Feb. 2, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State women's soccer head coach Erica Walsh announced Wednesday that four high school seniors will be on the 2011 Nittany Lion squad in August. Walsh welcomed Kori Chapic (Novelty, Ohio), Whitney Church (Ashburn, Va.), Britt Eckerstrom (Germantown, Md.) and Kindrah Kohne (Homer, N.Y.) on the first day of the signing period.
"We are incredibly pleased with our class of 2011," said Walsh. "We feel like we have met all of our needs and have brought in four student-athletes who will help us achieve our lofty goals of winning a Big Ten title and returning to the College Cup."
Chapic, a 2010 ESPN Rise All-American Second Team honoree, is a highly regarded forward who helped lead her West Geauga High team to the state quarterfinals and a 19-1-2 mark. The four-time Chagrin Valley Conference First Team selection was named to two All-State First Team and All-Region squads her junior and senior seasons, while being named the Chagrin Valley Conference MVP three times. On the club level, Chapic played for the Cleveland Cobras, who won the 2010 and 2011 championships of indoor soccer.
"Kori is a natural leader and big personality player out of Ohio," Walsh said. "The physical nature of her game and her work ethic will make her one of our most versatile players and will allow her to challenge for a spot in any number of positions. She is a gifted athlete, a true competitor and will be a great player for us here at Penn State."
In addition to those honors, Chapic was named All-Cleveland First Team and News Herals Player of the Year three times, respectively. Although she made her mark in soccer, Chapic was also a standout track athlete, earning four letters and reaching the Ohio finals in the 300m hurdles and 4x400m relay. She was also a participant in the New Balance National Meet in the 4x400m relay.
"If having the same birthday as Joe Paterno was not a big enough sign," Chapic noted. "The soccer coaches, the educational opportunities, and the atmosphere sure captured my attention! The minute I stepped on campus it just felt right. It's where I belong."
On the other end of the field, Church will provide stability to the Penn State defensive ranks as she is the No. 2 rated defender in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer.com, the same ranking that put her 10th overall in the 2011 class. Church was named to the 2011 NSCAA All-Region squad after leading her Broad Run High team to its third straight Virginia state title.
"Whitney reads the game as well or better than any defender in her class," Walsh gushed. "Her soccer brain combined with her athleticism and ability in the air will help her to step into the college game right away and challenge for a spot in the back for us. She is a tremendously talented defender and a very good overall soccer player and will be a great addition to our team."
The tenacious defender earned VHSL AA State, Region and District Player of the Year this past Fall, while being named to the All-State First Team for the second consecutive year. Church plays her club soccer with the Loudoun U-18 squad, which was third in the Disney Showcase and has made numerous trips around the world with her ODP teams. In 2009, Church received three invitations to train with the U.S. U-17 squad.
"I chose Penn State because the moment I stepped on the campus, I felt at home," said Church. "It just felt like the right place to be and with the top of the line soccer program, I knew it would be the school I wanted to go to."
An accomplished goalkeeper, Eckerstrom will bring her athleticism to Penn State as a standout soccer player and an outstanding track athlete. Currently the No. 1 500m sprinter in the country, Eckerstrom is the No. 4 rated goalkeeper and 74th overall recruit in the 2011 class as ranked by TopDrawerSoccer.com. Eckerstrom is a previous member of the United States U-17 and U-18 National Teams in the past two years, respectively.
"Britt is absolutely one of the top goalkeepers in the country in the 2011 class," Walsh noted. "The addition of Britt will make the goalkeeper training environment the best and most challenging it has been in my four years here. She is a fantastic player and I expect her to have a great career."
Presently, Eckerstrom is a member of the FC Frederick club squad, a team she has served as captain since 2004, which reached the Maryland Cup Finals in 2010. Additionally, Eckerstom played ODP soccer with Church and traveled extensively through that program. On the track she has lettered 12 times between cross country and track and earned numerous decorations and accolades through her four-year high school career.
"I chose Penn State because of the quality of the women's soccer program," Eckerstom said. "And the awesome school spirit."
The final piece of the 2011 class is Kohne, a hard-nosed midfielder out of the Syracuse area at Homer High, where she earned five letters. Kohne has twice been named All-League and All-Central New York during her high school career and helped her team win OHSL titles in 2006 and 2010.
"Kindrah is a tenacious player with incredible work ethic and leadership ability," Walsh said. "Her versatility, and competitiveness will make her an invaluable asset to our team and will allow her to have a great career here at Penn State. "
Also a standout track athlete, Kohne won the 2010 Section 3 600m championship and was named All-League First Team in 2009 for indoor track. Her club team is Empire Syracuse, which earned fourth in the Region 1 League and captured the U.S. Club National and Mid-Atlantic Cup Championships. Kohne's older sister, Kazzondrah, is a Penn State student in the studying criminal law and justice program.
"I chose Penn State because the first time I walked on campus and felt the atmosphere," said Kohne. "I felt like it was where I belonged."
The Nittany Lions begin their exhibition Spring season on Feb. 26 at Holuba Hall with a three-team round-robin setup. Penn State takes on Akron at 4:00 p.m. before it hosts Saint Joseph's at 6:45 p.m. in Holuba Hall. Akron and St. Joe's play at 5:15 p.m. All games will be 60 minutes in length and a free clinic will take place at 8 p.m. The complete 2011 Spring schedule will be announced early next week. The 13-time defending Big Ten Champions kick off their 2011 season in August with a road swing to California in a quest for Penn State's 14th straight Big Ten title.
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--NITTANY LIONS--