Northwestern University Athletics
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Moynihan Adds Eight Talented Newcomers To Squad
11/14/2018 5:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern women's soccer head coach Michael Moynihan welcomed eight high school talents as the newest Wildcats to the program on Wednesday.
The eight-member class hails from six different states, feautring Rowan Lapi, Lily Gilbertson, Reilly Riggs, Paige Miller, Maddie Lo, Danika Austin, Marianna Annest and Layne Thompson.
"We are excited about adding another class of talented players that have experience playing at the highest levels of club soccer," Moynihan said on Wednesday. "It is a well-rounded class positionally and it is filled with high levels of athleticism and soccer insight. We are graduating a class of 10 seniors, many of which have started for us all four years, so this is a very important class for keeping our program's momentum going, and they will be called upon immediately to make an impact. This class also displays a real passion for soccer and a drive to keep improving, so we are very excited about our future with them."
Details about each signee…
Marianna Annest // 5-7 // Colorado Rapids ECNL // Arvada, Colo.
High School/Club: First Team All-Metro League 2017 … Top-Drawer Soccer All-Colorado 2017… CHSAA First Team All-State 2017 … 2016 3A State Finalists … Four year letter winner in cross country … individual state qualifier in cross country in 2017.
Personal: Born Marianna Caroline Annest … Four year honor roll student … Sister Ella plays lacrosse at California … Anticipated major is Mathematics.
Danika Austin // 5-4 // Midwest United FC // Jenison, Mich.
High School/Club: All-District Team … OK Black All-Conference … National Champions with club in 2016 … National Runner-up in 2017 … State Cup Champions in 2015, 2015 and 2017 … Regional Champions in 2016 and 2017 … Three-year letter winner in Basketball.
Personal: Born Danika Drew Austin … Class Salutatorian … Four year honor roll student … Anticipated major is undecided.
Lily Gilbertson // 5-8 // Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL // Maple Grove, Minn.
High School/Club: All-State First Team in 2018 and 2017, All-State Honorable mention in 2015 … All-Conference in 2017, 2017 and 2015 … All-Metro First Team in 2018 … Second all-time in assists at high school with 45 … Conference Championsin all four-seasons … State runner-up in 2018.
Personal: Born Lily Madison Gilbertson … Gold Academic All-State in 2018 … Four year honor roll student … National Honors Society … Mother Lisa competed in track for four years (100m and long jump) at UW-Eau Claire … Played high school and club with fellow signee Maddie Lo … Anticipated major is undecided.
Rowan Lapi // 5-7 // Penn Fusion Soccer Academy // Reinholds, Pa.
High School/Club: 2018 League Champions with club … Quarterfinals for 2018 United States Development Academy Nationals … 15 goals and 17 assists freshman year in high school … Four Star Recruit on TopDrawerSoccer.com … U-16/17 East Conference Best XI at U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Personal: Born Rowan Alexandra Lapi … National Honor Society .. Class President … Anticipated major is Economics.
Maddie Lo // 5-7 // Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL // Maple Grove, Minn.
High School/Club: As a goalkeeper, posted 28 shutouts and a 0.46 goals-against-average in three years at high school … 2018 First Team All-Conference … 2017 All-Conference Honorable Mention … Conference Championsin all three seasons … State runner-up in 2018 … Game-winning save in penalty shootout in 2018 State semifinal … Played as a guest with Tokiwagi Gakuen High School from Sendai, Japan in summer of 2018, going 12-0 when they visited the USA.
Personal: Born Madison Lindsey Lo … Minnesota Soccer Coaches Association Academic Excellence Award in 2016 and 2018 … Has a twin sister Lauren … Cousins Alyssa and Kaitlyn Lo played water polo at Stanford and are two-time and three-time National Champions, respectively … Played high school and club with fellow signee Lily Gilbertson … Anticipated major is undecided.
Paige Miller // 5-7 // Campton United // Wheaton, Ill.
High School/Club: Recorded 33 goals and 17 assists in four years in high school … 2018 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team … Suburban Life Media All-Area Team … 2018 IHSA All-State team … All-Conference team in 2018 and 2017 … 2018 Conference Golden Boot … 2017 ISHA All-Sectional team … 2018 Regional Champion … 2018 State Cup Champions with club … Three varsity letters in Basketball.
Personal: Born Paige Elizabeth Miller … Academic All-Conference in 2015, 2016 and 2017 … 2017 IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award … Wheaton Warrenville South Academic Excellence Award in 2016, 2017 and 2018 … Older sister Dana played soccer at Miami of Ohio … Competed against fellow signee Reilly Riggs in DuPage Valley Conference .. Anticipated major is Communications.
Reilly Riggs // 5-10 // Galaxy SC // Naperville, Ill.
High School/Club: Posted 18 shutouts as a center back in senior year of high school … Conference Champions in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 … 2018 Sectional Champion … MVP of IHSA State Third-Place Game.
Personal: Born Reilly Grace Riggs … Academic All-Conference Team … Academic Achievement award … Cousin Kathleen Roche played basketball at Penn … Competed against fellow signee Paige Miller in DuPage Valley Conference … Attended same high school (Naperville North) as Northwestern center back standout Kayla Sharples (2015-18) … Anticipated major is Biological Sciences.
Layne Thompson // 5-7 // Sporting Blue Valley DA // Lee's Summit, Mo.
High School/Club: Second Team All-State … Played in ECNL from 2014-17 … Current club ranked #15 nationally by US Soccer … Missouri ODP and Regional ODP … Competed in Track as a freshman and won state championship … Finished third place in State as senior.
Personal: Born Layne Addison Thompson … Academic Honor Roll .. National Honor Society … Competed against current Wildcat Olivia Stone … Anticipated major is Business.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
The eight-member class hails from six different states, feautring Rowan Lapi, Lily Gilbertson, Reilly Riggs, Paige Miller, Maddie Lo, Danika Austin, Marianna Annest and Layne Thompson.
"We are excited about adding another class of talented players that have experience playing at the highest levels of club soccer," Moynihan said on Wednesday. "It is a well-rounded class positionally and it is filled with high levels of athleticism and soccer insight. We are graduating a class of 10 seniors, many of which have started for us all four years, so this is a very important class for keeping our program's momentum going, and they will be called upon immediately to make an impact. This class also displays a real passion for soccer and a drive to keep improving, so we are very excited about our future with them."
Details about each signee…
Marianna Annest // 5-7 // Colorado Rapids ECNL // Arvada, Colo.
High School/Club: First Team All-Metro League 2017 … Top-Drawer Soccer All-Colorado 2017… CHSAA First Team All-State 2017 … 2016 3A State Finalists … Four year letter winner in cross country … individual state qualifier in cross country in 2017.
Personal: Born Marianna Caroline Annest … Four year honor roll student … Sister Ella plays lacrosse at California … Anticipated major is Mathematics.
Danika Austin // 5-4 // Midwest United FC // Jenison, Mich.
High School/Club: All-District Team … OK Black All-Conference … National Champions with club in 2016 … National Runner-up in 2017 … State Cup Champions in 2015, 2015 and 2017 … Regional Champions in 2016 and 2017 … Three-year letter winner in Basketball.
Personal: Born Danika Drew Austin … Class Salutatorian … Four year honor roll student … Anticipated major is undecided.
Lily Gilbertson // 5-8 // Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL // Maple Grove, Minn.
High School/Club: All-State First Team in 2018 and 2017, All-State Honorable mention in 2015 … All-Conference in 2017, 2017 and 2015 … All-Metro First Team in 2018 … Second all-time in assists at high school with 45 … Conference Championsin all four-seasons … State runner-up in 2018.
Personal: Born Lily Madison Gilbertson … Gold Academic All-State in 2018 … Four year honor roll student … National Honors Society … Mother Lisa competed in track for four years (100m and long jump) at UW-Eau Claire … Played high school and club with fellow signee Maddie Lo … Anticipated major is undecided.
Rowan Lapi // 5-7 // Penn Fusion Soccer Academy // Reinholds, Pa.
High School/Club: 2018 League Champions with club … Quarterfinals for 2018 United States Development Academy Nationals … 15 goals and 17 assists freshman year in high school … Four Star Recruit on TopDrawerSoccer.com … U-16/17 East Conference Best XI at U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
Personal: Born Rowan Alexandra Lapi … National Honor Society .. Class President … Anticipated major is Economics.
Maddie Lo // 5-7 // Minnesota Thunder Academy ECNL // Maple Grove, Minn.
High School/Club: As a goalkeeper, posted 28 shutouts and a 0.46 goals-against-average in three years at high school … 2018 First Team All-Conference … 2017 All-Conference Honorable Mention … Conference Championsin all three seasons … State runner-up in 2018 … Game-winning save in penalty shootout in 2018 State semifinal … Played as a guest with Tokiwagi Gakuen High School from Sendai, Japan in summer of 2018, going 12-0 when they visited the USA.
Personal: Born Madison Lindsey Lo … Minnesota Soccer Coaches Association Academic Excellence Award in 2016 and 2018 … Has a twin sister Lauren … Cousins Alyssa and Kaitlyn Lo played water polo at Stanford and are two-time and three-time National Champions, respectively … Played high school and club with fellow signee Lily Gilbertson … Anticipated major is undecided.
Paige Miller // 5-7 // Campton United // Wheaton, Ill.
High School/Club: Recorded 33 goals and 17 assists in four years in high school … 2018 Chicagoland Soccer All-State Team … Suburban Life Media All-Area Team … 2018 IHSA All-State team … All-Conference team in 2018 and 2017 … 2018 Conference Golden Boot … 2017 ISHA All-Sectional team … 2018 Regional Champion … 2018 State Cup Champions with club … Three varsity letters in Basketball.
Personal: Born Paige Elizabeth Miller … Academic All-Conference in 2015, 2016 and 2017 … 2017 IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award … Wheaton Warrenville South Academic Excellence Award in 2016, 2017 and 2018 … Older sister Dana played soccer at Miami of Ohio … Competed against fellow signee Reilly Riggs in DuPage Valley Conference .. Anticipated major is Communications.
Reilly Riggs // 5-10 // Galaxy SC // Naperville, Ill.
High School/Club: Posted 18 shutouts as a center back in senior year of high school … Conference Champions in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 … 2018 Sectional Champion … MVP of IHSA State Third-Place Game.
Personal: Born Reilly Grace Riggs … Academic All-Conference Team … Academic Achievement award … Cousin Kathleen Roche played basketball at Penn … Competed against fellow signee Paige Miller in DuPage Valley Conference … Attended same high school (Naperville North) as Northwestern center back standout Kayla Sharples (2015-18) … Anticipated major is Biological Sciences.
Layne Thompson // 5-7 // Sporting Blue Valley DA // Lee's Summit, Mo.
High School/Club: Second Team All-State … Played in ECNL from 2014-17 … Current club ranked #15 nationally by US Soccer … Missouri ODP and Regional ODP … Competed in Track as a freshman and won state championship … Finished third place in State as senior.
Personal: Born Layne Addison Thompson … Academic Honor Roll .. National Honor Society … Competed against current Wildcat Olivia Stone … Anticipated major is Business.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
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