Feb. 9, 2015
San Jose, Calif. - Three forwards, two crafty midfielders, a three-time all-league defender and a national championship goalkeeper signed a National Letter-of-Intent with the San Jose State University women's soccer program. Lauren Hanson, the Spartans' head coach made the announcement.
The seven newcomers who will enroll at the University and wear the gold, white and blue for the Spartans beginning in the fall 2015 semester are forwards Aspyn Audibert (Alta Loma HS/Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Darriell Frankin (La Habra HS/La Habra, Calif.), and Morgan Mathews (Mountain View HS/Mountain View, Calif.); midfielders Alyssa Bertuleit (Peninsula College/Sparks, Nev.) and Daria Manzano (Poly HS/Long Beach, Calif.); defender Veronica Chung (Redmond HS/Woodinville, Wash.); and goalkeeper Paige Simoneau (Santiago HS/Corona, Calif.).
"This group has the ability to help push our team and program to the next level and work toward our goal of being a top program in the Mountain West," said Hanson. "They all have played at a very high level in their youth soccer careers, which will help with experience to compete at the Division I level. My staff and I look forward to their contributions on and off the field starting this fall."
Audibert plays for Alta Loma (Calif.) High. Aspyn was selected first-team All-Baseline League and was a key contributor of the Braves' 2013-14 league championship. She played club soccer for Albion SC of San Diego.
Franklin is a senior at La Habra (Calif.) High. She was a two-time All-Freeway League player earning second-team honors as a freshman and first-team recognition as a sophomore. She was a team captain for her club team, the Irvine Strikers.
Matthews, enrolled at Mountain View (Calif.) High School in Mountain View, Calif., scored 32 goals in three seasons prior to her senior year. The two-time honorable mention All-Central Coast Section selection quickly established herself as one of the top players in the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's DeAnza Division. Her club team, Juventus Avanza, won the Nor Cal State Cup Championship in 2014.
Midfield prospects Bertuleit and Manzano provide the creativity and versatility the Spartan coaching staff is developing. Last season, Bertuleit led Peninsula College in Port Angeles, Wash., and tied for fourth in the Northwest Athletic Conference in assists with 10. Manzano is in her third season as a team captain of the Long Beach (Calif.) Poly team that recently clinched its third Moore League championship in the last four years.
Chung, the one defender in the 2015 recruiting class, is a three-time All-4A KingCo League honoree. Her Redmond (Wash.) High team won the KingCo 4A Championship in 2012. As a member of the Crossfire Premier Club of Redmond, Wash., she played on the club's state championship sides in 2008 for U11 and 2011 for U14.
Goalkeeper Simoneau rounds out the 2015 recruiting class. Her 13 shutouts during her junior year vaulted her and Santiago High of Corona, Calif., into the limelight. Simoneau was a second-team All-C.I.F. Southern Section Division II award winner in 2014 and Santiago High advanced to the quarterfinal round of the C.I.F. Southern Section tournament. The Sharks are ranked ninth nationally by MaxPreps heading into the final weeks of the 2015 regular season. Simoneau played club soccer for Legends FC of Chino, Calif., that won the 2012 National League Youth Soccer National Championships in Rock Hill, S.C.
"We are very excited about the 2015 incoming class of women's soccer players," added Hanson. "They are athletic, hard working, and very committed group of players."