Coming off one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history, the Boston University women’s soccer team announced its Class of 2016 on April 10.
The Terriers will add seven freshmen to their roster, which includes 20 returning players.
“They’re a lively bunch, an enthusiastic bunch,” said BU coach Nancy Feldman. “Personality-wise, I think they’re going to come in and I think we’re going to know they’re there.
“There’s joy and enthusiasm with the group.”
Of the seven new members in next year’s squad, there is one goaltender, two defenders and four attackers.
The lone goaltender of the incoming class hails from La Mirada, Calif. Sarah Carrick, the only member of her recruitment class who does not live in New England, was the starting goaltender at La Mirada High School her freshman year. During her time at La Mirada, Carrick was named to the 2009 and 2011 Suburban League Champion teams. The 2009 season featured Carrick shutting out every team until the 2009 California Interscholastic Federation Quarterfinals. Carrick was most recently voted to the CIF Division 3 All-Stars Team for the 2011-12 season.
McKenzie Hollenbaugh of Glastonbury, Conn., and Lauren Maclellan of Springfield, Conn., make up the freshman defenders. Hollenbaugh, a four-year All-Conference selection, was the captain of her high school soccer team that went to the state championship during her senior year. Hollenbaugh was named to the All-State and All-New England Teams during her junior and senior years.
MacLellan was a part of the Minnechaug Regional High School soccer team that won back-to-back Western Massachusetts Championships in 2008 and 2009. During her freshman season, MacLellan scored the game-winning goal to lead her team to victory. During her junior year, MacLellan was named the Division I Most Valuable Player after leading all the Division I players in scoring. She was the captain of her high school team during her senior year. MacLellan can play as either a defender or a midfielder.
On offense, BU will have three Massachusetts natives and one player originally from London.
Bridgewater native Rachel Blauner was a starter on the East Bridgewater High School soccer team all four years. Blauner ranks No. 27 on TopDrawerSoccer.com’s list of the best players in the country for the incoming class. Blauner is a four-time South Shore League All-Star and a two-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic. Blauner scored 102 goals during her high school career.
Clare Pleuler of Gloucester, like many of her classmates, was a four-year starter at her high school. She was captain of her team both her junior and senior seasons, leading it to two Northeastern Conference Championships. In the process, Pleuler was a four-time Northeastern Conference All-Star and was named to the Eastern Massachusetts All-Star First Team twice.
Rounding out the local players is Jenna Fisher. The Springfield native scored 40 goals and had 20 assists during her career at Longmeadow High School. Fisher earned a multitude of accolades during the course of her career as the two-time captain was a three-time All-Western Mass selection, with two stints on the All-State Team. She was also a part of the All-New England Team as a senior, while being selected as a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Scholar All-American.
Hailing from London but living in Redding, Conn., Lily Creighton finishes off the offensive squad from the incoming class. Creighton was a three-time All-State selection. Creighton was named a Top-20 Player in Connecticut as a senior and was a two-time team captain.
“They’re a pretty competitive group,” Feldman said. “Across the board, there’s a good confidence in their own ability, and that’s a good thing. They’re humble, they’re not bragging, but they all seem to have a good, healthy confidence in their ability to make a contribution here.”
Feldman said her goal in the recruiting process was to come across players that fit in with the “BU Type.”
“We started to learn out of the 16, 17 years around here what is a BU kid,” Feldman said. “They’re kids that are prospects that are looking for a college environment academically that is a challenge.
“It’s more the attitude they bring of ‘Yes, I want to get a Boston University education . . . I want to be at BU because its reputation and all the things I’ve heard,’ and so we start to kind of shape our recruiting class based on who’s attracted to that and who wants that.”
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