Feb. 8, 2008
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team has signed nine student-athletes - eight of whom hail from the state of Michigan - to National Letters of Intent. 2007 all-state players Laura Heyboer (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian), Katelin Chaklos (Novi, Mich./Novi), Jill Flietstra (Hudsonville, Mich./Unity Christian), Megan Pines (Troy, Mich./Troy) and Sarah Stern (Northville, Mich./Northville) will join U.S. Youth Soccer standouts Mikalia Dennis (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), Hannah Peterson (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln-Way Central), Taylor Miller (Okemos, Mich./Okemos) and Jacquelina Accurso (Shelby Twp., Mich./Notre Dame Prep) on the MSU squad in the fall of 2008. Head coach Tom Saxton and the Spartan coaching staff made the announcement Friday, Feb. 8.
"We are all very excited to have signed what should be one of the top recruiting classes in the region and certainly one of the best in our program's 22-year history," Saxton said. "Each of these outstanding student-athletes come to us from great families that have been a true pleasure to get to know over the past several months. Although they are a diverse group, they share the common background of having great soccer experience with some of the best club and high school programs in the country including the Bloomfield Force, the Michigan Hawks and the Eclipse Select.
"We appreciate the open and honest approach that these student-athletes, their parents and their coaches have provided throughout the recruiting process. We look forward to the tremendous impact that this class will have on the future of Michigan State women's soccer."
Heyboer, a two-time high school All-American and Michigan player of the year, headlines the signing class. She is the No. 4 player and third-ranked forward in the nation by Risemag.com, and has competed in the United States national team camps over the past few years. She is a three-time NSCAA Youth All-American and was named the Gatorade and NSCAA Michigan Player of the Year. Heyboer, who scored a state-record 76 points (42g-34a) as a sophomore in 2006, helped her club team, Bloomfield Force, to a U.S. Youth Soccer national championship in the summer of 2007. She was awarded with the Golden Boot as the best field player in that tournament. Heyboer, who led Unity Christian to three consecutive state champioships, is also the first player in Michigan history to be named Miss Soccer as a sophomore.
|
|
 |
"Laura is one of the top all around players in the country. She is truly a special attacking player and one of the top goal scorers in the history of U.S. girl's youth soccer," Saxton said. "Laura will combine with the talented attacking players that we already have here at MSU and have a tremendous impact on our team's success this fall and throughout her career."
Chaklos, a defender, is a second-team all-state honoree and has helped Novi to three state titles. She was named all-conference and all-district in high school and competed on the Regional ODP team that played in California. Additionally, Chaklos was named to the International ODP team, which will compete in France next month.
"Katie is one of the top attacking wing defenders in the country," Saxton said. "She has been a key player on the left side for her outstanding Michigan Hawks club team and she has also been a leader for Novi, one of the best high school programs in the state. We expect Katie to have an immediate impact as a part of our back line. She has the combination of athleticism and skill to be a top-level Big Ten defender."
Flietstra was one of Michigan's top high school goalkeepers in 2007, being named first team all-state as a junior and capturing second-team honors as a sophomore and freshman. A Michigan High School Dream Team selection, she was named the Golden Glove at the 2007 U.S. Youth Soccer National Tournament while playing for national champ Bloomfield Force. In addition to playing in goal for three state championships teams, she also helped Unity Christian to a state basketball title.
"Jill has unlimited potential as a college goalkeeper. She is one of the best all-around athletes that we have ever signed," Saxton said. "Her experience in helping lead her high school team to three state championships and her Bloomfield Force club team to a national championship is incredibly valuable. Jill plays with a great deal of confidence and composure, especially for someone her age. She will have a chance to play immediately, which is rare for a freshman goalkeeper."
Pines is a second-team all-state midfielder who also led her club team, the Michigan Gators, to a state championship. She was in the 2007 ODP Regional player pool and led her team to a third-place finish at the 2006 ODP National Championship.
"Megan is an exceptional student-athlete with an excellent work ethic," Saxton said. "She has the skill and tremendous stamina that it takes to be a great college midfielder. She has demonstrated great leadership with both her high school and club teams and she should be a fixture in the MSU midfield throughout her career."
Stern, a forward, was a second-team all-state honoree on regional champion Northville, the same school that produced MSU's current leading scorer, Lauren Hill. She was a 2007 Regional ODP pool player in addition to her success in high school.
"Sarah brings an elite level of speed and overall athleticism to our program," Saxton said. "She will be one of the fastest players in our program's history and this combined with her go-to-goal mentality and tremendous air game will provide MSU with another dangerous attacking threat."
Dennis, a midfielder, played for the Michigan Hawks, leading the team to two club state championships and the U.S. Youth Soccer semifinals in 2007.
"Mikki is a very special late addition to our 2008 class," Saxton said. "She is a key player in the midfield where she has demonstrated the ability and potential to be an excellent college player. Mikki is a great ball-winner and she reads the game very well. She should provide immediate help to our midfield which has been depleted by graduation."
Peterson, also a midfielder, is an Illinois native and the only non-Michigan signee in the group. She was her high school team's offensive MVP and was named a 2008 Player to Watch by Top Drawer Soccer. She also played on the Illinois ODP team and the SYL ODP National Select and SYL North American Finals teams in 2005. Peterson's club team was the Eclipse Select.
"Hannah is a very skillful and quick player and she is capable of playing several attacking positions at the college level," Saxton said. SShe has been a key member as a `go-to' player for her nationally-renowned club. Hannah should provide immediate help in both the midfield and forward lines this fall."
Miller is a midfielder from nearby Okemos High School and she also played on the Michigan Hawks club team. She has played on several ODP state teams and was named honorable mention all-state in 2005. Miller's father is Kelly Miller, an All-American hockey player at MSU from 1981-85. She is also the cousin of former Spartan hockey standouts Drew and Ryan Miller.
"Taylor is a very skillful midfielder who reads the game very well," Saxton said. "Taylor comes from one of Michigan State's great sports families and we look forward to her continuing the Miller family tradition of excellence with our women's soccer program."
Accurso is a defender who served as team captain at Notre Dame Prep. She played on the ODP state team in 2006-07, and was named to the 2005 SYL regional player pool. Her club team was Vardar Elite.
"Jackie is an excellent student-athlete with a very strong record both in the classroom and on the field," Saxton said. "She is one of the best defenders in the state and she should help provide depth to the Spartan defense both this fall and in the future."
The Spartans return seven players - including three of the team's top four scorers - who started at least 10 matches last season. In all, MSU will return 20 of the 30 players on the 2007 roster.
