Women's Soccer Announces 2017 Additions

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina Soccer Head Coach Rob Donnenwirth announced the 2017 signing class Monday. Cashlin Copley, Isabella Crabtree, Julia Gottlieb, Anna Fish, Madielyn Knaggs, Lindsey Magee, Erin Mikalsen, Victoria Riggs, Kimberly Sanford and Chentay Warnes will attend ECU and play soccer for the Pirates beginning in the fall of 2017.

Consisting of 10 players covering five states coast-to-coast, the Pirates' 2017 class is anticipated to be one of the most talented groups in program history.

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Copley, a 5-foot-8 midfielder from Lancaster, Penn., is a 2016 NSCAA All-American out of Manheim Township High School. She was selected the 2016 Lancaster Lebanon League MVP and All-LL League First Team.

"I feel like Cashlin will make an immediate impact," 18th-year head coach Rob Donnenwirth said. "She was a US Region I ODP player and can play any forward or midfield role with her club, Penn Fusion. She is strong and fit with great skill and vision. Even as a forward she will hunt down the ball defensively and cause havoc for defenders. She can score goals but also creates opportunities for others."

Copley played four years as a forward for the Penn Fusion ECNL '98 team under head coach Craig Scangarella.

"Cashlin is a dynamic and creative attacking player," Scangarella said. "Her versatility to make an impact within the midfield centrally or out wide will allow her to adapt to any game situation. Cashlin's work rate and effort on the field drive her to perform."

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Crabtree is a 5-foot-5 attacking midfielder out of Cary, N.C. The local product is an A/B Honor Roll student at Cardinal Gibbons High School and is a member of the NC ODP State Team.

"Izzy can play attacking center-mid or possibly as a target forward," Donnenwirth said. "She is very creative and has excellent 1v1 ability. She holds the ball well under pressure with her back to the goal and has good scoring and playmaking ability. She is the sister to current Pirate Zoe Crabtree and played for CASL in Raleigh."

Under head coach Sean Nanas, Crabtree has helped the '98 CASL team reach ECNL Nationals for the North American Cup. The squad also was a two-time NC State Cup finalist and attended US Club Soccer IDZ Camp.

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Gottlieb comes to East Carolina from Sammamish, Wash. A three-year starter at Bellevue Christian School where she led the Vikings to the state playoffs in 2016, she was named All-District as a junior and senior and an AP Honor Roll member those same years.

"Julia is a 5-foot-11 goalkeeper from Washington," Donnenwirth said. "Assistant Coach Brian Periman was instrumental in recruiting her and she was excellent at our ID Camp. She has good quickness, shot stopping ability, foot distribution and is solid on crosses."

A member of the 98 Crossfire Premier in the Washington Premier League under coach Dan Leeming, she led the team to an undefeated regular season in 2014 and first place finish in the conference. That season, the team reached the Washington State Cup semifinals as Gottlieb posted seven shutouts in 14 games for a 0.73 goals against average.

"Julia has asserted herself as one of the top goalkeepers in our state," Crossfire head coach Dan Leeming said. "She commands her penalty area, stops shots, comes off her line and narrows the angle with great success. Her reliability has allowed us to win games when really we shouldn't have and I am excited to see her take these skills into her college soccer career."

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Fish, a 5-foot-5 center midfielder from Lillington, N.C., is a TISAC First Team All-Conference selection out of Wake Christian Academy where she played for head coach Wayne Helder. She led ECA in goals and assists as a senior with 27 goals and 12 helpers.

"Anna can play any center-mid position or as a center-forward," Donnenwirth said. "Her speed of play is very good as she is technical and reads the game well. She is good in the attack due to her combination play and creativity and has a great competitive mentality."

A team captain as both a junior and senior at Wake Christian, Fish earned the Bulldog Award as the team MVP.

"Anna is an outstanding student-athlete and exceptional leader both on and off the field," Wake Christian Head Coach Wayne Helder said. "She is a technically sound player who possesses positional and tactical awareness. Anna has generally played the six or eight for us. She is strong in the tackle and is an outstanding 1v1 defender. Anna is an excellent teammate and will be a fine representative of East Carolina University."

Academically, Fish is a member of the National Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society and serves as the Senior Class Vice President and Beta Club Vice President.

Fish was ranked as a three-star recruit and #22 in the South Atlantic by Top Drawer Soccer. She helped her CASL club team to a fifth-place finish in the ECNL North America Showcase and the 2016 NC State Cup Final Four.

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Knaggs is a 5-foot-5 three-year midfielder from Trenton, Mich. She helped Jim Stachura's Vardar ECNL team reach the national playoffs in 2015 and 2016. She was a member of the Michigan ODP State Team from 2012-14 in which the squad was named regional champions those same years.

"Madie has a great skill level and very high soccer IQ," Donnenwirth said. "She is only 5-foot-5 but can win headers and is a defensive presence in the midfield. She is an excellent possession player and reads the game well."

Knaggs has earned All-District, All-Region and All-State honors while playing under head coach Mike Hatfield at Trenton High School. In 2015 and 2016 she helped her team reach the state playoffs, including a semifinals appearance as a junior in 2015.

"Madie has lived up to her high expectations and was huge in getting us back to another final four," Hatfield said. "She raised the bar of what was expected on the field as a player. Madie is a true coaches' and players' player. It's been a true pleasure of mine to work with a player as passionate and committed as her."
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A native of Jacksonville, Fla., Magee is a 5-foot-3 midfielder from Bishop Kenny High School. While at BKHS she was named Rookie of the Year as a freshman and earned Defensive MVP honors as a sophomore. During her junior year at Bishop Kenny, Magee was named the Offensive MVP and awarded the Golden Boot. That same season she earned All-County Honorable Mention accolades.

"I like Lindsey's ability as a wide player as an outside back or wide forward," Donnenwirth said. "She is naturally left-footed and provides good service from the flank. She also has good technical ability and is good in possession."

A member of the Jacksonville Armada, Magee helped Eric Dade's squad to three consecutive Region III Premiere League championships from 2013-15 and back-to-back U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in 2014 and 2015. In 2016 she led Jacksonville Armada to the 2016 ECNL Nationals after winning the Southeast Conference Championship.

"Lindsey is a very talented soccer player and fantastic young lady," Jacksonville Armada Head Coach Eric Dade said. "A true asset to any program on and off the field. She's a talented left footed player who has demonstrated the ability to play multiple roles on the field effectively. I am super excited for Lindsey."

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Mikalsen is a 5-foot-2 left back from Oviedo, Fla. A two-time Seminole County Athletic Conference First Team honoree, Mikalsen helped the Lions to the 2016 5A State Championship and a 2015 5A state finals appearance.

"Erin is an outside back and played for the Florida Krush," Donnenwirth said. "She also gained valuable experience playing for the U-17 Jamaican National Team. She is left-footed and loves to get involved in the attack. She plays with good intensity and is focused to want to get to the next level."

As a member of the U-17 Jamaican National Team, she was a CONCACAF Championship Qualifier after the team won the 2015 Caribbean Football Union Championship.

With the Florida Krush, she has been the team captain since 2014 and helped the squad to 2015 FPL State Championship.
"Erin has matured into a leader on and off the field in the last two years," Krush Head Coach Hue Menzies said. "She has created a work ethic that has propelled her game to a high level. As she takes this developmental growth to the next level, it will bleed into the fabric of the ECU team."

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Riggs is a 5-foot-6 forward from Stella, N.C. She has twice earned All-State accolades at Croatan High School and led the Cougars in goals and assists as a four-year letterwinner under head coach Paul Slater.

"I feel Tori is the best player coming out of the Jacksonville, N.C., area," Donnenwirth said. "She is a skillful forward that can create her own shot off the dribble, makes good penetrating runs and is creative in setting up other players for shots. She also has excellent timing with runs to get on the end of crosses in the box."

A member of the Pitt-Greenville Soccer Association Stars, she helped Lee Spruill's team to a Disney Showcase Championship, Jefferson Cup and WAGS Tournament as well as the CASL Showcase. Prior to joining PGSA she played five years with the Jacksonville Area Soccer Association for coach Drew Perry.

"Tori is a dynamic player that can be a difference maker in all aspects of the game," Spruill said. "She has the rare ability to make game changing plays at the moments when they matter most. Her combination of exceptional possession and creativity, along with elite attacking skills, make her a special talent."

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Sanford is a 5-foot-9 defender from Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School and native of Philadelphia, Pa. A four-year starter for the Monarchs, she was named to the 2016 Athletic Association of Catholic Academies All-Star Team.

"Kim is an intimidating defender with great tackling and heading ability from Penn Fusion," Donnenwirth said. "She is 5-foot-9 and has amazing physical ability, speed and strength. She is a good passer out of the back and can strike a ball 50-60 yards."

She played five years for the Penn Fusion ECNL '98 team with other East Carolina signee Cashlin Copley. She was on the Pennsylvania State ODP Team from 2014-15 and competed at the Region I ODP Tournaments in Boca Raton, Fla., and Germany.

"Kim is a strong and technical modern defender," Fusion coach Craig Scangarella said. "Her ability to defend and transition to attack quickly makes her a very dangerous player. Kim is a very driven player who constantly works on her craft."

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Warnes is a 5-foot-5 forward from Federal Way, Wash., and the only junior college transfer of the 2017 class. A graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, she was as a two-time All-League honoree and team MVP for the Raid.

"Chentay is a dangerous forward with good speed and scoring ability," Donnenwirth said. "She will stretch the opponent's backline due to her speed but also has good technical ability and creativity that helps her as a playmaker. Her experience at the Junior College level should have her prepared for the college game right away."

As a freshman at Highline College she scored two goals and recorded six assists for the Thunderbirds. During her sophomore campaign she scored 14 goals and had six assists to lead the team with 34 points en route to being named a Northwest Athletic Conference All-Star.

"Chentay has good speed, is physical and a great ball striker," Highline women's soccer head coach Tom Moore said. "She has good leadership skills and is a great teammate. She can play on any line of the field and has played in every positon for us outside of goalie. Her passion is built more in attack. She is an ultra-competitor who is coachable and arguably the best player in our conference."

The Pirates posted a 5-12-1 record overall record in 2016 and went 1-7-1 in the American Athletic Conference. East Carolina bid farewell to five seniors at the conclusion of the season.

Players Mentioned

Zoe Crabtree

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