Goshen, IN — With an emphasis on bringing in the strongest recruiting class in recent program history this off-season, the Goshen College women’s soccer program is off to a blazing start, acquiring four talented players in recent weeks.

“We’re really excited about what the future holds for our program,” said Goshen head coach Thavisith Mounsithiraj. “We feel we’ve got a great start on a recruiting class that has the possibility to make significant changes to how competitive we are both overall and in our conference. This is a collection of young people that are both talented athletically and in the classroom.”

The group is led by a pair of area high school graduates — Goshen High School senior Allison Yoder and Bethany Christian High School senior Liz Nafziger — both of whom anchored their respective defensive units over the past four seasons from the sweeper position.

Yoder, who was a four year starter, was an all-conference selection following both her junior and senior seasons and she was also named team captain each of those seasons. She was also voted as her teams Most Valuable Player and Best Defender in her senior season.

Allison has extensive playing experience which will make her valuable to our team right away,” Mounsithiraj said. “She was her teams starting sweeper, but we feel that with her tremendous speed we will be able to use her in other places on the field.”

Yoder, who has been equally as successful in the classroom, maintained a 3.93 grade point average throughout her prep career. She was named a Kiwana’s Scholar Athlete each of her four years. Yoder was also her school’s Vice President of the National Junior Honor Society and a Student Rotarian.

“I wanted to attend a Mennonite College and Goshen seemed to be the institution that most upheld my views about servant hood and peacemaking,” said Yoder. “I am not sure what I want to major in, but I know I want the rest of my life to center around service and helping others – possibly a field in social work, ministry, or education. It is my hope that in the next four years I will be challenged both athletically and academically. I want to become a better soccer player and athlete, as well as continue to grow intellectually, while also enjoying my life and learning things I want to know.”

Nafziger, meanwhile, will provide Goshen more depth in the backfield, as the cerebral player was a three-year starter and also an all-conference selection in both her junior and senior seasons. She served as her team’s captain in her final year.

“Liz is a tough defender who comes from a strong soccer program,” said Mounsithiraj. “Her biggest asset is her aggressiveness. She is a very good tackler and I anticipate her being a successful defender on our team. She always seems to get herself in the right place at the right time. She will be a nice addition to our already strong defensive unit.”

Nafziger said she is excited about the opportunity to continue playing soccer so close to home while getting an education.

“I chose Goshen because of the inclusive, welcoming atmosphere I felt on campus and while interacting with students,” said Nafziger. “I also feel very linked to Goshen through school, the Mennonite church, and the short distance. I’ve heard a considerable amount about academic excellence at Goshen, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a college.”

Along with her success on the field Liz has managed to keep a 3.9 grade point average over the past four years. Nafziger said Goshen College’s high academic standards played a role in her decision.

“Academically, I hope to prepare myself for ‘entering the real world’ in whatever fashion that may end up being,” Nafziger said. “Hopefully, I’ll be somewhat successful in my studies as well. Although not set in stone, I’m planning on studying psychology.”

In addition to signing a duo of area players, Mounsithiraj extended his search both geographically and educationally, as the Leafs announced the signing of Alison Gotwals — a 2006 graduate of Souderton Area High School in Telford, Pennsylvania — and Lydie Assefa, a current freshman at Goshen College participating in the Leafs’ track and field program.

“Allison and Lydie will give us some ball control and speed both up front and in the middle of the field,” Mounsithiraj said. “They both have the talent to make contributions right away.”

Gotwals gives Mounsithiraj’s program a hard-nosed defender/central midfielder who will be expected to make an immediate impact. A three-year starter at Souderton, Mounsithiraj said Gotwals will serve a variety of functions for the team next fall.

“Alison will give us an experienced player who started for three years on her high school’s state-playoff team,” Mounsithiraj said. “She has club experience making her even more valuable. She has a very nice touch on the ball. Alison has good ball control allowing her to possess the ball against good defenders. She is another player that will be versatile for us in that we can put her in a number of positions on the field.”

Gotwals gives the Goshen squad another 4.0 student who has been awarded Goshen’s highest academic honor in the Presidential Leadership Award. Students must exhibit leadership qualities through activities at school and in the church and community to be eligible for this award.

“I choose Goshen because it is a small school with good academic programs, and I like the idea of SST for all the students,” Gotwals said. “When I visited campus, I really liked the people I met, and everybody was very friendly and welcoming. I’m really excited to be a part of the Goshen soccer team, and over the next four years I’m looking forward to getting to know the other players, competing at the college level and the experience in general. My goal is to make a difference on the team and see what we can do as a group over four years. Academically I hope to be challenged with classes that I really have an interest in, and also to find what subject area I want to end up teaching. I’m excited about SST, experiencing life in another country and everything I will learn from it.”

Assefa rounds off the initial commitment list after electing to resume her soccer career following a one-year hiatus. A 2005 graduate of Warren Central High School in Indianapolis, Assefa will be a welcomed addition to the 2006 roster as she will give the team added speed up front. A sprinter for the Goshen College women’s track and field program, Assefa is already a member of three school-record holding relay teams.

“We feel that with her speed Lydie can help us out at a number of different positions on the field,” said Mounsithiraj. “As both an outside defender and outside midfielder she will be a threat to opposing teams in our attack at the goal from the outside.”

Prior to arriving to Goshen, Assefa was a standout member of the Warren Central track team, qualifying for state competition in each of her four years and finishing fourth in the 4 X 400 twice. She was an all-county and all-conference performer in track and won the county meet, sectionals, and regionals almost every year in at least one of her events. She holds the school records in the 4 X 400 meter relay and the 4 X 800 meter relay and remains in Warren Central’s Top 10 400- and 800-meter school records.

“One reason I chose GC instead of other schools was the intimate community environment that I experienced with my interactions with professors, students and other faculty members when I visited,” Assefa said. “I really appreciated the compassion that I felt from the educators and administrators at Goshen - they really cared about the spiritual, emotional, physical and educational needs of each student. I also liked the smaller school atmosphere and the ability to get to know other students in a more personal way.”

A three-year starter for Warren Central playing both outside midfield and outside defender, Assefa was voted her team’s most improved player as a junior.

“Lydie is the epitome of a student-athlete as she received academic awards for highest GPA in all four years as a high school athlete,” Mounsithiraj said. “She was named to the all-academic team in both her junior and senior seasons and maintained a 4.0 GPA. She was also a scholar athlete and top 10 student all four years in high school. Lydie also gives us a second Presidential Leadership Award winner, which is something to be very proud of.”

Mounsithiraj said he hopes to add to his incoming class of recruits in the coming weeks. Check back to this site for the most up-to-date recruiting information.