University of Minnesota Athletics
SOCCER ANNOUNCES 2001 RECRUITING CLASS
2/14/2001 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
"Overall, the 2001 incoming class is the most athletic group we have ever brought in," said Wickstrand. "Their competitive nature along with their technical skills and natural speed will help our team get to the next level."
Defender Ginny Jorde signed a national letter of intent and will join the Gophers after two seasons at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Md.. Jorde earned all-conference, all-region and Junior College All-America first-team honors last season.
The second player to sign a national letter of intent is Canadian Leah Kutcher. A forward from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kutcher is member of the Canadian National Team Pool and is currently playing on the Under-20 Canadian National Team. She starred at Queen Elizabeth High School, leading her team to three consecutive Provincial titles.
Christine Byrne, Jennifer Cressman, Anna Nudell Lee and Tierney Palmer- Klein will attend Minnesota and compete next fall as recruited non- scholarship athletes.
Byrne is a native of Saginaw, Mich., and played her high school soccer at Nouvel Catholic High School. She is a high school teammate of current Gopher Keely Dinse. Byrne is a strong and fast player who will be able to play several positions with the Gophers.
Cressman, a midfielder from Duluth, Minn., led her Duluth East High School team to a third-place finish in the Minnesota state tournament last season. She earned all-state tournament honors in 2000 and captured all-state honorable mention acclaim as a junior in 1999. She was a high school teammate of current Gopher Sarah FitzGerald.
Minneapolis native, Anna Nudell Lee transfers into the Gopher program after spending her first collegiate season at Seattle University in Washington. Last season, she helped the Redhawks to the NAIA Regional championship match and earned second-team NAIA All-America honors. Nudell Lee also earned unanimous All-Pacific West Conference honors and was tabbed as the conference's Freshman of the Year. She played her high school soccer at Minneapolis South, where she was a three-time All-Minneapolis City Conference selection.
Tierney Palmer-Klein also played at Minneapolis South High School. Palmer-Klein led South to the Minneapolis City Conference title in each of the last two seasons. She earned all-state honors as a senior and honorable mention all-state acclaim as a junior. Palmer-Klein was a three-time all-conference selection and attended Olympic Development Camps in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Minnesota opens its season on Aug. 31 at Xavier. The Gophers posted a record of 8-10-1 in 2000, the first season of Coach Wickstrand's tenure.
