UCI adds 11 recruits

UC Irvine women’s soccer coach Scott Juniper announced that 11 players have signed national letters of intent to compete for the Anteaters beginning next season.

The class includes three players from Orange County, five from other Southern California locales, two from Northern California and one from Arizona.

Carly Crowder, a forward at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, was Most Valuable Offensive Player in the Mission League in 2006-07, when she was also named to the all-area team by the Pasadena Star News. She was also a captain for her Real So Cal Blue club team.

Sarah Devine, a defender at Poway High in San Diego County, was named team MVP the last two seasons. She also plays club for the Rancho Santa Fe Attack.

Kelly Block, a forward from Desert Mountain High in Arizona, received honorable mention in voting for the all-region team. She also competed for the Arizona Olympic Development Program.

Brianna Edwards is a 6-foot forward at Santa Margarita High, while Lexi and Jordan Korf have both helped Sonora High to recent success, including an undefeated season in 2006-07. Lexi is a forward and Jordan is a defender.

Stevie Mersola, a midfielder at Village Christian High, is a four-year prep starter who has been a first-team all-league performer. She is also a captain for her club team, Real So Cal Blue.

Judy Christopher is a midfielder out of Upland High, who has also competed for the Newport Beach-based Slammers club program. She was on Slammers squads that won back-to-back national titles.

Erica Quevedo is a goalkeeper at North Hills Prep who has competed for the Slammers and Arsenal club programs.

Alexis Rafael is a forward at Lincoln High in Stockton, while Shea Roberts is a midfielder at Folsom High. Roberts also competes for the San Juan Spirits club team.

“We are thrilled to announce our 2008 Class and I am extremely excited about how these players will help to drive our program forward in the next few years,” Juniper said. “We have been through an extremely diligent process of identification and evaluation to put this class together and we are confident that we have a group of players here to take UCI women’s soccer to the next level.”

The Anteaters were 11-7-2 in 2007, 5-2-1 in the Big West Conference, which was good for a tie for third place in Juniper’s initial season at the helm.

UCI lost, 2-1, in double overtime to top-seeded Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals of the postseason Big West Tournament. It was the Anteaters’ first tournament appearance since 2003.

— From staff reports