Soccer Signs Seven Rising Stars for 2021 Campaign

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION – The Texas A&M Aggies received certification on National Letters of Intent and appropriate paperwork for six of the most coveted high school soccer players in the nation, along with one of the top products out of Canada, head coach G Guerrieri announced Wednesday.

All seven prospects are slated to join the team for the 2021 season.

“We are incredibly excited about signing this class of student-soccer players,” Guerrieri said. “This seven-player class is filled with talented young women who are coming to Texas A&M because they are very serious students who know the value of a degree from Texas A&M, one of the world’s great academic institutions. It is a diverse and talented class coming from Texas, California and Canada, which will aid in our already rich team culture. It is a class filled with players who can dominate, and break games open for the Aggies.”

The list of United States high school players includes Natalie Abel (F – Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif.), Carissa Boeckmann (MF – San Antonio, Texas), Jordyn Gunnarson (GK – Prosper, Texas), Maile Hayes (F – Spring, Texas), Macy Matula (D – Houston, Texas) and Makhiya McDonald (F – Lancaster, Texas). The Maroon & White also add defender Mia Pante, a North Vancouver, British Columbia, native who is a regular with Canada’s youth national teams.

“Each of these young ladies comes from a great soccer club environment where they have received some of the best coaching in North America and compete weekly against the other best players in their country. I’m proud of the relationships that Phil Stephenson and I have created with the coaches of these great players, and that they have put their trust in us to provide an inspirational experience like current and past Texas A&M players have received in Aggieland.”

The recruiting class shines on the field, including four players with youth national team experience, as well as in the classroom where multiple players sport a 4.0 GPA.

“We look for young women who possess high character as well as soccer abilities we believe we can develop to an even higher level as they matriculate through their college experience in Aggieland.”

Natalie Abel

• Has spent the last three seasons playing for Coaches Abner Rogers and Greg Baker for the So Cal Blues ECNL squad
• Led So Cal Blues to a ECNL national championship with a team-leading 38 goals in 2018-19, also winning Surf Cup and Blues Cup along the way
• Played for Strikers FC for Coach Abner Rogers, leading the team in scoring with 25 goals, including seven goals at the ECNL National Championship where the squad advanced to the semifinal round
• Spent half a season with Pateadores U15 US Soccer Development Academy in 2017-18, appearing in 12 matches.
• Participated in US Soccer national team youth camps from 2014-16
• Spent four years with Real SoCal with Coaches Laura Janke, Sam Nellis and Richard Simms and three years with Eagles SC with Coaches Tim Kelly and Mikey Alexander
• Led Real SoCal in scoring all four years, logging over 20 goals in each campaign
• Played prep soccer at Tesoro High School for Coach George Deverrick as a sophomore and JSerra Catholic High School for Coach Greg Baker as a junior and senior
• Led JSerra Catholic to a California Interscholastic Federation state finalist campaign as a senior as well as a regional semifinal appearance as a junior
• Earned a spot on Dean’s List and Honor Roll for every grading period and owns a cumulative GPA of 4.5

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Natalie is a very gifted attacking player with the skill and sophistication to play a variety of roles on the front line and as a creator in the midfield. She is amazingly smooth and calm on the ball while moving at top speed. Natalie is very cleaver in the way she reads the game to create and score goals. She is the latest in a pipeline of players from the So Cal Blues club program in Orange County, California, to make the trek to Aggieland (Leigh Edwards, Janae Cousineau).”

Carissa Boeckmann

• Eight-year member of Classics Elite Soccer Academy under the tutelage of Coaches Owen Collie and Aaron Metzger
• Three-time member of the ECNL Texas All-Conference Team in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19
• Participated in 2019 ECNL National Selection Game in Phoenix
• Invited to ECNL National Training Camp in 2018 and ‘19
• Three-year varsity letter winner at Antonian College Preparatory High School for Coach Augustine Mendez
• Two-year captain for the Apaches, earning team’s Golden Boot in 2019-20 and MVP distinction in 2018-19
• Led squad to state semifinal in 2019-20 and state quarterfinals in 2017-18
• Earned TAPPS All-State First Team, TAPPS Academic Team, Express-News All-San Antonio team and TAPPS All-District First Team in 2019-20
• Selected TAPPS All-State First Team and All-District 2-1 First Team in 2018-19
• Played freshman season at Incarnate Word High School
• Garnered TAPPS All-District 2-1 First Team recognition at Incarnate Word

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Carissa is a dominant figure on the pitch, and we’ve been impressed with how much she continues to improve and develop as an influential force in the midfield. She is a super athlete and possesses great skill and poise on the ball. We think she can become a major force for Texas A&M in the heart of our lineup. She is the second player to join us from the Classic Elite program in San Antonio (behind current player Daria Britton), where she has blossomed as a player and leader.”

Jordyn Gunnarson

• Spent last year playing for Solar Soccer Club with Coach Adrian Solca
• Played with FC Dallas Development Academy squad from 2016-20 under the tutelage of Coaches Matt Grubb and Ashley Gordon
• Appeared in 14 matches with the FCD Development Academy U17 team in 2019-20
• Played in 36 matches with U16 and U17 teams in 2018-19
• Saw action in 30 matches with FC Dallas Development Academy squads in 2017, leading her team to a U15 US Development Academy title
• Earned the Golden Glove Award as the top goalkeeper at the 2018 U15 Development Academy National Championship
• Played at UEFA Tournament in Prague, Czech Republic, with the US Soccer U17 Women’s National Team in 2019
• Trained at the US Soccer U15 Girls National Team Camp in 2018
• Playing senior season at Prosper High School
• Named to Honor Roll all four years at Prosper

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Jordyn is one of America’s premier young goalkeepers. She has a long, lean physique with cat-like quickness and agility. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of her club coaches over the years and have been impressed with her continued growth of understanding in a complex position. She grew up in the incredible FC Dallas developmental system and recently changed over to Solar Soccer Club for her senior year in high school. Jordyn brings big game and youth national team experience with her to Aggieland.”

Maile Hayes

• Member for Challenge Soccer Club since 2011, playing for Coaches Pat O’Toole, Stuart Self, Chris Maravalli and David ‘Smitty’ Smith
• Earned the No. 1 Seed at the ECNL National Playoffs, won an ECNL Texas Conference Championship and finished ranked fifth in the nation in 2018
• Has been team captain for Challenge SC since 2016
• Invited to Texas Conference Selection Program from 2018-20 and played in 2019 National Selection Game in Phoenix
• Participated in ECNL National Training Camp in 2018 and ‘19
• Named to the Best XI at the ECNL National Training Camp in 2018
• Selected to ECNL Texas All-Conference Team in 2017-18, as well as being named ECNL Texas Conference Player of the Year in 2017
• Member of Southwest United Soccer Club in 2010-11 for Coach Todd Duguid
• Played two varsity seasons, one at Concordia Lutheran High School for Coach Kanagasabai UmaShankar in 2018-19 and one for Coach Becky Cobb at Klein Oak High School in 2017-18
• Led Concordia Lutheran to a 31-2 record, including a TAPPS District 1-4 championship and a quarterfinal appearance in the state playoffs in 2019
• Named District 1-4 MVP and TAPPS Division I All-State First Team in 2019
• Helped Klein Oak to an 18-3-1 mark and the third round of the playoffs in 2018
• Earned honors as District 15-6A Newcomer of the Year, All-District 15-6A First Team and All-Region 2-6A First Team in 2018
• Named to All-A Honor Roll all four years, as well as earning enshrinement in the National Honor Society  

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Maile is one of the hardest working forwards you’ll ever see. She absolutely makes life miserable for her opponents because she is so relentless with her desire to see the ball in the back of their net. She joins long-time club teammate and friend Taylor Pounds in Aggieland as the latest in a long pipeline of great Challenge Soccer Club players to wear the Maroon & White.”

Macy Matula

• Member of Albion Hurricanes FC from 2009-2020 for Coaches Dylan Glad, Daniel Hill and Rafa Brazo
• Led squad to North American Cup title in 2019
• Earned two varsity letters at St. Pius X High School for Coach Ed Sloan
• Led squad to a 13-3 mark in 2019-20 and won the 2019 Saint Mary Hall Tournament  
• Garnered TAPPS Division I All-State Second Team and TAPPS All-District 4-1 First Team in 2020
• Named TAPPS All-District First Team in 2019
• Participated in Soccer Federation Market Training from 2014-17
• Earned TAPPS Academic All-State recognition in 2019 and ‘20
• Head of School Honor Roll all four years and ranked in Top 6% at St. Pius X
• Member of the National Honor Society in 2019 and ‘20

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Macy is gifted with wonderful pace and the ability to accelerate past opponents. We see her as a great wide player in the SEC. We think she will fit in perfectly with our style of attacking from all positions on the field. She is the latest player to join us from the Albion Hurricane program in Houston (Ali Russell, Barbara Olivieri, Lauren Geczik). We expect her to fit into our system as well as those other AHFC alumni did.”

Makhiya McDonald

• Played with the Solar Soccer Club for five years, including three seasons with the US Soccer Development Academy squad with Coaches Derek Missimo and Adrian Solca
• Made 20 appearances with the Solar SC DA U17 squad in 2019-20, scoring 18 goals
• Played in 36 matches with the Solar SC DA U16/17 and U18/19 teams in 2018-19, scoring 38 goals
• Appeared in 24 matches for the Solar SC DA U15 team in 2017-18, notching 18 goals
• Picked up invitation to the US Soccer U17 Womens National Team camps in 2019, including a trip to the Czech Republic for a UEFA Development Tournament  
• Scored a pair of goals in a match against the Czech Republic
• Earned an invitation to the US Soccer U15 Girls National Team Camps in 2018, including a trip to the Netherlands
• Claimed US Soccer Girls Development Academy U17 National Championship in 2019
• Won titles at the 2018 SuperRex Vancouver Showcase and 2017 ECNL Texas Conference tournament
• Earned Dallas International Cup titles in 2015, ’16 and ‘17
• Three-year letterwinner on the Duncanville Track & Field team running the sprints and sprint relays for Coach Yvette Green
• Qualified for the Class 6A regionals and was an area finalist in the 400-meters

Coach Guerrieri Says...  

“Mak is one of the most exciting attacking players in the nation. She is a goal creator and scorer with breathtaking speed and moves that can tie defenders legs in knots with her ability to change direction on the dribble at top speed. She is the latest in a line of incredible players from the Solar Soccer Club in Dallas (Macie Kolb, Kendall Bates, Karlina Sample).

Mia Pante

• Integral member of the Canada youth national teams since her U15 days
• Working with Canada attempting to qualify for Women’s U17 World Cup when COVID-19 postponed the tournament
• Played in 2018 CONCACAF Girls U15 Championship in Bradenton, Florida
• Member of the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite Rex Program since 2017 under the tutelage of Coaches Emma Humphries, Mike Norris and Chris Sargent where she was a teammate with current Aggie freshman Andersen Williams  
• Named “Most Promising Female Player” by the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2020, an award earned by Williams in 2019, as well as picking up the BMO Academy Girls RESP Award
• Participated in 2019 FIFA Blue Stars Youth Cup in Zurich, Switzerland, finishing in third place and earning the Sportsmanship Award
• Played for Coaches Daryl Ware-Lane and Lee Tregonning at Mountain United FC in the EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League from 2014-16
• Guided MUFC to Provincial Championship titles in 2016 and ‘17
• Member of North Shore Girls Soccer Club from 2008-2013
• Honor Roll student at Burnaby Central Secondary School

Coach Guerrieri Says...  “Mia is a great player on both sides of the ball. She comes from the Vancouver Whitecaps REX program and Canadian youth national team systems of development in British Columbia. Mia has a wonderful presence on the pitch. She brings that international-level experience with her as a defender who has the ability to run the entire flank of the field from endline to endline in attack. She fits in perfectly with the way we like to see our wingbacks play.”