Women's Soccer Announces Its 2006 Recruiting Class
02/20/2006 | Women's Soccer
Feb. 20, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - University of Richmond women's soccer head coach Peter Albright announced today that nine players will join the Spiders for the 2006 campaign after signing National Letters of Intent. Carter Blair, Erin Iman, Jessie Knight, Nora Mann, Kelsey Rdzanek, Jen Ruhe, Kristin Runey, Kate Rutkowski, and Kristen Stalter will complete the Spiders' recruiting class of 2006, which Albright describes as "a balanced mix of position players, all of whom have earned distinction at both the club and high school level."
Blair (Collegiate School/Richmond Strikers/Richmond, Va.) is a two-time All-Met and three-time All-LIS player who earned the team's Defensive MVP award in 2005. Blair will play outside and center back for the Spiders.
Iman (Fallston H.S./ SAC United/Bel Air, Md.), a goalkeeper who has earned All-League and All-Hartford County honors for two seasons, has been a member of the Maryland ODP Team and the Washington Freedom Player Development Team and will be competing immediately for the starting goalie spot for the Spiders.
Knight (Perry Hall H.S./ Parkville Elite S.C./ Baltimore Md.), a pure striker, is a three-time All-Baltimore County player who earned the 2005 Baltimore County Player of the Year award. Starring for Parkville S.C. and the Maryland ODP team, she is a proven scorer who will succeed at the striker position for the Spiders.
Mann (St. Andrews/Bethesda Md.) was the team MVP for St. Andrews, as well as a first team All-League and Honorable Mention Washington Post All-Met as a forward. She has also been a regular with the Maryland ODP Team and will play center midfield and forward for the Spiders.
Rdzanek (Saranac Lake H.S., Saranac Lake N.Y.), the 2005 CVAC Player of the Year and a NY All-State Honoree, will play attacking center midfield for the Spiders.
Ruhe (Urbana H.S./FC Frederick/ Frederick, Md.), a First Team All-State selection (MD) and a member of the Region I ODP team, brings skill and breakaway speed to the attacking midfield position.
Runey (Collegiate School, Richmond Strikers, Richmond, Va.) plays holding midfielder for both club and high school teams, and has earned All-LIS and All-Met honors for Collegiate.
Rutkowski (Hun School/West Windsor Riptide/ Flemington N.J.), a three-time All-League and two-time All-State Defender, is a three-sport athlete whose size and speed will enable her to excel in the Spiders' system.
Stalter (Strongsville H.S./Cleveland FC/Strongsville Ohio), a member of the U-16 National team and two-time Ohio State Champion, is a playmaking forward who will bring flair and skill to the Spiders' attack.
Albright is excited about the nine Spiders that will be joining him next season and about the immediate impact that they should have on the program. "Although we have landed a top goalkeeper and three excellent defenders, this is a recruiting class that is heavily weighted towards attacking players," stated Albright.
"The quality of any recruiting class is ultimately determined by on-field performance, and I think that this class may prove to have the best combination of quality and depth that we've ever had. We are committed to returning to the top of the A-10 and competing on the national scene. This class, combined with our 2005 class, positions us to do just that."