“I’m extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to Folsom Lake College. First, I would like to thank the people who helped me get here. To my parents, I would like to say thank you a thousand times over for doing literally everything for me. From providing a loving and caring home, to driving me to every game and training. Both of you have always been there for me and I can’t express how much all of it means to me. To my sister who I’ve always been able to come to when I’m struggling with any and every aspect of my life, you’re one of my biggest role models. I strive to be just like you everyday. To all the coaches who have ever put their time and faith in me. If you take the time to get to know me as a player, you’ll find out that I need a coach that pushes me with expectations but also encourages and lets me know when I do something well. I found the perfect combination of everything I need in Coach Todd DeCarlo. From the moment I came to play for Placer United under Todd, I knew I had found the perfect place and the best coach for me to develop as a player and a person. My soccer vocabulary consists almost exclusively of Todd sayings due to my three years under him. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me, Todd. All the foot skills, work ethic, and determination to be better than I am in that moment came from the instruction I received not only under Todd, but also coaches Ron Benjamin and Gene DuChateau. Ron, although I never had you as my own coach, you’ve still always been there to offer advice and establish a relationship with me and every player. The keeper training I’ve received under Gene was absolutely amazing. I was given all the tools to become the best player I can be with the greatest technique and it’s those fundamentals that have carried me this far.

Thank you to all of you for helping me achieve my athletic goals. I would also like to thank the coach who kept me going strong in the face of adversity. Sanaldo Carvahlo is one of the greatest keeper trainers I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. He ended up being my Todd when I wasn’t with Todd. Thank you so much for putting faith in me when no one else did. One last thank you to my amazing strength trainer who got me back on my feet after a devastating injury. Conor “Conrad” Foley made a broken leg no big deal. He exposed me to the field I want to pursue and I’ve never been physically stronger. I can’t believe I’m finally going on to the the next level in my soccer career. I’m going to play college soccer, and that is amazing. Thank you so much Donny for seeing a little special something in me. I can’t wait to get started. Go Falcons!” —Ryanne Chapman

“It is hard to make choices that may change our lives for the better—to make choices that would move us further towards inner satisfaction.”  Catherine Pulsifer

“Upon my graduation, I have selected to play collegiate soccer for Fresno Pacific University. FPU is a small, private university where I can study Sports Management/Kinesiology and get to know many students and make friendships in a smaller close-knit environment. 

I have played soccer for twelve years, and through those years, my coaches have taught me to always give 110% during practices and games and how to be a better soccer player on and off the field. A big thank you to my first coach Danny Cruz for picking me out of the bunch and taking me to comp soccer; thank you to my high school coach Mary Claire Robinson for believing in me and giving me the nudge of confidence.  And lastly, thank you to all of my Placer coaches, Chris Alcala, Gene DuChateau, Bart Morefield, Todd DeCarlo and Ron Benjamin. 

The most exciting part of college soccer is my new FPU coach Rob Podeyn. Coach Podeyn brings an abundance of experience to help me take my soccer to the next level. He has a long resume of coaching at the elite level in the US, Netherlands and with the Brazilian Women’s National U17 team. He has also just released his sixth book on coaching soccer.

I’d like to thank my family the most because they helped me get to the level I am today as a soccer player and as a person.” — Ariana Avila, Placer United 98G Gold

“I am extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to play soccer at Dominican University!  I am beyond excited about the opportunity to continuing playing the sport I love at the next level and pursue my education at such a great learning institution.  Thank you Coach Coffey and Coach Johnson for this opportunity and your confidence in my abilities to be part of the Penguins!  I am looking forward to making an impact and building new friendships as part of the Penguin team. Playing soccer and being part of Placer United has been such a big part of my life over the years. I have had the opportunity to meet amazing people, build great friendships, and grow both as a soccer player and a person.  I am truly thankful to all those players, coaches, and parents who have been part of that journey and encouraged me to strive to be the best player I can be. I want to give a special thanks to my coaches over the years. First, thank you Geno and Bart, for helping me build my confidence and starting me on the path to playing college soccer. A big thank you to Ron Benjamin, for your support and helping me to develop into a stronger, smarter player and always pushing me to strive to become better. And I want to recognize and thank Todd DeCarlo. You have been an instrumental part in the opportunity and decision to play at Dominican. Thank you for all of your support in helping me to make this decision and really find the place that is best fit for me as a player and person. Thank you for supporting me, being invested in my playing, and helping me grow as person. And lastly, none of this would have been possible without my family. I cannot thank them enough for all their support and encouragement over all the years of playing. I appreciate all the sacrifices they have made for me to realize my goal of playing collegiate soccer and have the amazing opportunity I have in front of me at Dominican University. Thank you again to all who have believed in me and supported me in this journey! Go Penguins!” ~ # 21 Taylor Evinger

“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to Dominican University. I feel that Dominican University is the absolute best fit for me in every way. A huge thank you to my coaches, Ron Benjamin and Todd DeCarlo, who have encouraged me and pushed me to be the best player I can be. Thank you both for supporting me and helping me through my college selection process this past year. Thank you to my teammates and friends who have made my year at Placer so special. You were all so welcoming and kind and made me feel like a part of your family. I couldn’t have asked to join a team with a better group of girls. You all have pushed me mentally, physically, and technically and helped me to become a better player. Thank you to the families and friends I have grown up with for always supporting me in all of my decisions. You have shaped me into the person I am today and I can’t thank you enough for your love and encouragement throughout the years. Thank you to my sisters and former teammates who taught me so much about friendship and what it means to always be there for someone. To Eric Crise and my mom, thank you for being the best influences on my development as a soccer player and person. You both have taught me so much about the game, myself, and life. Thank you for being role models to me on and off the field. Thank you to Coach Kelly Coffey and Danielle Johnson for giving me the opportunity to continue to play the sport I love at the collegiate level. Most of all, thank you to my parents and sister, Aiden, for standing by me. You have supported, encouraged, pushed, and loved me more than I could have ever asked for. You have been the most influential and important people in my life and I am so beyond thankful for your roles. Thank you for setting a standard for me and holding me to it. I can’t thank you enough for your love, guiding support, and a dose of reality when I needed it. I am so extremely excited to become a Penguin!” — Cassidy Marquez

“I am so extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to University of Nevada, Reno. A huge thank you to Melissa Price and the whole coaching staff at UNR for this opportunity to play at the collegiate level. It has always been my dream to play college soccer and I am beyond excited to say I’m going to play for such a great school like UNR. I wouldn’t have made it this far if it wasn’t for the people in my life today. Throughout my years of playing soccer, Placer United has introduced me to some of my best friends, greatest mentors and life long lessons. Thank you for being such a great club and forming me into the player I am today. This club is filled with talented players and coaches and I am so lucky to play for such an amazing club like Placer. I would like to thank Ron Benjamin for being one of the greatest influences in my life. Not only have you taught me so much about soccer but you’ve taught me about myself. Thank you for never giving up on me and always pushing me to be better. Without you, none of this would have been possible. To the wonderful group of girls I call my team, they are not only my teammates, but they are my sisters. I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today without your help. Thank you for always being there for me. To my high school coaches, Mark Bowman and Matt Felt, thank you for believing in me when I was a freshman thinking I would be able make an impact on Varsity. I can’t express to you how important that was to me as a player. It gave me the the mentality that if I wanted something I would have to work my hardest to achieve it. Lastly I would like to thank my family. You have all put so much time, money, and effort into making me the person and player I am today. You have motivated me from day one to always push my limits and I am so thankful for all of you.To my dad, thank you for being my number one fan. Words cannot describe how much you mean to me and how much gratitude I have towards everything you do for me. Thank you for the long car rides to tournament after tournament, for always being positive even when there is no positivity from me. To my mom and sister, thank you for always supporting me and coming out to every game. It means so much to me knowing I have you on the sidelines cheering me on. To my brother, thank you for teaching me to be resilient and tough. I am so excited to take the next step in my life and soccer career at University of Nevada, Reno. Go pack!” — Grace Vargas

“I am very excited to announce my commitment to play soccer at the University of Nevada Reno. I would like to thank all my coaches from the beginning, Tim, Ninos, Britt, and Debbie, who not only taught me the skills I needed early on, but also instilled in me the work ethic, love and desire I have for the game. A special thanks to Rick, Grace, and my high school coaches, Daniel and Haley, for helping me to continue to develop as a player. My biggest thanks and appreciation especially goes to my coach, Ron Benjamin, for giving me an opportunity to play with Placer, for encouraging me on and off the field, and for providing amazing training with such quality teammates. I can never thank you enough for the time you put into helping me develop as a player and finding my new home at UNR! I wouldn’t be where I am today without you! I’d also like to thank all the girls I grew up playing soccer with and for my new Placer teammates who challenged me daily at training sessions and games. You have all made me a better player and helped my love for the game continue to grow. You are not only my teammates but also my friends and my family! And of course to the biggest supporters in my life; my mom, my grandparents and my family. I would not be where I am now without you. The last thank you is to Coach Missy and Coach Tate for giving me this opportunity to continue to play the game I love. Go Wolfpack!” — Hannah Souza

“I am excited and proud to announce my commitment to California State University, Sacramento. I would like to thank Ron Benjamin immensely for always encouraging and challenging me to be the best I can be everyday both on and off the field. I definitely would not be where I am today without him. I am beyond lucky to play with a team full of amazing girls who have supported me and helped me become the player I am today. They mean more to me than just teammates, they’re my family. Thanks also to Matt Leonard and Dawn Sloss for all their timeless work behind the scenes. I don’t know where this team would be without the two of them. A quick thank you to one of my biggest supporters Jeremy Upchurch for always believing in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. Of course the biggest thank you goes out to my family. Growing up watching my sister Kayla and brother Bailey play soccer at a competitive level has always pushed me to be a better player. As for my parents, Brad and Kathy, I can say without a doubt that they have always been there by my side to ensure that I’ll succeed both on and off the field. They have encouraged me to be the best me I can be and have dedicated countless hours to my soccer. For them I will be eternally grateful. Lastly, A special thank you to Coach Randy and Coach Katie for believing in me and giving me this unbelievable opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing division 1 soccer at an outstanding school. I am beyond thrilled to join the team at Sac State. Go Hornets!” — Josie Drake

“I am honored and thrilled to announce my verbal commitment to play soccer at the collegiate level for Sonoma State University in fall 2017. It has always been my dream to play soccer in college, and with hard work, dedication, and the support from friends and family my dream is coming true. First a big thank you to every teammate I’ve had throughout the years of playing sports. I’ve learned so much from each sport that I’ve played and I am grateful to be able to apply what I know from other sports to help improve my soccer knowledge. I would not be where I am today if it hadn’t been for everything my family has done and had to sacrifice for me. I am, and will always be, thankful for everything they do for me. A huge thank you to all of my coaches I’ve had throughout my soccer career. Most importantly Kori Marquez and Eric Crise for teaching me respect, kindness, and responsibility, Todd DeCarlo to think creatively and become a self reliant player, and lastly Ron Benjamin. Coach Ron has become a huge part of my life on and off the field and I can’t thank him enough for pushing me every training session and game. He continues to be a role model I look up to. All four of these coaches have truly gone above and beyond to shape me into the player and person that I am today and I am truly grateful for everything they have done and will miss them dearly. Also thank you to Savanna Thompson for unknowingly being the player I aspire to become and work as hard at every training session. She is a great leader and will accomplish amazing things during her soccer career.

I am extremely excited to play under head coach Emiria Salzmann Dunn and assistant coaches Robin Hart, Mark Dunn, and Jody Lingafeldt. After meeting Emiria I knew Sonoma was for me. Her coaching style is exactly what I’m looking for to push me to become the best player. With her help, the rest of the coaching staff, and the incredible team, I know we can accomplish great things. A shoutout to my twin brother Cole, and to Cassidy Marquez for being my best friends and supporting me throughout my life.”

Go Seawolves!
Paige Martinsen

“I am extremely proud to announce that I have committed to play at Cal State Monterey Bay. I would like to thank the coaches who helped get me get this far to play at the next level, Coach Daron Anderson, Coach Matt McDougall, Coach Matt Scammacca and Coach Paul O’Brien. In all the years that I’ve played for Placer, their coaching has prepared me for this amazing opportunity. This past year, Coach McDougall has helped me so much with the college recruiting process and I really appreciate him and Coach Paul for their recent support. 

A big thank you must also go to my parents who have supported me the whole time I have been playing soccer and all the sacrifices they have made for me. Last but not least, it has been a great time playing soccer with my teammates and I won’t forget all the good times.” — Justin Laperle