CALDWELL, N.J. – The Caldwell College women’s soccer team will add 10 new players for the fall of 2009, coach Nate Guagliardi announced. The recruiting, which consists of eight incoming freshmen and two transfers students, joins 13 returnees from last year’s 8-11-1 squad that advanced to the semifinals of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Tournament.
“We are excited to add this group of talented players to our program this year,” said Guagliardi, the 2008 CACC Coach of the Year. “With so many quality players joining our returnees, there will be a lot of competition for playing time at all positions, and our depth will be one of our strengths.”
The transfer students include junior forward Jackie D’Orsaneo of Bowie, Md., and sophomore defender Chelsea Wuesthoff of Randolph, N.J. D’Orsaneo led Division III Guilford College in scoring last season with eight goals and eight assists for 24 points. The older sister of current Cougar Nikki D’Orsaneo (Bowie, MD/Bowie), Jackie D’Orsaneo also spent a year at Anne Arundel Community College, where she was a second team All-American in 2007. Wuesthoff comes to Caldwell after playing one season at Division I Louisiana Tech, where she saw action in seven games. A graduate of Randolph High School, Wuesthoff played in international tournaments in Holland, Spain and Brazil as a member of the New York Magic club team.
Six of the incoming freshmen are from New Jersey, including four defenders. Marissa Chambers of Clayton was a first team all-conference performer at Clayton High School. Jackie Crankshaw of Lanoka Harbor earned a spot on the Star-Ledger all-Ocean County third team as a senior at Lacey Township High School. Burcu Kulaksiz of Lyndhurst was named to the all-Bergen County Scholastic League first team twice and received all-Bergen County honorable mention three times while at Lyndhurst High School. Sarah Royse of Northvale was selected to the New Jersey all-Group 3 third team and made the all-Bergen County second team as a senior at Old Tappan High School.
The other student-athletes from New Jersey who are joining the Cougars are forward Gabrielle Jimenez of West New York, and midfielder Ashley Parent of Minotola. Jimenez was named to the all-Hudson County first team by the Star-Ledger as a senior at Memorial High School, while Parent received honorable mention all-League honors as a senior at Buena Regional High School, where she was a three-year starter.
The lone goalkeeper in this year’s class is Kristina Cabales of Islip Terrace, N.Y. Cabales was a member of the Long Island ODP squad and also was chosen all-League as a senior at East Islip High School. Another New York native, midfielder Alanna Kohler of Mahopac, earned all-League honors at Mahopac High School.
The Cougars lost three seniors from last year’s team, including all-Region and all-CACC first team forward Kristee Paknis (Whiting, NJ/Manchester), all-CACC second team midfielder Samantha Rinks (Corinth, TX/Billy Ryan), and forward Kim Fenton (Galloway Twp., NJ/Absegami), who received all-CACC honorable mention as a junior and senior.
