The University of Saskatchewan women's soccer program and head coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton are pleased to announce the addition of nine players for the 2018-19 season.
The recruitments class includes eight players from Saskatoon and a ninth from Prince Albert.
"We believe that is one of the most impressive recruiting classes we have brought on board," said Barandica-Hamilton, who became the first full-time head coach in women's soccer in 2017.
"All of these players possess great character, an eagerness and willingness to learn and challenge each other and, most importantly, bring a high level of technical ability and football IQ that we foresee them adjusting well into our playing philosophy of being a possession and attack minded team."
The 2018 recruiting class adds more dynamic youth to a program that was already youth-driven, making the playoffs in 2017 with a roster that included 16 players in their first or second year of eligibility.
"Our recruits will bring an immediate desire to contribute as they are coming from high quality programs and have shown already a competitive drive to push our existing standards to new levels of success," said Barandica-Hamilton.
"They are all exceptional student-athletes, and are genuinely great people to work with and we look forward to watching their growth as players and people in the years to come"
2018 RECRUITING CLASS
Cassidy Hayward, Striker
City: Saskatoon
High School: Marion M. Graham Collegiate
Previous Clubs: WFC Saskatchewan Academy
Notable Achievements:
- 2015 Western Canada Games
- 2016 Club Nationals
- 2016-17 Whitecaps Showcase
- 2016-17 Most Valuble Team Player (Marion M. Graham Athletic Awards)
- 2017 Jubilee Trophy with the UofS Alumni team
Player Comments
In my first year as a Huskie, I am looking forward to growing as a player and a person by learning from my teammates and the coaching staff. I am excited to be exposed to a different level of competition, as it will provide me with the opportunity to develop as a player. Creating new relationships is always something to look forward to and I am very honoured to be a part of this excelling program.
Coach Comments
I have had the opportunity and pleasure of coaching Cassidy for the last 3 years. Over this time period, I have seen her grow into a very intelligent attacking minded player. Her technical qualities, spatial awareness and decision making along with her desire to always drive forward and score goals is impressive, and we know she has the ability to impact our program immediately and for many years to come. We look forward to seeing her compete and evolve as a student-athlete in this upcoming season.
Haley Mercier
City: Saskatoon
High School: St. Joseph High School
Previous Clubs: High Performance Development Centre (HPDC) - Canadian Soccer Association Regional Excel Centre
Notable Achievements:
- Canada Summer Games 2017
- Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) Regional Excel Program identified athlete 2016
- Certified Saskatchewan Referee 2016
- Western Canada Games 2015
- Saskatchewan Provincial Selects Program 2013-14
- Club Nationals 2013-14
Player Comments
I chose the University of Saskatchewan because it offered the courses that I am interested in, as well as the soccer program it has to offer. I am looking forward to competing at the university level of soccer and getting to know everyone on the team. Also, I hope to contribute to the Huskies success.
Coach Comments
Haley comes to us with a very good pedigree as a player having graduated from the Sask. Rex program and having played for the Saskatchewan team at the 2017 Canada Summer Games. She is a highly technical player with good spatial awareness and a great mindset to compete every day. We believe Haley has the ability to play an impactful role in her first year with our program and we look forward to seeing her evolve as a player and person in this competitive environment.
Payton Izsak
City: Prince Albert
High school: Carlton Comprehensive High School
Previous Clubs: PAYSA/HP
Notable Achievements:
- Canada Games 2017
- Athlete of the year at Carlton 2014
- Team Saskatchewan 2012
- MVP of Provincials 2016
- PAYSA female player of the year 2016
- Academic Awards
Player Comments
I chose the University of Saskatchewan because I felt the huskies program was stronger than others with their record of success. Their academic program also fit my career path. I am looking forward to contributing to the team's success and working with teammates and coaches who can help elevate each other.
Coach Comments
We are excited to have Payton be part of our Huskie Family, as she continues our tradition of attracting quality players from the city of Prince Albert. She is a multisport athlete with very good natural attacking instincts and well-rounded ability. She is one of the most versatile players we have had the chance to recruit and what separates her from many other is her work-ethic and mindset to challenge herself daily. Payton's character and personality is something that we are looking forward to having in our group and are excited to see her contribute immediately to our group.
Hope Pelk, Goalkeeper
City: Saskatoon
High school: St. Joseph High School
Previous Clubs: Saskatchewan Selects / Whitecaps Academy
Notable Achievements:
- 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Club Nationals Teams
- 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 PSL champion
- 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 Saskatchewan PSL Golden Glove Award
- 2016 Prince Albert Soccer Youth Goalkeeper of the Year
- 2016, 2017 Female Soccer MVP (St. Joseph Guardian Awards)
- 2017 Conceded 0 goals against in 13 high school games played (city, playoff, and provincial play)
Player Comments
I'm looking forward to the opportunity to compete at the University level and learn from experienced teammates and coaches that I know will challenge me to grow as a player and push me towards my potential.
Coach Comments
Hope is a player that I have had the chance to work with for the last 2 years. She is a very intelligent student with a very mature personality that shows in her calm and confident demeanor as a goalkeeper. One of her biggest attributes as a goalkeeper is her distribution and calmness in net. She will fit in seamlessly to our philosophy of playing out of the back and thus we are excited to have her join our squad and see her compete from day 1 with our current established goalkeeping core.
Claire Stillwell, Fullback
City: Saskatoon
High school: Centennial Collegiate
Previous Clubs: Saskatoon Whitecaps FC Academy
Notable Achievements:
- 2015 Western Canada Games Team
- 2015 Rookie of the Year (Centennial Collegiate Athletic Awards)
- 2013, 2014, 2016 Club Nationals Teams – Represented Saskatchewan at CSA Club National Championships
- 2017 Jubilee Cup with SK Impact FC
Player Comments
In my first year as a Huskie, I am looking forward to playing soccer with a talented group of players and coaches. I am looking forward to the team pushing me out of my comfort zone, making me a better player. Overall, I am excited to join the Huskie family and I am looking forward to the future.
Coach Comments
Claire is a player I have gotten to coach and know over the last 3 years. What immediately stands out from Claire is her work-ethic and mindset to constantly push herself and her teammates to perfection. She is a very attack minded fullback with good crossing ability and a good in 1v1 defending situations. Another positive attribute is her eagerness to ask questions and understand the tactical nuances of the game. We know she will bring an immediate presence to our current backline.
Taisa Gabruch
City: Saskatoon
High school: Bishop James Mahoney High School
Previous Clubs: Impact SK
Notable Achievements:
- 2015-2018 2A Soccer Provincial Champions
- 2016,2017 Club Nationals Teams
- 2016/17 Female Athlete of the Year (Bishop James Mahoney Athletic Awards)
Player Comments
I am very excited to be a first-year player on the Huskies Women's Soccer Team. What I look forward to most is the opportunity to play soccer at a high level with coaches that will continually push me and allow me to grow as an individual as well as a team member. I embrace the opportunity to be able to play with one of my older sisters because it is rare to be given the opportunity to play with a sibling. I hope to be a contributing factor to this team and program both on and off the field.
Coach Comments
We are very happy to have Taisa join our program and follow in the footsteps of her sister and current team member Maya. Taisa is a very coachable player with a fun and light mooded personality which is something that we value immensely. One of her biggest attributes and something we value as part of our playing style is her ability to distribute from the MF area. Her passing range and ability is something that we believe has the potential to bring an immediate impact into our program.
Olivia Fredrickson, Winger
City: Saskatoon
High school: St. Joseph High School
Previous Clubs: HPDC Saskatchewan
Notable Achievements:
- 2014 Pacific Coast Challenge All Star Team
- 2015 Western Canada Games Team
Player Comments
In my first year as a part of the women's soccer team, I am excited to build new friendships and improve as a player by learning from the experienced coaches and team members. I am looking forward to playing the game that I love while representing the University of Saskatchewan.
Coach Comments
Olivia comes to us having graduated from a well-established and respected Rex Saskatchewan program. We are very excited to have her join our program as we believe she has very good attacking qualities that will fit in seamlessly with our possession oriented and attacking style. She is a very unpredictable player with great creativity and ambidextrous ability. Her personality is another key attribute as she always brings a light and enjoyable mood to training and thus we are excited to see her grow into an important player for our program for years to come.
Hailey Weber
City: Saskatoon
High school: Holy Cross
Previous Clubs: Whitecaps FC Academy
Notable Achievements:
- Western Canada Games
- Club Nationals 2017
Player Comments
I want to keep pushing myself to be the best player that I can be so that I can help build onto the success that this team has already achieved. Together, I believe there's so much that we can accomplish, and I'm incredibly honored and excited that I get to be a part of this amazing team.
Coach Comments
We are excited to have Hayley join our program as she follows in the footsteps of her family (both parents) playing for the Huskies Soccer Program. Hayley is a dynamic midfielder with a very good work rate and movement and technical ability on the ball. She has a fantastic mindset to want to challenge and improve herself along with her team-mates and we know this will only help our program continue to raise our standards of success. We look forward to seeing her grow as a player and person in the next few years.
Erika Whyte
City: Saskatoon
High school: Bishop James Mahoney High School
Previous Clubs: Junior Huskies/ WFC Saskatchewan Academy
Notable Achievements:
- 2016, 2017 Most Valuable Player (Bishop James Mahoney High School)
- 2014- 2017 2A High School Provincial Champions
- 2017 U17 PSL Champions
- 2017 U17 Club Nationals
- 2017 Vancouver Whitecaps showcase
Player Comments
I am looking forward to playing at the next level and being pushed to become a better player and person. I am excited to learn from my teammates and coaches and am grateful to be part of such a great and successful program. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to impact the program and help build on the team's accomplishments. I am very honoured to be part of the Huskie Women's Soccer Team and am looking forward to the challenges, relationships, and learning that will come with the experience.
Coach Comments
I have had the opportunity to work with Erika over the last 2 – 3 years and what has impressed me is her desire to improve and retain information. She has done a good job of taking all the feedback we have given her to become a player that is capable of playing at the University level and has earned this opportunity through hard work. Because of this, we are excited to see her continue to grow as she has some very good athletic attributes to become an important player for our backline in the years to come.