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Cajuns add 15 in signing class

Class includes to Acadiana standouts
Posted at 6:38 PM, Apr 15, 2020
and last updated 2020-04-15 19:38:05-04

LAFAYETTE — Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns head women’s soccer coach Lance Key announced his 2020 signing class on Wednesday, which included a pair of early enrollees along with West Virginia transfer Lizzie Mayfield among the 15-player class.

Four of Louisiana’s 15 newcomers hail from the Pelican State with hometown products Emily Sonnier and Lauryn Starwood hailing from Teurlings Catholic. Alyssa Abbott (Prairieville, La.) and Mikayla Price (Slidell, La.) join the Ragin’ Cajuns after stellar prep careers in-state.

Six newcomers – Hailey Hoffmann (Austin, Texas), Ariana Nelson (Cibolo, Texas), Abby Nowak (Katy, Texas), Lucy Ortiz (Round Rock, Texas), Mya Smith (Spring, Texas) and Katelyn Stamps (San Antonio, Texas) – come from the state of Texas with Caitlyn Ferguson (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and Jordan Higgins (Rockley, Calif.) coming from the West Coast.

Mayfield (Atlanta, Ga.) joins Louisiana after playing her first two seasons at Big 12 member West Virginia with the Ragin’ Cajuns adding goalkeeper Carly Dean (Sidney, Ohio) and Demi McCalliog (Wolverhampton, England).
Louisiana posted a 9-8-3 record in 2019, reaching the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships for the first time in school history.

2020 LOUISIANA RAGIN’ CAJUNS WOMEN’S SOCCER CLASS
Alyssa Abbott – MF, 5-5, Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown)
Carly Dean – GK, 5-7, Sidney, Ohio (IMG Academy)
Caitlyn Ferguson – MF, 5-7, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (Dana Hills)
Jordan Higgins – GK, 5-7, Rockley, Calif. (Whitney/Sierra College)
Hailey Hoffmann – F, 5-4, Austin, Texas (Vandegrift)
Lizzie Mayfield – F, 5-4, Atlanta, Ga. (North Atlanta/West Virginia)
Demi McCalliog – MF, 5-9, Wolverhampton, England (Codsall)
Ariana Nelson – F/MF, 5-1, Cibolo, Texas (Steele)
Abby Nowak – D, 5-7, Katy, Texas (Seven Lakes)
Lucy Ortiz – F, 5-3, Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock)
Mikayla Price – MF, 5-7, Slidell, La. (Northshore)
Mya Smith – F, 5-1, Spring, Texas (Klein Oak)
Emily Sonnier – F, 5-2, Breaux Bridge, La. (Teurlings Catholic)
Katelyn Stamps – D, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas (Johnson)
Lauryn Starwood – GK, 5-6, Lafayette, La. (Teurlings Catholic)

Information on each of Louisiana’s signees can be found on RaginCajuns.com [ragincajuns.com].

Lauryn Starwood – Goalkeeper, 5-6, Lafayette, La. (Teurlings Catholic HS)
“I chose Louisiana because I love the family friendly atmosphere of the school, and not to mention the great food. I also get to stay at home, close to my family and friends.”

LANCE KEY ON STARWOOD
“Lauryn is a fantastic young lady with a great wit about her. She is also an extremely athletic goalkeeper that is one of the best players to come out of the state of Louisiana. She is as talented with her distribution as she is with her shot stopping ability. Lauryn has wonderful tools, and we expect her to challenge her peers in goal as well as her teammates on the field. She will be an outstanding collegiate goalkeeper!”

Abigail Nowak – Defender, 5-7, Katy, Texas (Seven Lakes HS)
“I chose Louisiana because it's a great fit for me. I love the campus, it feels very homey plus it has excellent facilities and resources. Everyone I have met has been so welcoming and friendly. I love the city of Lafayette and how it's small but still rich in culture and offers lots of things to experience. It's the perfect place for me to further my education and soccer career.”

LANCE KEY ON NOWAK
“Abby is such a wonderful human being and very mature. She is also a versatile defender that likes to get forward and adds quality on both sides of the ball. Her example on and off the field will make a tremendous impact on our program, and we’re excited for her arrival in Lafayette.”


Alyssa Abbott – Midfielder, 5-5, Prairieville, La. (Dutchtown HS)
“I chose Louisiana because it has so much to offer academically and athletically. I wanted to be a part of a competitive program that would not only drive me to improve as a player, but also as a person. UL is the perfect place for me to do that.”

LANCE KEY ON ABBOTT
“Alyssa is very bright and is a culture builder. As a player, she is a dynamic center mid that has tremendous vision on and off the ball. She loves the game and it shows. She is creative with the ball at her feet and has a technical skill set that will open the game for her as well as her teammates.”


Caitlyn Ferguson – Midfielder, 5-7, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (Dana Hills HS)
“I chose Louisiana because of the soccer program’s emphasis on a family dynamic and champion at life culture. I’m excited to be a part of an up and coming soccer team with Coach Lance and Coach Salas leading the way. I was impressed with the academic facilities and the opportunities that come with being a kinesiology major. I’m so excited to be a Ragin’ Cajun!”

LANCE KEY ON FERGUSON
“Caitlyn is a natural leader with incredible character. She has tremendous versatility as a player which speaks to her commitment to quality on and off the ball. Her intelligence in the classroom matches her intelligence on the field where she executes the game at a high level. We are very excited she’s a Ragin’ Cajun.”


Emily Sonnier – Forward, 5-2, Breaux Bridge, La. (Teurlings Catholic HS)
“I chose the University of Louisiana because my parents were Cajuns, my sister is a Cajun, and UL has always been my first choice. I’m excited to be a Cajun!”

LANCE KEY ON SONNIER
“Emily is a UL Ragin’ Cajun through and through. She is the type of young person that makes an organization better. On the field, she is an elusive attacking player that has great vision on the ball. Her creativity and deception in and around the box in tight spaces causes problems for defenders. We are very happy Emily is staying home.”

Hailey Hoffmann – Forward, 5-4, Austin, Texas (Vandegrift HS)
“Louisiana is just always been such a fun and happy place for me. Everyone there is so welcoming and happy, it’s like a whole big family.”

LANCE KEY ON HOFFMAN
“Hailey is intelligent and ambitious, which tends to make everyone around her better. She is a quick, fast forward that is a proven goal scorer. She has the ability to impose herself on opposing defenders and change the game at any time. She is a tremendous competitor and we are excited to see her evolve her in Louisiana.”


Katelyn Stamps – Defender, 5-5, San Antonio, Texas (Johnson HS)
“I fell in love with the school as soon as I got there. The campus, the town, the people, all made me feel like I truly belong there which is why I am so excited to make Lafayette my new home.”

LANCE KEY ON STAMPS
“Coach Salas and I have followed Kate for a long time, being from San Antonio. She is a natural leader which transfers onto the field. She is a relentless defender, but also has the composure and technical ability to play in midfield. Kate will certainly make a difference for the Cajuns!”

Lucy Ortiz – Forward, 5-3, Round Rock, Texas (Round Rock HS)
“I knew after my visit that UL is the place for me. Not only do I get to join a Division I soccer program led by excellent coaches, but I will also be able to join the honors program and take advantage of UL’s unique guitar classes for my minor.”

LANCE KEY ON ORTIZ
“Lucy is a bright and conscientious young lady that will fit well with our culture. On the field, her skillset threatens any opponent. She covers a lot of ground, is explosive, and loves to be on the ball. She plays with tenacity and a chip on her shoulder. I love that and can’t wait to see her battle for us.”

Mikayla Price – Midfielder, 5-7, Slidell, La. (Northshore HS)
“Everything just felt so right since my first time visiting. The atmosphere was exactly what I have looked for in my future college, so it seemed to be the perfect fit for me. All of the people I have met that are involved with the college, including alumni, were wonderful ambassadors for the university. I knew I was making the right decision!”

LANCE KEY ON PRICE
“Mikayla is a champion, on and off the field. Her work ethic, personality and maturity will make her a wonderful teammate. As a competitor, Mikayla is a workhorse that won her team a Louisiana State Championship this year. She is comfortable on the ball but is also a strong tackler and ball-winner in midfield. We are very excited to have Mikayla in our organization.”


Mya Smith – Forward, 5-1, Spring, Texas (Klein Oaks HS)
“I chose Louisiana because it felt like home the moment I stepped on campus. The coaches and players value the importance of family, academics and soccer. I truly feel like this atmosphere will challenge me as a player to better myself on the field, in the classroom and in life as a whole.”

LANCE KEY ON SMITH
“Mya is another incredible human being that comes from a wonderful family. She has a determination to make everyone around her better through a hard-working, unselfish approach. She will certainly be a difference-maker for Louisiana Soccer better.”

Demi McCalliog – Midfielder, 5-9, Wolverhampton, England (Codsall School)
“Louisiana will help me develop as a person, student and athlete in a first-class environment to earn a degree whilst winning championships.”

LANCE KEY ON McCALLIOG
“Demi is a diligent and committed student and soccer player. She plays as an attacking midfielder full of poise and playmaking ability. Her commitment to excellence has been consistent throughout her journey and is evident from her recent involvement with Birmingham City. We are very excited to have her savvy and creativity in our side.”


Carly Dean – Goalkeeper, 5-7, Sidney, Ohio (IMG Academy)
“As soon as I arrived on campus and met the coaches, players, and staff, I knew I had found my home for the next four years. I knew I wanted to join the Ragin' Cajun family on the field and in the classroom with the relentless effort to strive to new heights every day.”

LANCE KEY ON DEAN
“Carly is another bright young lady that adds quality to our goalkeeping corp. She brings a strong presence to our program with great drive and determination. She has trained and played at a very high level. We look forward to her influence on our program.”


Ariana Nelson – Forward, 5-1, Cibolo, Texas (Steele HS)
“I was looking for a home away from home and UL was the perfect place to start that. I wanted to be a part of the culture of champions!”

LANCE KEY ON NELSON
“Ariana arrived early in the spring, and although things were unexpectedly cut short, she was able to benefit from an early transition. She’s smart, and learned a lot about herself and the demands of the college environment. As an attacking player, she is a strong, talented player with the capability of causing problems for the opposition’s defense.”


Jordan Higgins – Goalkeeper, 5-7, Rockley, Calif. (Whitney HS/Sierra College)
“I chose Louisiana because the school was the right fit for me academically and athletically. The coaches, staff, and team all seemed like a family and had a nice culture. It was a great opportunity to experience something new and better myself as a student-athlete.”

LANCE KEY ON HIGGINS
“Jordan was another spring arrival. She hit the ground running with our team, immediately inserting herself into our fabric. We saw Jordan representing a high-quality Sierra College program in California, where she established herself as a very capable goalkeeper. Her shot-stopping ability and distribution from her feet were immediately evident. She is a fearless competitor and possesses tremendous maturity. Her commitment to excellence in everything she does will help lead her peers to better versions of themselves every single day.”

Elizabeth Mayfield – Forward, 5-4, Atlanta, Ga. (North Atlanta HS/West Virginia)
“I chose the University of Louisiana because it offered me the opportunity to continue my soccer career at a very high level and also allows me to pursue a Masters in Education. UL has given me the best of both words in a sense and I cannot wait to start this new chapter of my life.”

LANCE KEY ON MAYFIELD
“Lizzie is an incredible human being with determination and ability to excel at everything she does. She will inject a wealth of knowledge and experience into our program. Her prep pedigree combined with her 41 appearances over two collegiate seasons will transfer immediately to our side. She is going to be a threat in the attack against anyone we play. We are thrilled to have Lizzie joining our family.”