• VIDEO: Coach Chuck Sekyra

SEATTLE – Six senior standouts, all of them from high schools in the Northwest, committed to attend Seattle Pacific University and play for the perennial national championship contending women's soccer team, Coach Chuck Sekyra announced Thursday.
 
Four of the signees hail from the state of Washington, including Haley Ayers from Everett (Everett HS), Kiana Hafferty from Renton (Liberty HS), Hannah Huesers from Lake Stevens (Lake Stevens HS) and Hannah Lemm from Edmonds (Lynnwood HS).
 
The recruiting class also features a pair of players who share more than their home state of Oregon. Maddy Booster from Bend (Mountain View HS) and Maddie Krauss from Lake Oswego (Lakeridge HS) will also play for the Falcons.
 


“I am really excited about this class,” Sekyra exclaimed. “It is obviously a little more on the attacking side and I think that this class is a group of difference-makers that, when it is all said and done, will have had a tremendous amount of success and done some pretty special things in their time at SPU.”
 
The six newest Falcons will begin their collegiate careers with training camp in August. They join a veteran squad that registered a 15-4-2 record last season and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. SPU outscored opponents 41-17 in 2012 and finished with an 11-1-2 record in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
“We have an amazing group coming back as you can make the case that we return all eleven starters. This class is going to only add to that depth and talent pool," said Sekyra who directed the Falcons into the NCAA Tournament in each of his 10 seasons. SPU won the 2008 national championship.
 
“Even more importantly, this is a group of women who are great students with tremendous character that are going to be a wonderful part of our family immediately.”
 
 
2013 Seattle Pacific Women's Soccer Recruiting Class
Haley Ayers
MF, 5-9, Everett, Wash. (Everett HS/Pacific Northwest SC)

Maddy Booster
D, 5-5, Bend, Ore. (Mountain View HS/Oregon Rush)

Kiana Hafferty
MF, 5-5, Renton, Wash. (Liberty HS/Pacific Northwest SC)

Hannah Huesers
F, 5-10, Lake Stevens, Wash. (Lake Stevens HS/Northwest Nationals)

Maddie Krauss
F, 5-4, Lake Oswego, Ore. (Lakeridge HS/FC Portland)

Hannah Lemm
D, 5-5, Edmonds, Wash. (Lynnwood HS/Northwest Nationals)
 
 
HALEY AYERS
Midfielder, 5-9, Everett, Wash.
(Everett HS/Pacific Northwest SC)
 
Ayers broke the Everett High School single-season assist record with 18. She amassed 38 goals and 35 assists during her prep career, helping lead the team to Washington state quarterfinal appearances in 2011 and 2012. A second-team all-state forward, Ayers garnered All-WesCo honors three times. She was a first-team all-conference honoree as both a junior and senior.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Haley Ayers
"Haley is a holding midfielder who has great size, skill and vision. We see Haley as someone who we are going to be able to play through, who will give us a presence defensively in the middle of the park and can spray the ball around for us. Haley is a very smart player who sees the game really well and can take over a midfield, both offensively and defensively.”
 
 
MADDY BOOSTER
Defender, 5-5, Bend, Ore.
(Mountain View HS/Oregon Rush)
 
Booster garnered All-Oregon state second-team honors her senior season. She was a first-team all-conference selection as a sophomore and senior, while receiving second-team recognition as a junior. Booster also lettered in basketball. She served as team captain in both soccer and basketball at Mountain View. In club competition, Booster was a Rush National Team member in 2011.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Maddy Booster
“Maddy is a great athlete who can play a number of positions in the midfield and in the back. We are really excited about the versatility that Maddy brings as a very well-rounded player. She has an extremely big upside and we are going to figure out where she fits in best and let her focus on that position and grow. Maddy is also a very natural leader, which is something we are always looking for.”
 
 
KIANA HAFFERTY
Midfielder, 5-5, Renton, Wash.
(Liberty HS/Pacific Northwest SC)
 
Hafferty was a first-team all-state midfielder as a senior after getting second-team recognition in 2011. She garnered first-team All-KingCo honors her final two years after receiving honorable mention acclaim as a sophomore. Liberty won the KingCo championship in each of her final three seasons. Hafferty helped lead the team to a second-place state finish her junior season followed by a fourth-place result as a senior.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Kiana Hafferty
 “Kiana is a very skilled and talented midfielder who has a great speed of play, can create chances for others and can really strike a ball from distance for some spectacular goals. Kiana is a very fit and hard-working midfielder who can run all day and play at an extremely high level. We really liked her ability to possess the ball in watching her throughout the recruiting process and her ability to finish from anywhere really makes her an offensive threat at all times.”
 
 
HANNAH HUESERS
Forward, 5-10, Lake Stevens, Wash.
(Lake Stevens HS/Northwest Nationals)
 
Huesers received first-team All-WesCo accolades her senior season. She helped lead Lake Stevens to the quarterfinal round of the Washington state championships in 2010. Huesers scored two goals to knock third-ranked Snohomish out of the 2012 playoffs. She also lettered in tennis as a prepster.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Hannah Huesers
 “Hannah is a very skilled and athletic forward who has an amazing upside. She is someone who can score goals in bunches. Hannah has the ability to beat defenders with skill and pace and we really liked the feel she has for the game. She is a savvy player who really has great natural intuition. We think Hannah is only going to keep getting better and has just begun to hit her stride. We are excited to have her bring these intangibles to our team.”
 
 
MADDIE KRAUSS
Forward, 5-4, Lake Oswego, Ore.
(Lakeridge HS/FC Portland)
 
A four-year starter, Krauss helped lead Lakeridge High School to the 2012 Oregon state Class 6A semifinals. She was a first-team all-state selection in 2012 and was the Three Rivers League Player of the Year after leading the conference in points. In club competition, Krauss was the leading scorer for her FC Portland team in 2012. She helped club teams win numerous titles, including the 2011 Oregon State Cup and the 2010 U.S. Club Regional crown. Krauss participated in the Oregon Olympic Development Program from 2008-11.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Maddie Krauss
 “Maddie is a very gifted and intelligent forward who makes things look really easy. She is not only a great finisher, but also someone who sees the game so well and is able to set others up for opportunities. We loved watching Maddie play throughout the recruiting process. The runs she makes off the ball, her speed of play, her ability to hold the ball and create chances for herself and others is wonderful.”
 
 
HANNAH LEMM
Defender, 5-5, Edmonds, Wash.
(Lynnwood HS/Northwest Nationals)
 
Lemm was a second-team All-WesCo selection in 2011. She also excelled in track and field and was a first-team all-conference high jumper in 2011. Lemm won the WesCo and district 800-meter titles in 2010 en route to a fifth-place performance at the Washington state championships. In club soccer competition, she played for the 2012 U.S. Club regional champion, a state finalist and two state semifinalist squads.
 
Coach Chuck  Sekyra on Hannah Lemm
 “Hannah is a very smart defender who has the ability to play both centerback and outside back. She is a very skilled back who we are looking to come in and give us great distribution out of the back as well as a presence athletically.”