Hurricanes Ink Eight to 2007 Women's Soccer Signing Class

Hurricanes Ink Eight to 2007 Women's Soccer Signing Class

Feb. 9, 2007

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Head coach Tricia Taliaferro is pleased to announce the signing of eight rising freshmen to National Letter of Intents to play soccer at the University of Miami beginning in the fall of 2007.

“This class will definitely help us accomplish the goals we have set for the program,” said Taliaferro, who wrapped up her fifth season with the Hurricanes in 2006. “They have the size, strength, speed and flair needed to compete and win at the national level. This is a versatile group that will certainly push our returning players and help us rise in the ranks of the ACC and get us back into postseason play.”

The class includes two-time New Jersey Player of the Year Brittney Steinbruch (Wyckoff, N.J.), a 5-7 midfielder/forward, who has compiled 63 goals and 63 assists in the last three seasons with Ramapo High School. She led the team to the 2006 state championship, as well as three straight sectional titles. A three-time member of the New Jersey Olympic Development (ODP) team, Steinbruch has also played club soccer with the PDA Fury since 2001, winning various tournaments, including both the New Jersey State National Series and Las Vegas College Showcase in 2006.

Also joining the Hurricanes in 2007 is 5-10 defender Brittney Macdonald (Littleton, Colo.). The 2006 NSCAA/adidas Girls All-American has been involved with Colorado’s ODP team since 2003 and was a member of the 2006 Region IV team. She currently plays club soccer with Real Colorado, winners of the 2005 Disney Showcase and 2006 state cup, and was a 2006 first-team all-state, academic all-state and all-conference pick for Denver’s JK Mullen High School after leading to the team to the league title, a runner-up state finish and to a top-25 national ranking by the NSCAA. Macdonald is also a standout in the classroom, belonging to several honor societies.

Lauren Singer (Mt. Sinai, N.Y.), a 5-7midfielder/forward, has been involved with New York’s ODP teams since 2001 and has been a national pool player since 2004. She plays club soccer with the Massapequa Rascals United, and played prep soccer for four years with Mt. Sinai High School. There she compiled 89 goals and 34 assists in en route to three playoff appearances and all-league, all-conference, all-county and all-state honors as a senior.

Lauren Kaiser (Alexandria, Va.), is a 5-5 defender who has been active with Virginia’s ODP team since 2003, and played with the Region I team in 2006. She also plays club soccer with the Lee Mount Vernon Soccer Club Patriots, and earned Washington Post All-Met, first-team all-district and second-team all-region honors as a junior with three-time district runner-up Thomas Edison High School.

Two-time all-conference selection Katie Oddo (Granite Bay, Calif.) is a 5-5 midfielder for a Granite Bay High School program that has won the conference title for four straight years. She competed in the 2006 ODP national competition and has also played club soccer for 10 years with the San Juan Spirits, alongside fellow Miami signee Jill Satterthwaite (Lodi, Calif.). The teammates won the National U.S. Club Championships in both 2003 (U-14) and 2006 (U-17). Satterthwaite, a 5-2 defender, was a two-time varsity lettewinner at Lodi High School, where she also earned scholar-athlete recognition.

Leigh Van Lear (Burke, Va.), a 5-9 midfielder out of Lake Braddock Secondary School, helped the Bruins to the 2006 state title, a pair of district titles and to a regional championship in the last three years. As a member of the Virginia ODP team in 2002, she played internationally in France and Spain. Since 2004, Van Lear has also played club soccer with Vista United, a program perennially ranked first among Division I U-19 Washington Area Girls Soccer League teams.

Rounding out the 2007 women’s soccer signing class for the Hurricanes is 5-7 goalkeeper Kyle Kocarek (Naperville, Ill.). She played with the Illinois ODP team in 2005 and has played club soccer with the Chicago Fire Juniors since 2005, winning several tournaments, including the 2006 Orange Classic. In addition, Kocarek has played in 57.5 games over the last three years for Naperville Central High School, compiling a 1.08 goals against average as a junior to earn all-conference and all-sectional honorable mention accolades.