ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell women's soccer team has announced that six student-athletes will join the team for the 2020 season, which will be the first under the direction of recently-appointed head coach Rob Ferguson.
 
"Similar to our 2019 class, I expect our 2020 class to come in and compete for key roles immediately," Ferguson said. "These young ladies come from top-class club environments, where they have been challenged to improve and compete on a national level for a number of years now. I am excited to see them add to our culture and identity, on and off the field, as we begin this process of taking Cornell women's soccer back to the top."
 
The additions will join a Big Red squad that posted a three-win improvement in 2019 over 2018 while seeing several underclasswomen earn prominent roles. Among those key returners for Cornell are sophomore midfielder/forward Ashley Durik, who garnered All-Ivy League honorable mention last season. Sophomore Nicole Shulman was the Big Red's primary goalkeeper around a stint with the Israeli national team at the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, and junior midfielder/forward Jadyn Matthews also has international experience having helped Jamaica qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2019.
 
The Big Red's additions arrive from a variety of regions, including imports from the West Coast to the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest and to the Northeast megalopolis.

The Newcomers

Michaela Ferrario
Midfielder — 5-foot-9 — San Ramon, Calif. (Stanford OHS / California Thorns FC)
•  Ferguson on Ferrario: "A strong technical and dynamic attacking midfielder who has the nuance to unlock opponents with both her 1v1 ability and her vision to pick passes. Michaela brings the best out of those around her with her unselfish play, while still having the ability to change a game in a key moment. Michaela joins us from the California Thorns DA U18/19 team and also attended U.S. Soccer Training Centers from 2013 to 2017."
 
Mia Gonzalez
Defender — 5-foot-10 — Westport, Conn. (Staples HS / FC Connecticut)
•  Ferguson on Gonzalez: "A confident and very well-rounded defender who can play centrally or wide. Mia is strong in the air, has excellent 1v1 defending qualities. Her quickness, fitness and versatility suggest she will take to the college game immediately. Mia joins us from a very competitive CFC 02G ECNL team, perennial contenders at the top end of the ECNL. Mia also captains her Staples HS team, where she was three-year 1st Team All-FCIAC, two-time All-State selection, and once an All-New England pick. She led her team to two state finals and 2 FCIAC finals, including a championship win and MVP of FCIAC championship game.
 
Ava Laden
Midfielder — 5-foot-6 — Denver, Colo. (Regis Jesuit HS / Colorado Rapids)
•  Ferguson on Laden: "An excellent attacking threat who likes to run at opponents with and without the ball. Powerful, technical and can score goals. Ava has speed to burn and the knack to go past players 1v1 in the attacking part of the field. Ava joins us from the Colorado Rapids U18/19 ECNL team, where she has been the leading goal scorer at the DA and ECNL levels of play. Ava has been a constant goal-scoring threat wherever she has played, including offensive MVP since sophomore year; leading goal scorer since sophomore year; all-state first team; all-continental league first team; captain; academic all-state team at the high school level."
 
Jackie Lasseter
Defender — 5-foot-4 — Centennial, Colo. (Cherry Creek HS / Real Colorado)
•  Ferguson on Lasseter: "A determined, fit, hardworking and technical right defender. Jackie brings an incredible sense of calm self-confidence with her, quietly going about her business eliminating offensive threats with her 1v1 defending skills and her physical speed and strength. Offensively, Jackie has good vision, can pick passes short and long and will join the attack in possession. Jackie join us from the Real Colorado U18/19 DA team where she was a national champion in 2018, and she has attended US Training Centers from 2012 to 2016."
 
Reagan Pauwels
Midfielder — 5-foot-6 — Wall, N.J. (Red Bank Catholic / Players Development Academy)
•  Ferguson on Pauwels: "A tremendous box to box midfielder. Fit, tenacious and feisty defensively, while possessing an attacking threat to create and score goals in key moments. A left-footed central player who will add good balance to our team, front to back and left to right. Reagan comes to us having played a pivotal role for the PDA 02G Blue ECNL team for many years, including winning the 2019 ECNL National Championship. Reagan is a Next Gen Regional Player, First Team All Shore and First Team All Parochial."
 
Sophia Weeter
Midfielder — 5-foot-8 — Zionsville, Ind. (Brebeuf Jesuit Prep / FC Pride)
•  Ferguson on Weeter: "A tenacious central midfielder who can operate in a holding role and control the tempo of a game while breaking up opponents' attacks or in an attacking role, where she can be dynamic and an attacking threat in the final third. Sophia is a competitor with tremendous mental strength. She can beat players 1v1, has good fitness levels and importantly sees the game and field very well, allowing her to control games. Sophie joins us from FC Pride U18/19 ECNL team where she captained her team to the ECNL Quarterfinals in 2019. At the high school level, Sophie has been nominated for IndyStar Girls Soccer Player of the Year 2019 is a four-year varsity player, varsity captain, three-time 1st Team All-County selection, 1st Team All-District selection, two-time Academic All-State pick, and a 1st Team All-State pick.