfield for Centerville High School in suburban Dayton. A three-year letter-winner for the Elks, she was a two-time all-conference honoree and earned a spot on the Dayton all-star team. She was also a two-year member of the Olympic Development Program region team.
Emily Olson will make the trip to Evansville from Hinsdale, Ill., where she was an all-conference honoree for Maine South High School, leading the team to a regional championship in the process. On the club level, she was a regular starter for Sockers FC and helped the team claim a North American Cup.
The final member of the initial class is Morgan Blair, who joins UE after teaming with current Ace Montana Portenier at FC London. The team, which was in its inaugural campaign last summer, won the League 1 championship, going 14-2-0. Blair was also a member of the provincial league champs in 2015, and represented Ontario in an international event in France.
UE, which will begin its spring season later this month, will get started with the 2017 regular season in August.
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