LOS ANGELES – LMU women's soccer has completed its signing class for the fall 2019 season with the addition of 10 new players. Competing for the Lions this fall are freshmen Madison Werner, Sage Robledo, Sarai Zedingil, Sadie Kenny, Gabriella Marchal, Amber McCorkle, Sierra Dunphy, Abigail Stewart, Tatum Brakke, and junior transfer Gabbie McWilliams.
Head Coach Michelle Myers of the Class of 2019: From top to bottom, I think this is a very talented class. We anticipate several players to be able to step in and make an immediate impact this season. It is a larger class that covers just about every position on the field and will provide us with some much needed depth. All of these players come from top academies and clubs which helps in their transition to this next level. I also think there are some great personalities and leaders in this group both on and off the field. They would not be on this list unless we thought they were great people with the potential to do great things at LMU and beyond. We are definitely looking forward to their arrival in August.
Madison Werner, M/F, Capistrano Valley High School, Mission Viejo, CA., Pateadores Academy
High School Awards: Capistrano Valley Varsity Soccer Leading Scorer,2015 JAMZ National Champions (Cheerleading),2012 ASA Western Softball National Championship, 400M and 4x100m CIF Track Finalist
Individual Awards: Principal Honor Roll 2015, 2016, 2017; Seal Bi-Literacy in Spanish
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Werner:
Madison is a multi-sport athlete who didn't specialize in soccer until later in her career. I remember watching her at a competition and asking myself, who is this player causing so much havoc on the other team's defense? Madison is an athletic, attacking player who is good on the ball and covers a lot of ground. She has a nose for the goal and is a good finisher. She can play anywhere in the attack for us, whether up front or in the midfield. We look forward to continuing to tap into her strengths, as well as, her upside as a soccer player.
Sage Robledo, M, South Hills, West Covina, CA, Legends FC Academy
Club Team Awards: State Champions 2015, Regional Champions 2015, U.S. Youth Soccer National Champions 2015
ODP Awards: ODP Pool Since 2012, ODP Regional Champs 2016-17
Individual Awards: San Gabriel Valley Tribune All-Area Girls Soccer First Team 2017
Reason you chose LMU:
"I chose LMU for multiple reasons. One reason being the great environment, the campus at LMU is beautiful and the people who go there are nice and super welcoming. Another pretty cool reason is being able to play soccer there with my older sister Skylar. The campus is not too far from home so my family can still come out to watch games. Most important for me is to further my education at a great private school."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Robledo:
Sage is no stranger to LMU Soccer. Sage has watched her sister play in an LMU uniform for two years now and the two will make up the third set of sisters that have played together at LMU since 2013. Sage is very versatile and has seen time at all three lines as a player. She is comfortable on the ball and technically sound. She reads the game well and has good movement off the ball. Sage has the ability to play in a few spots depending on our needs and that is always a valuable asset. Sage was also teammates with Sierra and Sarai on the Cal South ODP state team that won regionals in 2017. So she enters LMU with a few more friendly teammates besides her sister.
Sarai Zedingil, F/M, Windward High School, Los Angeles, CA. LA Galaxy Academy
High School Awards: Team MVP (2015-16, 2017-18), Player of the Week Five Times (2017-18), First Team All-League (2015-16, 2017-18)
Club Team Awards: Cal South ODP Regional Titles (2013-17),
ODP Awards: ODP Summer and Winter teams (2013-2017), US Training Centers (2013-2016), US National Team Camps (2015), ID2 Camp (2014), PUMA Women's Elite Showcase (2014), US Youth Soccer ODP Girls National Training Camp (2014)
Individual Awards: Honor Roll (2012-17), Dean's List (2018)
Reason you chose LMU:
"The main and most important reason I chose LMU because I fell in love with it. The playing style of the team as well as the dynamic matched those that I had been around my entire life, and the ability to continue those ideologies automatically caught my attention. I had previously experienced having Michelle, the head coach, as a coach and mentor with another pretty elite program, and I genuinely enjoyed having her as a coach on and off the field. Similarly, a chunk of players that I am very close with, and have played with and against for many years were committed there, and being able to play with them was an amazing opportunity. LMU is a very solid school academically, and I feel like with the education I received throughout my high school career at Windward, I am well prepared for what LMU has to offer."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Zedingil:
Sarai is a creative attacking player. Her strong technical ability combined with her athleticism and game intelligence make her tough to defend. Sarai comes to us from a very successful youth soccer background including a call into a U15 GNT camp in March 2015. We expect Sarai to help us create more scoring opportunities in the final third either from the forward position or as a number 10.
Sadie Kenny, GK, Bishop Blanchet High School, Shoreline, WA., Seattle Reign Academy
High School Awards: Fourth place in state tournament (2016), 2016 All League 1st Team Goalkeeper
Club Team Awards: 2013 USYS Washington State Champion (NWN Soccer Club), 2014 USYS Washington State Champion (NWN Soccer Club), 2014 Goalkeeper of the Year (NWN Soccer Club), 2015 Goalkeeper of the Year (NWN Soccer Club), 2015-2016 Farwest Regional League Northwest Division Champion (NWN Soccer Club), 2017 Training with the Seattle Reign 1st Team, 2018 USSDA Playoffs
ODP Awards: 2013/2014 US Market Training Centers, 2014 Washington OPD Travel Team, 2015-2016 Washington ODP State Pool, 2017 Washington ODP Travel Team, 2017 ODP Regional Camp
Individual Awards: First Honor Roll (Grades 9,10,11), Academic Letter (Grades 10,11), Girls Soccer Scholar Athlete Award (Grade 10)
Reason you chose LMU:
"Exceptional location and welcoming coaching staff and community."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Kenny:
Sadie has a good frame and a great overall presence in the goal. She is solid technically and reads the game well. Her footwork and reaction time are good, as well as, her ability to anticipate shots or come off her line to make a save. She is also comfortable with the ball at her feet which is important to our style of play. We are excited to add Sadie to our goalkeeping crew and anticipate a tough decision this season as to who will be starting in goal.
Gabriella Marchal, D/M, Canyon High School, Anaheim Hills, CA., Slammers FC ECNL
High School Awards: Crestview League Champions (2016 and 2018), 1
stRound CIF (2016), CIF Quarterfinals (2018), Rookie of the Year (2016), Coaches Award (2017), Defensive Player of the Year (2018), Crestview League 1
stTeam (2018), All-CIF (2018), Team MVP (2019)
Individual Awards: Top of the Tribe (2015-19), Scholar Athlete (2016-19), Scholar Athlete (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Reason you chose LMU:
"I chose LMU because it is a great school and seemed like the perfect fit to me when I visited campus. The school is beautiful and the public health building (what I want to major in) was gorgeous. Also, with LMU being in LA, I knew it would help with me getting a job later in life. Lastly, I grew up with a Catholic family, so going to a Jesuit school seemed like a great fit. It's also in California, which in my options, is the best state with the perfect weather."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Marchal:
Gabby is a hard-working, gritty player. She is smart and knows how to use her strengths as a player whether it be as a central defender or a midfielder. On the offensive side of things, she does well in connecting passes and maintaining possession. Gabby is a competitor who plays to win. She is tough and not afraid to do the dirty work. We are excited to bring that mentality to our defense and to our daily training.
Amber McCorkle, M, Torrey Pines High School, San Diego, CA., San Diego Surf Academy
High School Awards: CIF Southern California Regional Girls Soccer Champions (2015 and 2016), CIF Player of the Year for San Diego (2016), All-Conference First Team (2016)
Club Team Awards: National Champions (2014), National Finalists (2015), National Quarterfinalists (2016)
ODP Awards: Futsal Youth Girls National Team (2015-16), ODP Regional and National Champions (2017), PDP Invite
Individual Awards: Top in league for assists, goals, and total points (2015), Top in league in total points (2016)
Reason you chose LMU:
"I love the soccer program, academics, location, and weather. The coaches are passionate and considerate and LMU offers majors I'm interested in. It has perfect SoCal weather with a beautiful view."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on McCorkle:
Amber is a player that has the ability to control our midfield and link us from back to front. She is a playmaker with great technical ability and an even better understanding of the game. Amber could play any of our midfield positions. Her movement on and off the ball will immediately add to our team's ability to play possession style soccer. Amber has played club soccer alongside several youth national team players and I believe she is a contributing factor to their success. She has a way of setting up plays and making those around her and her team better.
Sierra Dunphy, D, Cathedral Catholic High School, Carlsbad, CA., San Diego Surf Academy
High School Awards: State Champions (2016) – Southern California Regional DII Champions
ODP Awards: Regional Champions (2013-17)
Individual Awards: Four Years on Honor Roll, 4.0 Award for Four Years, Bishop Buddy Award
Reason you chose LMU:
"The coaches and the girls were awesome, and the campus was absolutely beautiful. I love the location and the soccer program, especially the girls in my recruiting class."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Dunphy:
Sierra is a defender that could play both central or wide. She comes from a family of athletes with three siblings who also play soccer competitively. I had the good fortune of coaching both Sierra and her older sister through Cal South ODP. Sierra is a talented player and has played at the highest level of youth soccer including a call into the U15 National Training Camp in 2016. We expect Sierra to step in and boost our defense right away. Besides being an exceptional soccer player, Sierra has a charismatic personality and leadership ability that will be an asset both on and off the field.
Abigail Stewart, F/M, Scripps Ranch High School, San Diego, CA., San Diego Surf Academy
High School Awards: Eastern League Champions (2016), CIF Runner-Up (2016), CIF Champions (2018), 2018 ECNL All-Conference Team, 2018 All-Western League Girls Soccer Team/Breitbard Certificate of Athletic Achievement Rookie of the Year (2015-2016), Best Offensive Midfield Player (2016-2017), MVP (2017-2018), Athlete of the Month (February 2018), Four Varsity Athletic Awards
Individual Awards: The San Diego Union-Tribune All-Academic Team, Principal's Honor Roll
Reason you chose LMU:
"I chose to go to LMU because from the moment I stepped on campus my freshman year of high school, it seemed as if there was a strong sense of community. I also felt as if it was an environment where I could continue learning and expand my horizons. I love that LMU stresses the service of faith and understanding each other, as well as everyone's differences."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Stewart:
Abby is an offensive minded player who is comfortable with her back to goal or running at opponents. She is two footed and strikes a ball cleanly with both feet. Her vision and solid technical ability on the ball allow her to connect well with teammates while her movement off the ball helps create scoring opportunities in the final third. Abby is one of three players in this class that grew-up playing for a very competitive Surf SC. Abby can play as a forward or midfielder and will add good depth to those positions.
Tatum Brakke, F/D, Santa Margarita High School, Coto de Caza, CA., Strikers FC ECNL
High School Awards: CIF second round as a sophomore, Offensive MVP (2016)
Club Team Awards: West Coast FC 2016 finished third in the nation
ODP Awards: ODP pool player (2014)
Individual Awards: Academic Scholar, California Scholarship Federation member
Reason you chose LMU:
"I chose LMU because of the strong academic/athletic programs and because it is a Catholic school. LMU's location, beautiful campus, and environment will help me grow as a student, person, and soccer player."
Head Coach Michelle Myers on Brakke:
Tatum is a versatile player who has experience both as a forward and a defender. She is athletic with a good frame and is strong on the ball. She has a good engine which allows her to cover a lot of ground especially on the flanks. Tatum grew up playing for the top club programs in her area along with one of the top private high schools in Orange County. Her soccer experience combined with her strong work ethic will aid in her transition to playing at the collegiate level and add to our success as a team.
Gabbie McWilliams, D, Santa Clara University, Westminster, CO., Real Colorado
AS A SOPHOMORE IN 2018: WCC All-Academic honorable mention … appeared in 17 games and made six starts.
AS A FRESHMAN IN 2017: Appeared in five games ... made collegiate debut at Seattle.
HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Regis Jesuit High School and is from Westminster, Colo. … team captain as a junior and senior … named to the Continental League honorable mention after her freshman and junior seasons … team finished first in the Continental League and was seeded No. 2 in the tournament junior year … named Academic All-State First Team as a junior.
Head Coach Michelle Myers on McWilliams:
Gabbie joins us after playing two seasons at Santa Clara University. We recruited Gabbie out of high school and played against her during those two years, so we are very excited to now get her into an LMU jersey. Gabbie is an end to end defender. She has a great engine and can get up and back as an outside back. She is an experienced defender who saw great minutes at SCU against some top teams. She was instrumental in a shut-out win against North Carolina and a draw against Stanford. Her experience will be a great addition to our back line. She is a driven competitor both on and off the field.
