BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Five Aggie soccer newcomers started their Texas A&M academic careers as early enrollees. Freshmen Sydney Becerra (Flower Mound, Texas), Carolyn Calzada (Sugar Hill, Ga.), Caroline Kniffen (Lewisville, Texas), Georgia Leb (Colleyville, Texas) and transfer Quinn Cornog (Dallas) enrolled and began classes Tuesday.
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"Being on campus this spring offers each of these students the opportunity to get acclimated to the high academic standards of Texas A&M," Aggies' head coach G Guerrieri said. "It allows them to quickly become members of our tight knit Aggie soccer family and receive a full semester of soccer and athletic development under our coaches."
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"We're excited for this spring session, especially having these five terrific additions in the mix. Normally, the springtime is used for improvement. We put a lot of working into improving individual skills as well as improving our ability to work together. With COVID the last two years, there wasn't time for the player and team development."
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Becerra was the Texas Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020-21, in addition to earning Class 6A All-State First-Team, District 6-6A MVP and UIL 6A All-Tournament Team selections in her lone prep season. She has been active with US Soccer youth national teams, including her most recent invites to U18 camps in 2021.
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"Sydney is a very exciting addition to our program," Guerrieri said. "She is easily one of the most gifted and special attacking midfielders in America because of her ability to possess and break down organized opposing defenses."
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Calzada was stellar in her lone prep season, leading Buford High School to a 20-1-1 record, including not yielding a goal during a 12-0 regional campaign while earning All-State, All-Gwinnett County and Region 8-6A Player of the Year honors. Calzada possesses a wealth of international experience, including playing with Aggie teammates Jordyn Gunnarson and Makhiya McDonald on the US Soccer U17 Women's National Team that won the title at the 2019 UEFA Development Tournament with victories over the Czech Republic, Belgium and Ireland.
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"CC is an athletic and intelligent defender and leader from the nationally acclaimed Tophat Soccer," Guerrieri said. "She arrives in Aggieland prepared to play after training and playing on the highest level of soccer in America for many years. She is very comfortable with the ball at her feet and well-versed in starting attacks."
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"Caroline is an incredibly fast and dangerous attacking force," Guerrieri said. "She is one of those players that just runs past and away from opponents, setting up dangerous scoring situations for her team. She has been an outstanding wide player for the FC Dallas Academy, as well as last year with D'Feeters in the ECNL. She is truly a nightmare for opposing defenders, and has received awesome coaching with her experiences in the DFW area."
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Kniffen shined on the club circuit in recent years, including earning All-ECNL First Team recognition in 2020-21. She also helped D'Feeters Kicks to a sixth-place finish at the ECNL National Finals for the 2019-20 campaign. Kniffen has been invited to multiple US Soccer training camps.
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"Georgia is a gifted and versatile player with the ability to help us in many roles and phases of the game," Guerrieri said. "She has experience with US Soccer youth national teams and camps and has been a key figure in both the DA and ECNL platforms for Solar. She gained a lot of outstanding coaching and guidance throughout her career while competing for regional and national titles."
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Leb has been star with her club squads in recent years, including leading Solar Soccer Club to the ECNL National Championship semifinal round in 2021 and the Development Academy quarterfinals in 2020 before the event was canceled due to COVID-19. She has been active with US Soccer youth national teams, including her most recent invites to U18 camps in 2021.
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Cornog was an SEC All-Freshman Team midfielder at Vanderbilt in 2021. She arrives in Aggieland with three years of eligibility. Cornog played all 19 games for Vanderbilt as a freshman, including three starts. She logged one goal and two assists. Cornog earned SEC Freshman of the Week recognition on October 29 after scoring an 88th-minute, game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Georgia.
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"This is a huge addition for us," Guerrieri said. "Quinn is a super player and leader who fits perfectly with our culture and style of play. It's great for A&M to have an All-SEC caliber player returning to her home state to help compete for another championship."
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The Aggies have now had 30 freshmen early enrollees over the last nine years, including All-SEC performers Maile Hayes, Mikaela Harvey, Addie McCain, Barbara Olivieri, Haley Pounds and Katie Smith since 2014.
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"Being on campus this spring offers each of these students the opportunity to get acclimated to the high academic standards of Texas A&M," Aggies' head coach G Guerrieri said. "It allows them to quickly become members of our tight knit Aggie soccer family and receive a full semester of soccer and athletic development under our coaches."
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"We're excited for this spring session, especially having these five terrific additions in the mix. Normally, the springtime is used for improvement. We put a lot of working into improving individual skills as well as improving our ability to work together. With COVID the last two years, there wasn't time for the player and team development."
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Becerra was the Texas Girls Soccer Gatorade Player of the Year in 2020-21, in addition to earning Class 6A All-State First-Team, District 6-6A MVP and UIL 6A All-Tournament Team selections in her lone prep season. She has been active with US Soccer youth national teams, including her most recent invites to U18 camps in 2021.
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"Sydney is a very exciting addition to our program," Guerrieri said. "She is easily one of the most gifted and special attacking midfielders in America because of her ability to possess and break down organized opposing defenses."
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Calzada was stellar in her lone prep season, leading Buford High School to a 20-1-1 record, including not yielding a goal during a 12-0 regional campaign while earning All-State, All-Gwinnett County and Region 8-6A Player of the Year honors. Calzada possesses a wealth of international experience, including playing with Aggie teammates Jordyn Gunnarson and Makhiya McDonald on the US Soccer U17 Women's National Team that won the title at the 2019 UEFA Development Tournament with victories over the Czech Republic, Belgium and Ireland.
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"CC is an athletic and intelligent defender and leader from the nationally acclaimed Tophat Soccer," Guerrieri said. "She arrives in Aggieland prepared to play after training and playing on the highest level of soccer in America for many years. She is very comfortable with the ball at her feet and well-versed in starting attacks."
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"Caroline is an incredibly fast and dangerous attacking force," Guerrieri said. "She is one of those players that just runs past and away from opponents, setting up dangerous scoring situations for her team. She has been an outstanding wide player for the FC Dallas Academy, as well as last year with D'Feeters in the ECNL. She is truly a nightmare for opposing defenders, and has received awesome coaching with her experiences in the DFW area."
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Kniffen shined on the club circuit in recent years, including earning All-ECNL First Team recognition in 2020-21. She also helped D'Feeters Kicks to a sixth-place finish at the ECNL National Finals for the 2019-20 campaign. Kniffen has been invited to multiple US Soccer training camps.
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"Georgia is a gifted and versatile player with the ability to help us in many roles and phases of the game," Guerrieri said. "She has experience with US Soccer youth national teams and camps and has been a key figure in both the DA and ECNL platforms for Solar. She gained a lot of outstanding coaching and guidance throughout her career while competing for regional and national titles."
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Leb has been star with her club squads in recent years, including leading Solar Soccer Club to the ECNL National Championship semifinal round in 2021 and the Development Academy quarterfinals in 2020 before the event was canceled due to COVID-19. She has been active with US Soccer youth national teams, including her most recent invites to U18 camps in 2021.
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Cornog was an SEC All-Freshman Team midfielder at Vanderbilt in 2021. She arrives in Aggieland with three years of eligibility. Cornog played all 19 games for Vanderbilt as a freshman, including three starts. She logged one goal and two assists. Cornog earned SEC Freshman of the Week recognition on October 29 after scoring an 88th-minute, game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Georgia.
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"This is a huge addition for us," Guerrieri said. "Quinn is a super player and leader who fits perfectly with our culture and style of play. It's great for A&M to have an All-SEC caliber player returning to her home state to help compete for another championship."
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The Aggies have now had 30 freshmen early enrollees over the last nine years, including All-SEC performers Maile Hayes, Mikaela Harvey, Addie McCain, Barbara Olivieri, Haley Pounds and Katie Smith since 2014.