SDSU WOMEN'S SOCCER ADDS MID-YEAR TRANSFER AND FIVE FRESHMEN TO RECRUITING CLASS, INCLUDING STEELE CANYON SENIOR

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Source:  goaztecs.com

Photo courtesy goaztecs.com

March 25, 2020 (San Diego) - Anna Toohey, who appeared in 38 games over the past two seasons at North Carolina State, transferred to San Diego State this spring and along with five freshmen, including a future Steele Canyon graduate, who have each signed a National Letter of Intent, will begin competing for the Aztecs next fall.

The five freshmen who have signed NLI’s include two San Diego products Angelina Espinal and Emma Gaines-Ramos, San Clemente’s Emily Lowe and Jamie George and Alexa Madueno from northern California.

“We are very excited to add in a quality group of student-athletes for 2020,” head women’s soccer coach Mike Friesen said. “This group will be a great compliment to the players that we already have.  The freshmen are all coming from quality club environments. Mustang, OC Surf, Placer and Rebels have done a great job in developing these players.”  

Toohey, a native of Winston-Salem, N.C., made eight starts in 38 appearances for the Wolfpack.  The forward/midfielder totaled five goals, assisted on another and fired home a pair of game winners. Last season she scored the game-winner in the regular season finale at No. 14 Louisville and also scored a goal in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Navy.  In addition, she had an assist on the second goal of a 3-1 win at No. 7 Georgetown and put a shot on frame at BYU in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2019 NCAA tourney.  In her freshman campaign, she recorded a career-best two goals in a game against George Washington.  She totaled 1,513 minutes over her two seasons at North Carolina State.

“We are really excited to have added such a quality person and player to our team,” Friesen said. “Anna is a versatile player who will definitely add to our attack next year.  She is a very good finisher who has tons of pace and her ability on the ball will also help create more chances for us.  Her competitive nature will add to the team as well.”

Espinal is a 5-4 forward/midfielder, who will graduate from Steele Canyon High School in Spring Valley, Calif.  The four-year letterwinner is a two-time captain and in 2017 was named the Grossmont Hills League (GHL) Freshman of the Year.  She is a three-time All-GHL performer and was twice a member of the All-CIF Team and a first-team All-CIF performer in 2019.  Her Steele Canyon team was the 2019 CIF Division I champion, the 2017 Grossmont Hills League champion and a CIF Open Division finalist in both 2017 and 2018. She played her club ball with the Rebels, where she twice received MVP honors.  She was a member of the ODP program from 2012-18 and has been a club captain since 2016.

“Angelina is a dynamic attacking player,” Friesen said. “She is very good with the ball at her feet, has the ability to play a final ball, and is very gritty.” 

Gaines-Ramos attends Otay Ranch High School in Chula Vista, Calif., and will graduate this semester.  The forward is a four-year letterwinner and for three years in a row, was named the team’s best attacking player and led her team in goals as a freshman.  The forward played her club soccer for the Rebels where she was a member of the 2018 U18 USYS national championship squad and competed in Cal South National Cup earning two championships and reaching the finals in three trips. She is a three-time California Regional League champion, a three-time Coast Soccer League champion, and a three-time Farwest Regional competitor as a quarterfinalist, a semifinalist and a champion. Gaines-Ramos was twice a US National League runner-up and in the classroom was an honor roll performer in each of her first three years.

“Emma is a player that I have watched develop over a long time,” Friesen said.  “I’m excited to see the impact she will have in our attack.  Emma has a great attacking mentality and will be able to create for herself and others.”

Lowe, a forward/midfielder from just up the I-5 in San Clemente, will graduate from San Clemente High School in May.  She is a four-year member of the Superintendent’s Honor Roll, Lowe did not compete for San Clemente, but participated in Associated Student Body from 2017-2020, Model Congress for the last two years and was in the Assisteen Charity League from 2015-20.  Her club affiliation was with OC Surf where among other highlights was a Summer 2018 Surf Cup finalist, a fifth-place finisher in the 2018-19 U17/17 Southwest Division and a 2017 US Youth Futsal National Team member.

“Emily is a very good flank player,” Friesen said. “We feel like she will be able to be dangerous getting up and down the line and getting into the attack.”

George, a defender/midfielder, is a product of Monte Vista High School in Danville, Calif. The three-year letterwinner was a member of the 2018 East Bay Athletic League (EBAL) and North Coast Section (NCS) champion a team which finished the year as the No. 1 ranked high school team in the nation.  In addition, the team was the 2019 EBAL and CIF Champion and George is a three-time CIF Scholar-Athlete. She competed for Mustang Legends from 2015-20 and was the team captain from 2017-20.  She won Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) Northwest Conference championships in 2015-16 (U14), 2016-17 (U15), 2017-18 (U16) and 2018-19 (U17), reached the quarterfinals of the ECNL National Championship in 2018-19 (U17) and was the third-place finisher in 2017-18 (U16).

“Jamie is a very good player,” Friesen said. “She is good on the ball, aggressive and a good ball striker.  She has some great intangible qualities that we are excited to add to our team.”

Madueno, a goalkeeper, will graduate from Pioneer High School in Woodland, Calif.  She is a three-year letterwinner and a two-time All-Tri County Conference (TCC) performer.  A member of the National Honor Society, she competed in basketball at Pioneer where her 2018-19 squad won the TCC championship. Madueno played club soccer for FC Elk Grove where among other accomplishments, she was a member of the state and regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) teams and competed in the 2017 ODP national training camp.

“I am excited to have Alexa in our program,” Friesen said. “She is a very brave goalkeeper, who is also a good shot stopper and is exceptional with her feet.  We have been building toward having a goalkeeper who can play a variety of balls to start our attack.”


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