MADISON, Wis. – Following up on one of the most decorated seasons in recent years for Wisconsin women's soccer, head coach
Paula Wilkins and company have done it again. Losing just two seniors, both of whom were consistent starters, the Badgers announced eight signees who will be coming to Madison in the fall.
Hoping to come in and build on a successful 2017 season, here are the newest Badgers:
Carolyn Anschutz, Johanna Barth, Jamila Hamdan, Michayla Herr, Audrey Poorman, Lily Rawnsley, Natalie Viggiano and Lindsey Weiss.
"We're very excited, this is one of the best recruiting classes we've had at Wisconsin," Wilkins said. "I think the combination that we have allows us to be a better attacking group, because we have some dynamic personalities and truly some incredible soccer personalities that have different attributes that complement each other well in terms of their vision, understanding of the game and mostly their competitiveness.
"All of them have played at high levels and been successful, so that reinforces the culture we have at Wisconsin."
Carolyn Anschutz | Colorado Rush ECNL Team | D'Evelyn Senior High
A native of Littleton, Colorado, Anschutz is a left outside back who played for Colorado Rush ECNL team for three years and is playing on the Colorado Rush Development Academy team as a senior. During her junior year, Anschutz played for her high school, D'Evelyn Senior High and led them to a 4A State Championship.
During the 2012-2013 season Anschutz was selected to the Colorado state ODP team, playing for the regional tournament team and was invited to regional camp. Anschutz was also elected team captain from 2013-2016 on her Colorado Rush ECNL team and was also selected to a 10-day Adidas European training camp in 2014.
Off the field Anschutz was a four-time Honor Roll member and was awarded All-State Academic her junior year. When not competing in soccer Anschutz enjoys skiing, hiking and traveling.Â
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Wilkins on Anschutz: "She is from Colorado Rush, which is a very successful club. She's a left-footed outside back who has some versatility and can play in the midfield. We see her coming in and shoring up our backline. She has a big motor, engine and work rate and is very competitive. What we like about her is her competitive mentality. We think she will make our backline stronger and more effective in transition, especially offensively.
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Anschutz on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because of the prestigious academic reputation and successful soccer program. I will be a third-generation Badger and I want to represent Wisconsin for myself and my other family members who have attended. I'm excited to be part of the traditions of Wisconsin and to have the opportunity to be challenged athletically and academically."
Johanna Barth | FC Rosengård A-Team | Malmo Sports Gymnasium
Johanna Barth is a 5-5 midfielder/forward from Halmstad, Sweden. She's a member of the renowned FC Rosengård A-Team, the 2014 champions of the Mediterranean Cup. Barth competed in the 2016 and 2017 International Tournament Scania Women's Cup in France. Barth also played in a friendly against Chelsea and was on the FC Rosengård squad for the UEFA Women's Champions League Quarterfinals.
Barth's been to many prestigious camps including the U-20 National Development Camp but was also a member of the 2016 Swedish Championship team with the provincial rep, the 2016-17 Swedish champions team in the Swedish Cup and the silver medalist team in the 2016-17 Damallsvenskan. Barth also made two appearances in the Swedish top league, Damallsvenskan, and earned two caps with the Swedish under-19 national team (against Russia and Finland).
Wilkins on Barth: "I'm excited to add her because of the experience she has with her club FC Rosengard, which is considered one of the best clubs in Europe. She's a holding center mid with great vision but also has the ability to do some attacking. She'll add a complement to our midfield and I think one of the biggest things is that we'll add her work rate and her ability to stretch us a little bit with her vision and passing range. She also has good tactical sense, her shape and spacing is fantastic. Her experience of training at a very high level with some of the best players in the world will add a huge amount of experience to our training and our team."
Barth on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because I really enjoyed the people, campus and atmosphere during my visit in Madison. I could see myself spending my next four years there. Also I am super excited to be a part of a great soccer program and can't wait to contribute with what I can.
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Jamila Hamdan | Madison 56ers | Edgewood High School of the Sacred Hearts
Jamila Hamdan is a local product out of Middleton, Wisconsin, who played for the Madison 56ers and is a four-year starter for Chris Martinelli at Edgewood High School. Last season, the captain of her 16-5-3 squad, Hamdan helped the Crusaders win a conference title, regional crown, and a sectional title. Because of her five shutouts, .775 save percentage and 0.68 goals-against average, Hamdan was named second-team Badger South All-Conference and second-team all-area, honorable mention WIAA All-State and was voted the team's toughest player. She started her career strong with five shutouts as a freshman along with a .779 save percentage and 1.42 goals-against average. In her first two years, she helped the team to become two-time Division III regional champions. As a sophomore, she was named first-team Badger South All-Conference, second team all-area and honorable mention WIAA All-State for her .849 save percentage and 0.79 goals-against average.
Her club team, the Madison 56ers, were the U-19 state runners-up in 2018 and Girls U-18 State Champions and Midwest Regional Champions in 2017.
Hamdan is a versatile athlete, playing basketball three years while leading Edgewood to the WIAA Division III State Championship in 2017.
She excelled off the field and the court as well, earning a spot in the Edgewood Honor Society (11
th, 12
th grades), receiving the Edgewood High School Academic Award in 2015-2017 and earning the high honor roll from 2015-2017. She's gathered more than 180 hours of community service hours in high school through Community Eager Reader Program, youth soccer coaching, team manager, Wisconsin Lions Foundation.
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Associate head coach Tim Rosenfeld on Hamdan: "Jamila is somebody who has been coming to camps and clinics with me for probably the last six years. She's somebody that we're excited to have because I feel like I've been part of her development and I've watched her grow into the person and goalkeeper that she is today. I think she has a ton of great qualities. Her hands are great, her distribution is excellent, she still has room to grow and potential to get any better. While she's here and in this environment consistently I think she's going to get really good. It's fun to get who I consider the best goalkeeper in the area to come to UW. It's cool when that happens."
Hamdan on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because of its prestigious academic atmosphere and its successful soccer program. Living close to UW, I've had the privilege of attending nearly all of the soccer camps and clinics offered at the university since I moved here in 2012. It was at these camps, where I was exposed to the incredible coaching staff, supportive/competitive soccer environment, and top-notch athletic facilities. Through these experiences, I quickly realized I wanted to be a member of the UW Women's Soccer Program
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Michayla Herr | FC Unitedd | Barrington High School
A native of Lake Barrington, Illinois, Michayla Herr will bring great range and technical play to the Wisconsin midfield. The 5-7 midfielder is a four-year varsity starter at Barrington High School and was named to preseason TopDrawerSoccer All-American watch list. As a junior, she led Barrington (28-1) to both the Top Drawer and NSCAA National Championship title and IHSA 3A State Championship with four goals and one assist in the playoffs, including three game-winners. Herr was named the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of Match (3x, most in state), All-Conference, Chicagoland Soccer All-State Watch List, Top Drawer All-American Watch List.
As a freshman, her team took third place at the IHSA state championships, finishing with a No. 5 ranking by TopDrawerSoccer with a 22-2-4 record. As a sophomore, Herr's squad was 20-3-1 and made the IHSA Elite 8 and earned the MSL Soccer Bowl championship, regional and sectional championship titles. With the FCX MRL Premier Level 1, she became a CA SL Showcase and St. Louis Elite Showcase champion. With the FC United, Herr's team was the 2015 Illinois State Cup champions, and finished in third place at the Disney Showcase.
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Wilkins on Herr: "Michayla is a jack of all trades. She's a very talented midfielder from Illinois and plays for FC United. She's a very technical player and that's what made her jump out at us right away. She's a very versatile player with a great soccer knowledge and I think that will take her far in her career here."
Herr on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because it was the perfect mix of my three most important things: academics, intense competitive soccer, and school spirit. At Wisconsin I know it will be impossible to be bored due to its great soccer program, a prestigious academic reputation and great school spirit. Not only that, but it is known for being a very active and outdoorsy school, which was evident when I visited, and am something I am excited to take advantage of at school. Academically, the Wisconsin School of Business was a perfect fit for what I was looking for. With a top ranked marketing program, Wisconsin is a perfect place to learn and grow. I look forward to continuously being challenged, as well as getting to enjoy the outdoors and opportunities Wisconsin has to offer
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Audrey Poorman | FC Wisconsin ECNL | Divine Savior Holy Angels
An outside defender from Milwaukee, Audrey Poorman will be a great defender and attacker for UW. She played for Christian Lavers and FC Wisconsin ECNL and is a three-time team captain for the squad. She was invited to the ECNL Player Development Program (Midwest) for the 2016-2017 Season. As a sophomore, Poorman also competed in the ECNL National Playoffs in San Diego, California and as a freshman, she was invited to play with the U-17 FC Wisconsin Eclipse team in the ECNL National Playoffs in Seattle, Washington.
Additionally, Poorman is a track and field standout, earning an invitation to the USA Track and Field Hershey National Junior Olympic Track & Field Championship. She also earned High Honor Roll (1st Honors) in all four years of high school, as well as maintaining 3.99 Grade-Point Average. Poorman was a member of the National Honors Society, as well being awarded in the Top 10 Biology Students within her class
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Wilkins on Poorman: "She's a player from FC Wisconsin that is an outside left back. What's great about her and Carolyn is that they're both left-footed players that can add some attack and comfortability on the left side of the field. Her development in the past couple years as a young player has been dramatic, which says a lot about her work ethic. We're extremely excited because she has the work rate to get up and down the flank. The type of players that we're adding are the ones that we want to not just be good defenders but also good attacking players. We think she's going to be very dangerous coming off the flank. We've also seen her play in the middle of the field, so she just adds more depth to our back line. We're excited to have a really good player from Wisconsin stay at home that we know can have an impact on our program."
Poorman on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because there just seems to be something special about representing your hometown state school, especially when that school has an athletic and academic reputation as great as Wisconsin. I knew right away that there was something so unique about this program- it was an opportunity I could not pass up. The academics felt right, the campus felt right, but, most importantly, from the first time talking to Paula, I felt right at home. I already knew that she had an extremely reputable team that knew how to win, but I quickly found that she also had a team that was a family. I knew this was an environment that would create excitement with a personable coaching staff and team that would push me to bring out my best as a player and as a person. To watch girls from my club team that I admired go to Madison, have success, and enjoy their experience made me see myself fitting into the program. The atmosphere that Paula has created with the team in Madison is exactly what I am looking for, and I look forward to doing everything I can to contribute to their continued success.
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Lily Rawnsley | Real Colorado ECNL | Chaparral High School
Lily Rawnsley is a four-year starting keeper for Chaparral High School. She's a two-time all-league first-team honoree, a second-team all-state honoree, a member of the TeamSnap high school all-state and all-region teams and her team made to the Elite 8 in the state championships her freshman year.
For the Real Colorado Club Team, Rawnsley's squad was ECNL National Finalists in 2014 and 2016, made it to the ECNL Final Four in 2015 and have been consistently ranked as one of the top four teams in the nation since 2013. Rawnsley was invited to the ECNL PDP in 2016 and 2017, the Olympic Development Program Regional Camp in 2014 and 2015 and the U.S. National Market Training Center trainings in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
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Associate head coach Tim Rosenfeld on Rawnsley: "Lily is somebody that impressed me the first time I saw her because of her stature. She's big and solid but also athletic. You put all of those together and I think that makes for a good goalkeeper. The best thing about Lily is that one of our phone calls, she asked me what she needed to work on and there were a couple things I thought she could improve on and the next time I saw her I saw a market change in those things. She had gone out and focused on improving those things. Her work ethic and ability to focus and get better is what I'm most excited about. She'll fit in well with the keepers we have now. She's going to be a really cool addition."
Rawnsley on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because I connected with the coaches very well and was impressed with their coaching style. The Big Ten atmosphere at the school is amazing. The soccer team is highly competitive and has had a lot of success and I'm excited to be a part of their future success.
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Natalia Viggiano | Michigan Hawks | Dakota High School
A native of Troy, Michigan and a standout for the FC Hawks, Natalie Viggiano will be a dynamic attacker for the Badgers. The 5-4 midfielder/forward played for Doug Landefeld. She was invited to many elite camps, including the U.S. Under-18 Youth National Team and U.S. Under-19 Youth National Team camps in June 2016, August 2016, December 2016, February 2017 and August 2017, and the ECNL Training Camp Best 11 in July 2017. She also has international touring experience, travelling to England with the U.S. Under-19 Team in 2017.
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Wilkins on Viggiano: "She is from the Michigan Hawks which is one of the best clubs in the country. She just won a national championship with her team and has spent time with the youth national teams. One of the best things about Natalie is her soccer IQ is extremely high. She makes good decisions and is tactically smart. She can process information really well and her engine is high. She can play in different parts of the field, she's played in the midfield but also upfront. She has the ability to have a lot of interchange on the field and that's something that we want to add to our program right now. We're excited to see her bring some of her attacking mentality, she's very smart on the ball in set pieces and we know that she's going to be prepared for the soccer level because her sister plays for Northwestern which gives Natalie good soccer pedigree."
Viggiano on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because I immediately fell in love with the campus and the city of Madison. Right from the start, I could imagine myself playing soccer for the University I have already grown to love. The coaching staff and players were very welcoming, and I couldn't imagine continuing my soccer career elsewhere"
Lindsey Weiss | FC Wisconsin Eclipse | Cedarburg High School
A standout for the FC Wisconsin Eclipse, Lindsey Weiss is a 5-4 forward from Cedarburg, Wisconsin. She has played for Christian Lavers and the FC Wisconsin Eclipse for many years and was named an IMG top 150 soccer player as a freshman. As a sophomore, her squad was ECNL North American Cup National Finalists in 2015. Weiss been to numerous prestigious camps including, ID2 Camp Phoenix AZ, ID2 Camp San Diego CA, ID2 Camp Irvine CA, ECNL PDP 2014, Madison and ECNL PDP 2015, Madison.
Off the pitch, Weiss competed in basketball, track and field and cross country while also being a member in the National Honor Society and earning the High Honor Roll with a 4.218 GPA.
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Wilkins on Weiss: "Lindsey is extremely good at attacking is very dangerous. She is a quiet person, but does not play that way. She's dynamic off the dribble and can take people one on one and has the ability to score and create to help others score. She's an FC Wisconsin product and we're happy to have one of the best players in the state stay at Wisconsin. We believe she's going to have significant impact in our attacking group, similar to
Dani Rhodes. It'll allow her and other members of this class a lot of interchange and have us become a better attacking group than we have been in the past."
Weiss on why she chose UW: "I chose to attend Wisconsin because UW has always been my dream school. My entire family and I are huge Badger fans and I am excited to have to ability to represent such a prestigious university. Madison is everything that I look for in a school, from exceptional academics and athletics to a great college town. I've gone to many of the soccer camps since I was little and have attended many games dreaming of playing for the Cardinal and White. Having a coach that I felt comfortable around was also something important to me, and when I first talked to Paula I knew she was the kind of coach I wanted to have. Wisconsin has always felt like home to me and I can't wait to join the Badger family!
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