“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

“Words can’t express how excited I am to be playing at Cal State Monterey Bay next semester. I took a gamble this year by going to Sierra College part time and gave myself another year to find a place to play my soccer. It really couldn’t have played out any better. I’d like to thank all of my friends, family, teammates, and coaches for pushing me to be what I am today, including Matt Scamacca, Paul O’Brien, and Jason Gantt, for mentoring me over the majority of my eleven years at Placer. Also a shout out to my Mum and Dad for being the best parents in the 916 — couldn’t have done it without you. Go Otters!” — Scottie Walsh

“I’m overjoyed to announce my decision to attend and play soccer at Chapman University this fall. I truly believe I couldn’t have found a better academic or athletic fit for me. First, thank you to all of the teammates I’ve had at Placer throughout the past five years, who have been instrumental in shaping me as a player and an individual. You have always pushed me to improve my game, and I consider myself very lucky for having gotten the chance to play with each of you. Another thanks to all the coaches I have had at Placer since I joined the club as a 13-year-old. To Coach Kevin Unsworth: thank you for always pushing me to improve the technical aspects of my game and for helping me to rediscover the passion I have always had for soccer. To Coach Todd Decarlo: thank you for helping me discover my desire to play soccer at the collegiate level, for believing in me enough to promote me to a higher level team midway through my U16 season, and for being invaluable to the development of every aspect of my game. To Coach Katie Burton: thank you for your encouragement and for helping me develop as a player in just the few months you coached our team. To Coach Ron Benjamin: thank you for all of your assistance in the college process this year and in prior years, and for always pushing me to play faster and smarter. I’d also like to thank Rocklin High’s Coach Paul Morrison for helping me to step up as a leader and embrace my versatility as a soccer player. Finally, thank you to my parents, whose endless encouragement and unwavering confidence in me has helped me to recognize my full potential and make my college aspirations a reality. Thank you guys for all of the time, money, and energy you’ve dedicated to my soccer career. Your support means everything to me. I can’t wait to join the Chapman family and play under Coach Courtney Calderon next year. Go Panthers!” — Faith Holloway

“I am very proud to announce that I have committed to play soccer at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology! I am so thankful for everyone who has contributed to my growth on and off the field up to this point in my life. Thank you to coaches Jordan Kadlec and Andrew Conniff for giving me this opportunity to play Division II soccer at a school that suits me both athletically and academically. I would especially like to thank my parents for supporting me throughout my soccer career. I am also incredibly lucky to have been mentored by so many great coaches over the years, for I would not be in this position without them. These people include Matt Scammacca, John and Anthony Chimienti, Danny Cruz, Jimmy Frazelle, Kelcey Chaidez, Paul O’Brien, Ron Benjamin, Robbie Handy, and Jason Gantt. I want to thank all of them for everything they have done for me. My teammates have been awesome over the years and I wish them the best of luck in the future. Once again, I am so thankful for everyone who has played a part in my development as both a person and a player!” — Garrett Bonzell