THIBODAUX, La. -- Nicholls State University head women's soccer coach Danny Free successfully completed his 2020 recruiting class earlier on Friday, securing an impressive 18 signees set to join the Colonels on the pitch come next fall. The group features four transfers along with 14 prospects directly out of high school, all hailing from wide variety of locations including Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Florida and even Iceland.

"The Nicholls Soccer staff is extremely excited to officially announce our 2020 signing class, something we have been working very hard on for some time," Free said. "This spring we were able to work with a very talented but small group of 13 returning players, and this group of new players will be walking into a program in which the current players know the standards and the direction we want to go in. Our current girls have laid a fantastic foundation for themselves and the classes to come to be successful.

"Knowing we would have a small squad this spring, our staff identified adding depth to our roster for the fall to help with our demanding game schedule and injuries while also adding depth and competitiveness to our roster. The group of players coming in -- which includes four transfers -- will bring a quality competitive edge to our environment this year. They all possess the character traits we want in our student-athletes on and off the field, and we are buzzing to see what they can achieve as a collective group this upcoming season."

CLASS OF 2020 SIGNEES
Name: Ester Hardardóttir
Hometown: Reykjavík, Iceland
Previous School: Georgia Southern
Club: Próttur FC
Position: Forward
HC Danny Free: "Ester is an experienced forward who joins us from Georgia Southern. She is a natural attacker who loves to get in behind and score goals. Primarily playing as a number nine, she can also play out wide or as an attacking mid. Ester brings a wealth of experience from Iceland and the Division I level here in the states and we're excited for the impact she will make at Nicholls."

Name: Kajol Prasad
Hometown: Wylie, Texas
Previous School: Blinn College
Club: Solar Chelsea
Position: Defender
HC Danny Free: "KP joined us this spring after a successful two years at Blinn College where she earned her associate's degree. She is a center back who reads the game very well and isn't afraid to let her opponent know they are in for a tough test. Her experience will help a young core of defenders this upcoming season."

Name: Reagan Carter
Hometown: Mineral Wells, Texas
Previous School: Eastern New Mexico
Club: Dallas Texans
Position: Goalkeeper
AC Alexsis Cable: "Reagan comes to our program as a transfer from ENMU and highly recommended by multiple coaches. She is a very confident goalkeeper and has the technical ability and decision making skills to do well at the next level. She is a very smart, hard-working player who we know will have a positive impact on our program."

Name: Madison McReynolds
Hometown: Warrenton, Va.
Previous School: University of British Columbia
Club: Freedom Futbol Club
Position: Midfielder
HC Danny Free: "Madison will be joining her sister Mallory at Nicholls next season after transferring in from a school in Canada. Madison will be studying nursing at our fantastic nursing program. She can play as a holding mid or even a center back, and her maturity and knowledge of the game from playing at several well-run clubs in the past will help her immensely."

Name: Mallory McReynolds
Hometown: Warrenton, Va.
High School: Highland School
Club: Virginia Soccer Association
Position: Forward
HC Danny Free: "Mallory was our first commitment as a new staff early last fall. She came to us highly recommended from several coaches at my former club in Virginia. She is a forward who can hold the ball up when needed but also has the ability to get in behind of a back four. She loves a trick and we can't wait to see her score some goals in Colonel red next fall."

Name: Kyla Manning
Hometown: Raceland, La.
High School: Central Lafourche HS
Club: HTSA Ladyhawks
Position: Defender
HC Danny Free: "Kyla comes to us after a very successful high school career at Central Lafourche just down the road in Raceland. Kyla has that winning mentality and has all the attributes to be successful at the next level. As a full back or as a winger, Kyla has the ability to beat players one-on-one when in possession and she's hard to beat when the roles are reversed."

Name: Gabrielle Champagne
Hometown: Houma, La.
High School: Terrebonne HS
Club: Louisiana Fire
Position: Midfielder/Forward
HC Danny Free: "Gabby had been on our radar for a while and we're excited to see her put on the uniform for her local university. Gabby can play anywhere in a front three or as a number 10. She can link very well with midfielders and also has an eye for goal. She loves the game of soccer and that commitment to the game is something she will expect and get from her teammates next fall."

Name: Koryn Barrett
Hometown: Houma, La.
High School: Houma Christian School
Club: HTSA Ladyhawks
Position: Midfielder
HC Danny Free: "Koryn is one of the hardest working soccer players I have ever seen. She never stops running and she never stops giving 110 percent. As a number 10 she is very effective creating scoring opportunities in the final third and her ability to press and win the ball high up the field will enable us to defend and press high tempo. As another local girl, she will be ready to impress us and her teammates this fall."

Name: Mariana Ignacia Vazquez
Hometown: Texas City, Texas
High School: Dickinson HS
Position: Goalkeeper
HC Danny Free: "Lulu will be joining us while also being a part of our highly successful Nicholls Softball program as a catcher. She is a goalkeeper who possesses all the athletic attributes to keep the ball out of the net. As a dual athlete it shows what type of person and student she is, and she will be an integral part of our young goalkeepers union."

Name: Kelsie Gulczynski
Hometown: Prairieville, La.
High School: Dutchtown HS
Club: Baton Rouge Soccer Club
Position: Midfielder
HC Danny Free: "Kelsie is another Louisiana girl who we have known about for some time. She had a very successful high school career at Dutchtown and I know she can't wait to get going at the collegiate level. She has the attributes to play almost anywhere on the pitch. Primarily a number eight midfielder, she also has the knowledge and skill to play as an outside athlete. Her hunger and desire on and off the ball is contagious and her teammates will see that from day one."

Name: Katelyn Bonifacio
Hometown: McKinney, Texas
High School: McKinney HS
Club: Dallas Texans
Position: Defender
AC Alexsis Cable: "Katelyn is a true outside back with a lot of energy and raw talent. She has experience playing against top attackers and is a tough one to beat one-on-one. Her understanding of the game combined with her athleticism will make her a great defender for us."

Name: Junel Quintero
Hometown: Katy, Texas
High School: Cinco Ranch HS
Club: Challenge Soccer Club
Position: Midfielder
HC Danny Free: "Junel is a very talented and skillful midfielder. She can play anywhere in the middle in a two or a three and has the engine to go 18-to-18 for 90 minutes. She brings a creative flair with her and I'm sure she will be creating and scoring goals for us in the years to come."

Name: Kristy Castelan
Hometown: Hewitt, Texas
High School: Midway HS
Club: Dallas Texans
Position: Midfielder
AC Alexsis Cable: "Kristy is a great center midfielder with the versatility to play multiple roles in our lineup. She is skilled at going at defenders and successfully creating goal-scoring opportunities. She's come from a great club and will excel for us next fall."

Name: Valeria Vargas Leon
Hometown: Spring, Texas
High School: Oak Ridge HS
Club: Texas Premier Soccer
Position: Goalkeeper
HC Danny Free: "Valeria is also part of our young goalkeeper union. She is a shot stopper who will throw any part of her body in the way to stop the ball. She is a confident goalkeeper who also possesses the ability to play out of the back and command her back line. Her attitude and positivity will help our young team create the culture they want going forward."

Name: Caitlin Green
Hometown: Friendswood, Texas
High School: Friendswood HS
Club: Houston Dash
Position: Defender
HC Danny Free: "Caitlin is a player who will be joining our young core of defenders next year. She can play anywhere in the back line but is most effective as a number two or three where she likes to be able to join the attack more often than not. Caitlin comes from a fantastic club environment so she will be well prepared when she joins our ranks next fall."

Name: Gianna Mitchell
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
High School: Cardinal Gibbons HS
Club: Sunrise Prime FC
Position: Midfielder/Defender
HC Danny Free: "Gianna joins us from Florida and her experience playing in the ECNL is something we can't wait to see in Colonel red. A very technical midfielder who reads the game very well as a number six or eight. When Gianna came up on our radar, we knew she was going to be the perfect type of player for our program moving forward and we know she will love her time her on the bayou."

Name: Grace Tarantino
Hometown: Cypress, Texas
High School: Cypress Woods HS
Club: Dynamos Soccer Club
Position: Defender
HC Danny Free: "Grace was one of the first players to reach out to me when I became interim head coach last spring. It's been a pleasure to get to know Grace and see her develop and we're excited for a player with her attitude and passion join us in 2020. Grace has the attributes to play as a full back and a winger and her dedication to the game along with her coachability is exactly what we want here at Nicholls."

Name: Leila Anderson
Hometown: Spring, Texas
High School: Oak Ridge HS
Club: Houston Dash
Position: Forward
AC Alexsis Cable: "Leila has such a passion for the game and will be a culture builder for our program this fall. She is a forward that has tremendous vision on and off the ball. She can hold the ball upfront and get other players involved, or keep it and create for herself. There is no doubt her willingness to get better will drive her success within our program."

STAY SOCIAL
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