Alumni

RAGE Alumna Lexi Romero Earns All-MW Conference Honors

2019-12-11T19:13:50-08:00November 11th, 2019|

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.- Three individual Air Force women’s soccer players have earned All-Mountain West Conference post-season honors, the conference announced Monday, Nov. 4 following a vote from the conference’s head coaches. Freshman Lexi Romero has been named both the Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, while also being named to the All-Conference First Team and the All-Newcomer Team. In addition, junior defender Alex Giggie was tabbed on the All-Conference Second Team, while freshman defender Kayla Milford was also named to the All-Newcomer Team.

Romero is the first Falcon to earn MW Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors, and the second Falcon to earn a Player of the Year honor all-time, the first since Tracy Healy was the Colorado Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1995. She is also the fifth Falcon to be named a Newcomer of the Year, and the first since Jennifer Rowland in 2001 (MW). The other three were Kari James (MW, 1999), Stephanie Rader (WAC, 1996) and Dolly Pasini (CAC, 1993). Romero is also just the second player in MW history to earn both awards, the other being Wyoming’s Kaitlyn Lomsnes in 2014.

Meanwhile, Giggie earns her second All-Conference honor after being named to the All-Newcomer team as a freshman in 2017. This is Milford’s first All-Conference honor. The three All-Conference honorees marks the third time in the last four season’s AF has had three players recognized.

For Romero, the awards cap off what was a historic debut for the freshman as a Falcon. She led the conference in total goals (14), total points (33), goals per game (.82), and points per game (1.94), while ranking second in game winning goals (6). Nationally, she is in the top-20 in all of those categories, including 12th in total goals, 17th in total points, 13th in goals per game, 14th in points per game, and 10th in game winning goals. She is also the only freshman with at least 14 goals and 33 points in the NCAA this season.

She also had the best offensive season in program history, breaking long-standing singe season records in total goals, total points, and game winning goals. All were previously held by Healy and set back in 1993 and 1994.

Giggie was one of the leaders of a strong Air Force defensive back line this season. The junior started all 18 games and played the most minutes of any position player, totaling 1,521. She aided on seven Air Force shutouts, which was the most for the Falcons since 2010 and ranked fifth in the conference. She was also Air Force’s primary set piece taker on free kicks and corner kicks. This led her to score a goal, the game winner against Siena, and have four assists for a total of six points.

Milford led all freshman for Air Force with 1,409 minutes played after starting in all 18 games. While helping lead the efforts on AF’s seven shutouts, she also scored a goal and tallied an assist. In addition, six of her seven shots were on net for a SOG percentage of 86 percent. Milford is the fourth consecutive Falcon defender to be named to the All-Newcomer team after Kasey Stavig in 2016, Giggie in 2017, and Keelyn Osoba in 2018.

The efforts of these three players and their teammates helped lead Air Force to one of its best season’s in program history, finishing 10-7-1 (5-6 MW). The 10 wins are the most since 1999, while the .583 winning percentage is the best in the Division I era (since 1996). The five conference wins was also a program record in the Mountain West era (since 1999). In addition, the 36 team goals scored is the most since 2000 and third-most all-time.

2019 Mountain West Individual Awards
Offensive Player of the YearLexi Romero, Fr., F, Air Force
Defensive Player of the Year: Kristen Amarikwa, Sr., D, San José State
Newcomer of the YearLexi Romero, Fr., F, Air Force
Coach of the Year: Bill Hempen, Colorado State

2019 Mountain West Women’s Soccer All-Conference First Team
Name                           Class    Position            Team
Lexi Romero                 Fr.        F                      Air Force
Aubree Chatterton         Jr.        F                      Boise State
McKenna Kynett           Sr.        MF                   Boise State
Raimee Sherle              Sr.        F                      Boise State
Mikayla Schachtell        Sr.        D                      Boise State
Gracie Armstrong          So.       F                      Colorado State
Halley Havlicek             Sr.        D                      Colorado State
Caley Lordemann           Sr.        MF                   Colorado State
Gabi McDonald             So.       GK                    Colorado State
Jessie Hix                     Sr.        MF                   New Mexico
Chloe Frisch                  Jr.        MF                   San Diego State
Kristen Amarikwa          Sr.        D                      San José State

2019 Mountain West Women’s Soccer All-Conference Second Team
Name                           Class    Position            Team
Alex Giggie                   Jr.        D                      Air Force
Sydney Smith                So.       GK                    Boise State
Jacqui Hand                  So.       F                      Colorado College
Addie Wright                 Jr.        D                      Colorado State
Megan Amick                Jr.        D                      Fresno State
Ele Avery                      Jr.        F                      Fresno State
Leilani Baker                Jr.        F                      New Mexico
Jadyn Edwards              So.       MF                   New Mexico
Alexa Kirton                  Jr.        D                      New Mexico
Gwen Maly                    Jr.        F                      New Mexico
Sarah Broacha              Jr.        D                      San Diego State
Rachelle Elve                Fr.        F                      San Diego State
Laura Fuentes               So.       MF                   San Diego State
Karlee Pottorff              Jr.        D                      San José State
Ashley Cardozo              Jr.        MF                   Utah State
Amber Marshall             Jr.        MF                   Utah State

2019 Mountain West Women’s Soccer All-Newcomer Team
Name                           Class    Position            Team
Lexi Romero                  Fr.        F                      Air Force
Kayla Milford                Fr.        D                      Air Force
Gracie Armstrong           So.       F                      Colorado State
Kristen Noonan             So.       F                      Colorado State
Gabby Brown                 Fr.        MF                   Nevada
Rachelle Elve                Fr.        F                      San Diego State
Brooke Lisowski            Sr.        GK                    San Diego State
Sabrina Weinman          Fr.        MF                   San José State
Lourdes Bosch              Fr.        MF                   UNLV
Diera Walton                 Fr.        GK                    Utah State
Jamie Tatum                 Fr.        MF                   Wyoming

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Freshman Peyton Raun part of strong back line for Penn women’s soccer

2019-12-11T19:14:03-08:00October 3rd, 2019|

The rookie has helped fill void left by Camillia Nwokedi

At the start of the season, there was an open spot in Penn women’s soccer’s back four. Freshman Peyton Raun has fit right in.

Raun has made her way into the starting lineup, playing almost every minute of every game so far this season. In front of senior goalkeeper Kitty Qu, Raun has joined the likes of seniors Megan Lloyd and Laura Hamilton, as well as junior Jadyn Wilensky, in the back.

Right off the bat, Raun showed promise. Her preseason performance indicated that she would be ready to compete for the Quakers come the start of the season.

“Peyton is just unbelievably athletic. She covers so much ground. She’s fast and she has an engine. Sometimes that allows you to get away with a few more mistakes because you have that athletic ability. But not only that, she’s a competitor,” coach Nicole Van Dyke said. “I think she’s done a great job of coming in, staying focused, but at the same time trying to learn and grow.”

Raun has helped fill the void left by defender Camillia Nwokedi, who graduated from Penn after last season.

Throughout her career, Nwokedi played in 57 games, starting in 50 of them. In 2018, she was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year. Along with the rest of the defense, notably Qu, Nwokedi helped the Quakers to only allow five goals all season. It’s safe to say she was a staple of the defense.

Not only was Nwokedi an integral member of the back four, but the Quakers also pride themselves on having a very strong defensive style.

“I think that defense has always been the backbone of our team. It’s been a large part of our identity over the past four years now that I’ve been here. In terms of style, it hasn’t really changed that much,” Qu said. “It’s amazing this year that we have so much depth. I think that [our defense] doesn’t change that much when we have new players stepping in because everybody understands their role and everybody plays together really nicely, no matter who it is.”

Fortunately, Raun has shown that she is capable of maintaining this style.

“I think she has a lot of similarities athletically to Cami. However, she’s a very good soccer player. She can connect passes; she’s very precise on her long balls,” Van Dyke said. “She probably would like to go forward way more than we allow her to, and that’s something that we can grow into the position as she becomes more experienced and continues to learn our style and when that would be appropriate.”

Like 14 of her teammates, Raun is from California. A native of Pleasanton, she played for Pleasanton Rage ECNL for seven years. She also competed for her high school team for three years after taking her freshman year off.

“I just needed a break [to] figure out that I wanted to come back and play,” Raun said.

After her freshman year, Raun returned to soccer with a newfound excitement. It was the allure of a closely-bonded team that drew her to Penn and has helped her succeed in her first few games.

“[The first few games] have been so much fun actually. I love the competitive environment, and everyone’s so uplifting,” Raun said. “During the game, you make a mistake and instantly someone to my right or left is saying, ‘it’s ok, you got it next time,’ as well as just being surrounded by a competitive environment where I know anyone could come on the field and compete just as well as anyone who was already on the field. I think it’s important to be part of a team like that.”

As for what she has learned, Raun cites learning how to be a good teammate as the most important lesson. It’s clear that she has had a positive impact on the backfield as well.

“She gives us a calming presence back there. I think that she is able to settle us in the back a little bit. If the other team starts coming at us a little bit, she’s able to provide that calming presence,” Qu said. “She’s very quick; I think that helps a lot [in] the back. She’s able to close down space very quickly; she’s able to recover if we get countered. I think all those abilities contribute to how well she’s been playing.”

Now that the Quakers have progressed into Ivy play, Raun’s performance will be as important as ever. The Red and Blue will next play Cornell this Saturday at home.

[original article]

National Letter of Intent Signing Night – February 1, 2017

2017-02-14T22:16:52-08:00February 2nd, 2017|

2016 CIF State Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Sophia Brown!

2017-02-06T23:39:01-08:00May 4th, 2016|

Sophia Brown - 2016 CIF State Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year!

Sophia Brown – 2016 CIF State Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year!

The Board of Directors and Staff of Pleasanton RAGE are extremely pleased to feature U18 ECNL Goalkeeper Sophia Brown, the 2016 CIF State Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year!

The award is based on the highest level of academics, success as an athlete (ECNL RAGE soccer, Foothill High School varsity basketball, and varsity lacrosse), community service, and leadership.  Sophia has played for RAGE for 13 years and will attend Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where she will major in Aerospace Engineering and play Division 1 soccer. 

This honor is a repeat for the Brown family, as Sophia’s older sister, Phoebe, won the same award 4 years ago and will now graduate from Princeton University. 

Congratulations to the Brown family on a remarkable achievement!

http://cifstate.org/parents-students/awards_and_scholarships/2016_sa_winners

 

U-18 U.S. Women’s National Team Experience – Olivia Sekany

2017-02-06T23:39:01-08:00May 2nd, 2016|

_Olivia-Sekany1Last month I had the incredible experience of training with the U-18 U.S. Women’s National Team at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, California. I had been scouted by the National Team coaches at the ECNL event in San Diego, and received an invitation to attend the training camp two days after we returned from this event. I was extremely excited to receive this opportunity–wearing the U.S. soccer crest and representing our country is a privilege that very few players receive, and I am honored to be one of them.

We arrived in Carson on Saturday, April 16th, and the rigors of camp began almost immediately. We had a training session that evening to get our legs moving after a long day of travel. It was amazing to be playing with 25 of the best players in the nation, and to see their abilities as well as their dedication to the game in action. That night, we were given instructions regarding various forms of health and wellness monitoring that we would need to perform. Every morning we were required to fill out a survey regarding our level of soreness and fatigue, level of stress, our moods, and any injuries we may have had. Additionally, we were required to monitor our resting heart rates, as well as take part in daily weigh-ins and hydration tests. With the high volume and intensity of our training sessions, we had to ensure that we were properly caring for and preparing our bodies.

_Olivia-Sekany2Sunday morning we had fitness testing. We participated in four different fitness tests: a 20-yard sprint test, the arrowhead agility test, a vertical jump test, and the “Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test,” also known as the beep test. I did particularly well on the vertical jump test, with the third highest score on the team.

We had two training sessions a day–one in the morning and one in the evening. The other three goalkeepers and I began every session working with the goalkeeper coach until we were needed for drills with the rest of the team. The speed of play was very fast, and the sessions were extremely physical and competitive, which was a lot of fun for me. We also had team meetings every night to watch film, listen to scouting reports on our opponents, or talk about our plans for training the next day. The other goalkeepers and I would stay with the goalkeeper coach after the team meetings to watch film from our training sessions and analyze our technique. Some days, we also had extra training sessions while the field players rested.

_Olivia-Sekany3Over the course of the week, we played 2 games. On Tuesday we played Long Beach State University and tied them 2-2. On Friday, we played the U-17 Women’s National Team, who were also in camp that week in Carson. The U-17 WNT is preparing for the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan this Fall and have been in camp together and playing games fairly regularly, so it was a great opportunity for us to play a very skilled, well organized team. We ended up losing the game 2-1, but it was still a great experience.

I learned a lot when I was at camp, about the game and myself as a player. I am looking forward to hopefully being back in training camp with the National Team this summer. My goal is to travel with the team to Ireland in October to play in some international friendlies and earn my first cap!

Allie Rodriguez

2017-02-06T23:39:04-08:00February 2nd, 2015|

Univ. Of Oregon 4 year letter winner. 4 year All Academic PAC 12 Conference

allie_rodriguez

Seven Cougars, Rockwood receive top WCC honors

2017-02-06T23:39:04-08:00November 30th, 2014|

(Photo by BYU Creative Design/Dave Broberg)

(Photo by BYU Creative Design/Dave Broberg)

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Two BYU women’s soccer players and head coach Jennifer Rockwood earned individual league honors, while five others were named to All-WCC teams

Ashley Hatch earned WCC Co-Player of the Year honors. Annie Amos was named WCC Defender of the Year and Rockwood was named Co-Coach of the Year.

Michele Murphy, Niki Fernandes, Elena Medeiros, Bizzy Phillips and Taylor Campbell Isom also earned All-WCC honors from voting by the league’s head coaches.

Hatch was named WCC Co-Player of the Year along with Santa Clara’s Sofia Huerta. BYU’s sophomore forward scored 11 goals and made three assists in conference play. Hatch led the league in points with 25, while Huerta came in second with 18 from eight goals and two assists.

Amos earned WCC Defender of the Year honors as the lone returning starter on the defense this season. She helped the Cougars shut out 10 opponents from her center back position.

Rockwood was named WCC Co-Coach of the Year along with Pepperdine’s Tim Ward. Rockwood led the Cougars to a 7-1-1 record in conference and clinched the title with a week to go in the regular season. The award is her fifth conference coach of the year award and is the second since joining the West Coast Conference in 2011. Pepperdine finished third in the conference, but was a top 15 team in the nation for the length of the season.

Amos, Hatch and Murphy were selected to the All-WCC First Team. Murphy scored four goals and made five assists in conference play. Senior forward Fernandes, sophomore midfielder Medeiros and freshman midfielder Phillips were selected to the All-WCC Second Team and freshman defender Taylor Campbell Isom earned All-WCC Honorable Mention.

Phillips and Isom were both also named to the All-WCC Freshman Team.

The Cougars earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament thanks to their regular season title and will play in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 15, at noon MT in Boulder, Colorado against the Colorado Buffaloes. The match will be streamed on CUBuffs.com.

WCC ANNOUNCES 2014 WOMEN’S SOCCER ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

“My Life as a Soccer Player” RAGE Alumni, Carlee Holmoe (Payne)

2017-02-06T23:39:05-08:00October 10th, 2014|

“My Life as a Soccer Player”

RAGE Alumni, Carlee Holmoe (Payne)

www.carleefries.com

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Although soccer is “just a sport,” it has without a doubt shaped me into the person I am today. I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old. just a little mini Carlee. the first couple years, I was the littlest girl on the field, running around chasing butterflies while my pig tails bounced around. my parents cheered me on and were so proud when I just touched the ball. something clicked when I was about 8 years old. and when I say something clicked, I mean my competitive spirit. I all of a sudden wanted to win every game. I didn’t want girls to be better than me (even if we were on the same team

As I got older I understood the game more and I found what my strengths (and weaknesses) were. not to mention, I had the best coach and mentor. I credit Philippe Blin (and my parents) for most of the success that I have had in soccer. I played for a club team called Pleasanton Rage. that obnoxious orange team that stood out at tournaments. we were pretty much a group of ballers. from the time we were little tykes, we were known as the dream team. probably sounds like i’m bragging (i might be a little) but I really am just proud to be a part of such an incredible group of girls. we competed in competitive leagues, tournaments, and went to nationals twice. looking back on my Rage experience, I gained an incredible amount of life lessons. perseverance, hard work, practice, passion, fighting for my end goal- just to name a few. another HUGE take away has been the memories and lifelong friends I have made. I keep in touch with so many of my teammates, a few were even bridesmaids in my wedding. the countless hours of practice and traveling, goofing off in hotel rooms, painting sports bras and underwear for game day and team pasta feeds will never be forgotten. glory days people.

Throughout my club and high school days, I played ODP (Olympic Development Program). I got the chance to play at the local level, regional level, and national level. it was the coolest experience to play with girls from all over the country who just had an immense amount of talent. seriously skills pouring out of their ears. this was also a way for my future college coaches to know me as a player.

High school soccer. man, we had it good. I had a little bit of a rough start in the beginning but it was all meant to be. my soccer friends (the rage babes) and I tried out for the varsity squad our freshmen year. it was pretty intimidating trying out with seniors but I felt like we all had a pretty good try out. as I looked for my name on the list, I read through all my friends and didn’t see me. on the jv list, there read “Carlee Payne.” I ran straight to our car and cried. like not just i’m a little sad tears, but my life is over tears. I know this sounds super snotty since I made the jv team as a freshmen, but I was shooting for the stars. I set my goals high. I told my mom I was quitting soccer. she told me I could do what I wanted (with a subtle mom push to not give up). I ended up making myself go to that jv practice, so sad but very humbled. I asked the varsity coach why I didn’t make the team and he honestly (brutally honestly) told me I was too small and he didn’t think I would be able to hold my own. that was just fuel to my fire. I worked so hard the next couple weeks- becoming the most aggressive player on the field. scary feisty. we were only a couple games into the season when the head coach  of the varsity team asked me to move up and play on his team. I was pretty pumped. pretty nervous. he started me in the first game and I scored two goals. all I wanted to say to him was “suck on that.” sorry but it’s the truth. I then started the rest of my career, but I never forgot that moment and the things I have learned. my high school team was talented. it was pretty much my whole club team. we went 21-1 my senior season (don’t want to talk about that 1. still not over it). but we were ranked number 1 in the nation by ESPN Rise. now I really sound like i’m bragging huh?

The day I got recruited for BYU. I remember my coach told me that the BYU coaches called him and wanted to set up a meeting with me because they were interested in having me play for them. at that time, I made my list of dream schools, and BYU wasn’t on the top 10. I had talked to some of the schools I wanted to play for and set up meetings with the coaches. I was in utah and figured I might as well see what they had to say. we met and seriously it was love at first sight. (not with the coahes- gross). I toured the school, the athletic facilities, met the coaching staff and all the girls. it. just. felt. right. there really is no other way to describe it other than it just felt like the place I needed to be. it felt like home. I told my dad I was going to commit there. he asked if I wanted to at least meet with the other schools to make sure it was the right choice and I said no. I canceled all meetings and committed to be a BYU Cougar. looking back, this may have been the best decision of my life. bold statement right? playing for this team and attending this university has changed me for the better. plus I met the man of my dreams who I will be married to for eternity. not a bad gig right?

My BYU soccer experience was one of a kind. it started off with a freshmen year of insane amounts of hard work, traveling lots, some girl drama, adjusting to the speed of the game, and last but not least the viral New Mexico vs. BYU game. yep.. poor #7 is me. my claim to fame is that I got beat up up national television. yikes.

Then ups and downs throughout the next couple seasons. so many memories and laughs with all of these girls. then came our senior season. I got married the summer before this season, so my support system was so much stronger. danny and I would go out multiple times a week and I would shoot on him. our class trained hard for this final year. we were playing amazing and beating all the teams we needed to beat. we won our conference and we were given a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. (if you don’t know soccer- only 4 teams are given a number one seed- so it was pretty cool). at that time we were ranked number 2 in the country. the highest BYU soccer has ever been ranked. am I bragging again? shoot. we went to the elite eight! also the furthest we’ve gotten. we barely lost (to the team who won the whole thing). it was a hard loss but I was so proud of all we had accomplished. it felt good ending on such a high note.

With that being said, it was not easy to finish. I still get sad thinking how I will never play on a competitive team again. it still breaks my heart knowing I won’t get to see my 20 closest friends every day for 2 hours. I still haven’t found that immense passion for something that I had for soccer. it is sometimes hard going to a BYU soccer game and cheering on a team that I was once a part of. it has been hard finding my identity post soccer. I had surgery on both of my feet from ongoing problems. but I would never take it back for anything. in fact, I would do it all over. the exact same way. I will cherish the memories I have had for ever and ever. the friends I have made will be in my life till we are old and wrinkly. I gained such a strong relationship traveling with my parents every other weekend. soccer shaped me into the Carlee I am today.

If you are a young aspiring soccer player, please remember to NEVER give up on your dreams. always work harder than those around you. play with heart and passion. practice on your own. ask questions and learn the game. but most importantly, don’t forget to have fun. the memories you will make with your teammates and family will be memories that you will share with your grand kids. when it stops being fun, stop playing. seriously. one phrase I would always tell myself before every single soccer game I played was “walk off that field with no regrets.” this applies to all sports and all aspects in life. live with no regrets.

Wildcats topple 24th-ranked SPU

2017-02-06T23:39:05-08:00September 12th, 2014|

Box Score To deem the win historic might be a bit of a reach. But if the Chico State women’s soccer team plays the rest of the season like it did in a 1-0 victory over 24th-ranked Seattle Pacific Wednesday night, it is certainly one that the NCAA Championship Tournament committee will look back on at the end of the regular season.
 

Shelby Lanksbury notched her first collegiate goal Wednesday.

It was a night of firsts for the Wildcats. Head Coach Kim Sutton earned her first victory in a dozen attempts against the perennial West Region power. Shelby Lanksbury’s first collegiate goal was the game winner. And a number of Wildcats made their University Soccer Stadium debut in the 2014 home opener.
 
Chico State improved to 1-1-1 with the win against a Seattle Pacific squad that had opened the season with a 2-1 win against UC San Diego. The Falcons fell to 1-1-0.
 
Lanksbury’s goal was a team effort as no less than six Wildcats played a role. True freshman Pooja Patel – a revelation in her collegiate home debut – rolled a ball to Scroggins in the right corner to set the play in motion. Scroggins ripped a cross into the box that ricocheted out to Emily Shleppey. She slammed a low liner back into the mix that Megan Tabler got a boot on. The ball was deflected high into the air before Katie Brown headed it toward the goal. Linsdey Dias played it back deftly to Lanksbury, who hit a left-footed rocket inside the left post for the game-winner.
 
Patel entered the match in the 33rd minute and the tenor of the match changed completely.
 
Outshot 11-2 to that point, the speedy Patel paved the way as the Wildcats took control. Chico State enjoyed a 9-4 edge in shots and 4-1 advantage in corner kicks from that point forward.
 
The shutout was the 20th of goalkeeper Brianna Furner’s career, tying her with Nicole Adams for second in Chico State history. Furner made a trio of saves, including a perfectly timed punch of a header ticketed for the upper-V in the 24th minute.
 

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Megan Tabler

She was aided by a backline of Jojo Smyth, Brooke Coelho (both making their Wildcats home debuts), Scroggins and Halima Abdelshife. They limited Seattle Pacific to shots from distance for most of the evening.
 
The victory was the 185th for Sutton at the Division II level, moving her to within one of the only other coach in the program’s history – Bob Russ – for 31st all time.
 
The Wildcats will attempt to get Sutton even with her predecessor Sunday when they host Saint Martin’s at 11 a.m. All Chico Youth Soccer League players and coaches who come to the match in uniform will get in free.
 
 
 

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