After its second consecutive undefeated regular season, Stanford should be well-equipped to make another run at a women’s soccer title next year, as the team announced yesterday an impressive class of freshmen that will be joining the squad in the fall. The 2011 recruiting class brings six new players to the Cardinal, including five players with youth national team experience, two state players of the year and two Bay Area natives.
The class consists of forward Alex Doll (Bethesda, Md.), midfielder Hannah Farr (Hillsborough, Calif.), midfielder Lo’eau LaBonta (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), midfielder Haley Rosen (Rolling Hills, Calif.), defender Lauren Schmidt (San Martin, Calif.) and forward Chioma Ubogagu (Coppell, Texas).
The class of 2015 will bolster a Stanford roster that, despite losing Hermann Trophy winner Christen Press to graduation, returns nine starters, including four All-Americans and eight All-Pac-10 honorees.
Doll was named the Girls’ High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year last season, when she posted 12 goals and 19 assists as she led Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School to its third consecutive state title. As a forward—the same position played by the departing Press—Doll should bring strong passing ability and versatility on offense.
The sole two-sport athlete of the class, Farr will also be playing lacrosse on the Farm. She played a key role bringing St. Ignatius Prep of San Francisco to the 2011 Central Coast Section Division II final with an 11-goal, three-assist season. A midfielder, Farr has been praised by Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe for her “superb mentality” on the field.
The other two midfielders in the recruiting class, LaBonta and Rosen, are also California natives. LaBonta was named CIF Southern Section’s best offensive player after notching 17 goals and 11 assists last season, while Rosen scored a remarkable 22 goals and 17 assists in her senior season at Palos Verdes High.
Schmidt, the only defender in Stanford’s recruiting class, was the team captain for Trinidad & Tobago during the FIFA U-17 World Cup last fall. She also helped a local club team, the Mountain View-Los Altos Avalanche, to the 2011 Cal-North State Cup Championship.
Rounding out the class is Ubogagu, ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. A member of the U.S. U-20 national team, Ubogagu holds a weighted GPA of 4.975 and is the reigning Gatorade Texas Player of the Year. Known for her quick acceleration and explosive offense, she is a four-time Dallas Morning News first-team All-American.
Stanford’s recent crop of recruits’ first chance for collegiate action will be when the Cardinal opens its 2011 season versus Penn State on Aug. 19 at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium.