University of New Hampshire Athletics
‘Cats Replenish Roster with 12 Incoming Freshmen
5/4/2020 3:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Wildcats look to replace graduating class of 10.
DURHAM, N.H. – University of New Hampshire women's soccer head coach Steve Welham, entering his seventh season at the helm, has announced 12 new incoming freshmen to the 2020 roster.
"We are very excited about the addition of these twelve young women. They have truly excelled on the field and in the classroom throughout their High School careers. They all possess great talent and ability on the field, an outstanding pedigree in the classroom and most importantly they are wonderful people. We are greatly looking forward to their contributions to our team in all three areas."
The large recruiting class comes in part due to a loss of a 10-member senior class, which included the two top leading goal scorers, the starting back-four, and overall, seven of the usual starting 11. The Wildcats will look to rebuild a roster that returns several key players in their last playoff run, which resulted in UNH's fourth semifinal appearance in the last six seasons and second 10+ win season in the last three years under Coach Welham.
The Incoming 2020 Class:
Ande Allison (Carlisle, Ohio) joins the Wildcats from Carlisle High School and the Cincinnati Development Soccer Academy. This former all-league and all-district varsity soccer player will be a great addition to UNH's midfield.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Allison:
"Ande is a dynamic and technical midfielder who likes to solve pressure by her vision, intelligence and passing range. Although she is recovering from injury, we are excited for her future and having her on campus soon."
Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) will also add depth to the Wildcat midfield and outfield players, coming from Guilderland High and World Class FC – ECNL coached by Jeff Eisele. Bini is used to the big-game atmosphere, making it to the ECNL Final Four with WCFC, and has the perfect midfield stamina as she also lettered in varsity cross country, earning MVP honors in 2016.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Bini:
"Emily's work rate, tenacity paired with her technical prowess and speed make her a formidable player across several positions on the field. She will have the ability to feature in more than one position and we look forward to her contributions."
Ashley Buchheit (Downington, Pa.) is the newest member of New Hampshire's goalkeeping corps. Buchheit saw great success in the Pennsylvania Ches-Mont league winning the league her junior and senior seasons with Downington East.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Buchheit:
"Ashley possesses great agility and reactions and along her shot stopping prowess has a strong presence in goal. She brings talent, potential and depth to our "goalkeeper union" and we look forward to her arrival on campus."
Ella Dudley (St. Augustine, Fla.) is one of two newcomers from the Jacksonville Armada, F.C. coached by Danny Villarreal. Dudley will help fill in UNH's backline, playing as a center or outside back. Dudley also had an outstanding career with Bartram Trail High School, St. John's County player of the Year, a two-time captain and regional/conference champion with the Bears.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Dudley:
"Ella is physically imposing in the air and reads the game very well. She has the ability to control the back line along with bringing the ball forward into the midfield. She is comfortable in tight situations and can also play accurately over distance. Ella will also be a threat on restarts inside and outside of the box due to her very long throw-in.
Anna Hewlett (Webster, N.Y.) played her pre-college soccer with Webster Schroeder High School and the Western NY Flash of the ECNL. Hewlett proved to be a goal-scoring threat all four seasons (47 goals) and will hope to continue that output in a Wildcat kit.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Hewlett:
"Anna is an extremely gifted attacking midfielder. Although she can play further back, she excels in attacking situations. She possesses both a high speed of play and a high speed of thought of play. Technically sound with both feet Anna will be a goal scoring threat along with someone who can create goals with her final pass and bring her teammates into the game."
Cassie Jones (Beverly, Mass.) is one of the native New Englanders joining the Wildcats for the 2020 season, playing her high school soccer at Beverly High where she scored 63 goals, and her club soccer New England F.C. under Doc Simpson. The converted center back to forward saw great success in Massachusetts State Cup competition.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Jones:
"Cassie is a spark plug…full of energy, speed and tenacity. She will fit in very nicely with our pressing style of play. She has a nose for goal and a relentless work ethic. We look forward to seeing her mesh well with our attacking players."
Alivia Kelly (Pembroke, Mass.) is another local New England product who will also bolster UNH's back line. The tri-sport high school athlete played soccer, track & field, and basketball for Thayer Academy, as well as her club soccer with Scorpions FC of the ECNL under Evan Burokas.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Kelly:
"Strength, power, presence, skill all come to mind when I watch Alivia play. She possesses so many outstanding qualities as a central defender. She is brave, smart and quick, good in the air and can carry the ball forward to start the play. She has the ability to break pressure by playing long or keeping it simple with a shorter pass… not to mention she is very good in the air."
Keegan Mayer (Summit, N.J.) was a four-year varsity player at Summit High School, and was named the team's MVP in her final three seasons, and team captain in her final two seasons with the team. Mayer also played with PDA (the Players Development Academy) of New Jersey under Josh Osit. Mayer was a prolific goal-scorer and chance-creator for Summit High (48 goals, 20 assists in her career) and will be a welcome sight to UNH's group of strikers.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Mayer:
"A naturally left sided player and an attacking threat is what you see when you watch Keegan play. She can strike a ball very well with pace, power and accuracy. She is both technical and dynamic, likes to go 1v1 at speed and will be an attacking presence on free kicks.
Logan Nicholson (St. Augustine, Fla.) is the second Jacksonville Armada player joining the 2020 roster. Nicholson was a team captain for the Armada in her final season with the club and was also a North Florida Senior All-Star for Nease High School scoring 46 goals.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Nicholson:
"Logan is a feisty, hard, and fierce competitor. She is a leader and a 'positive life force' on and off the field. Quick with the ball and dynamic both in attack and defense Logan will compete in a variety of positions for us straight away. We are very excited for her arrival on campus and feel she will excel in our attacking style of play.
Chloe Schnitt (New York, N.Y.) is a flexible forward/winger who has seen time as a back as well. The varsity captain for Marymount School started her varsity career in eighth grade, and while at Marmount also lettered in swimming. With her club team, FC Fury coached by Paul Riley, she also won a Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Schnitt:
"Chloe blends speed and power into her game very nicely making her an extremely versatile player. Tenacious in the tackle with tremendous recovery pace make her an ideal candidate as an outside back. Her pressing and ability to get forward make her a positive candidate as an attacking personality either coming from deep or in an advanced position."
Savannah Schoonmaker (State College, Pa.) will join the other defenders in bolstering the UNH defense; the four-year honor student performed well on and off the field, earning captaincy in her senior season at State College Area High. She also saw National Championship action with her ECNL club squad, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Schoonmaker:
"Savannah quietly gets the job done on the field and possesses a quiet confidence about herself when she plays. She does a lot of little things right on the field (reading the game and winning the ball instead of tackling) and we are looking forward to her continued development here at UNH."
Kayleigh Shearer (Moseley, Va.) is the final addition and another dual-threat back/forward whose versatility will be a welcome addition to the UNH squad. Overcoming a knee injury that required surgery her freshman season, Shearer worked her way to a two-year varsity captain with Cosby High, and a National Title appearance with Richmond United of the ECNL under Andy McIntosh and UNH Alum and Director of Coaching Aaron Brunner.
Achievements:
Coach Welham on Shearer:
"Kayleigh's physical presence and technical ability on the field will aid in her ability to play either in an attacking role or a defending role. She is strong, good in the air, reads the game very well and keeps a lot of things simple and clean when she plays."
"Our recruiting class of 2020 will allow us to continue to be successful on and off the field. We continue to look forward and build on our upward trajectory and we know this class will help us do just that. We look forward to having you all on campus sooner than later. In the meantime, stay safe and Go 'Cats!" – Coach Welham
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"We are very excited about the addition of these twelve young women. They have truly excelled on the field and in the classroom throughout their High School careers. They all possess great talent and ability on the field, an outstanding pedigree in the classroom and most importantly they are wonderful people. We are greatly looking forward to their contributions to our team in all three areas."
The large recruiting class comes in part due to a loss of a 10-member senior class, which included the two top leading goal scorers, the starting back-four, and overall, seven of the usual starting 11. The Wildcats will look to rebuild a roster that returns several key players in their last playoff run, which resulted in UNH's fourth semifinal appearance in the last six seasons and second 10+ win season in the last three years under Coach Welham.
The Incoming 2020 Class:
| Name | Position | Height | Hometown / Previous Team |
| Ande Allison | Midfield | 5'4" | Carlisle, Ohio / Cincinnati Development Academy |
| Emily Bini | Forward/Mid | 5'4" | Guilderland, N.Y. / World Class FC |
| Ashley Buchheit | Goalkeeper | 5'8" | Downington, Pa. / FC Delco |
| Ella Dudley | Back | 5'8" | St. Augustine, Fla. / Armada FC |
| Anna Hewlett | Midfield | 5'6" | Webster, N.Y. / Western NY Flash |
| Cassie Jones | Forward | 5'3" | Beverly, Mass. / New England FC |
| Alivia Kelly | Back | 5'11" | Pembroke, Mass. / Scorpions SC |
| Keegan Mayer | Forward | 5'5" | Summit, N.J. / Players Development Academy |
| Logan Nicholson | Forward | 5'4" | St. Augustine, Fla. / Armada FC |
| Chloe Schnitt | Back | 5'4" | New York, N.Y. / FC Fury |
| Savannah Schoonmaker | Back | 5'10" | State College, Pa. / Pittsburgh Riverhounds |
| Kayleigh Shearer | Back | 5'7" | Moseley, Va. / Richmond Kickers |
PLAYER BREAKDOWNS
Ande Allison (Carlisle, Ohio) joins the Wildcats from Carlisle High School and the Cincinnati Development Soccer Academy. This former all-league and all-district varsity soccer player will be a great addition to UNH's midfield.
Achievements:
- Ohio Development Program Regional and National Player
- U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Best 11 Award
- All-League and All-Region player her freshman year of high school – led team to its first tournament win in team history.
- Named conference's newcomer of the year for her rookie season efforts.
- Made it to the National Playoffs with Cincinnati Development Academy
- Two-time inductee into the National Honor Society
- Graduated third in her class out of 120.
- Also lettered in Boys' Tennis.
- P.E.O. Star Scholarship Award winner.
Coach Welham on Allison:
"Ande is a dynamic and technical midfielder who likes to solve pressure by her vision, intelligence and passing range. Although she is recovering from injury, we are excited for her future and having her on campus soon."
Emily Bini (Guilderland, N.Y.) will also add depth to the Wildcat midfield and outfield players, coming from Guilderland High and World Class FC – ECNL coached by Jeff Eisele. Bini is used to the big-game atmosphere, making it to the ECNL Final Four with WCFC, and has the perfect midfield stamina as she also lettered in varsity cross country, earning MVP honors in 2016.
Achievements:
- Two-time Cross Country MVP
- Track & Field Rookie of the Year
- National Honor Society Member
- Superior Honor Roll
Coach Welham on Bini:
"Emily's work rate, tenacity paired with her technical prowess and speed make her a formidable player across several positions on the field. She will have the ability to feature in more than one position and we look forward to her contributions."
Ashley Buchheit (Downington, Pa.) is the newest member of New Hampshire's goalkeeping corps. Buchheit saw great success in the Pennsylvania Ches-Mont league winning the league her junior and senior seasons with Downington East.
Achievements:
- Two-time Ches-Mont League Champion
- All-Conference First Team in senior season, honorable mention in her junior season.
- Member of the National Honor Society and French Honor Society
- High Honors in her freshman and sophomore years.
Coach Welham on Buchheit:
"Ashley possesses great agility and reactions and along her shot stopping prowess has a strong presence in goal. She brings talent, potential and depth to our "goalkeeper union" and we look forward to her arrival on campus."
Ella Dudley (St. Augustine, Fla.) is one of two newcomers from the Jacksonville Armada, F.C. coached by Danny Villarreal. Dudley will help fill in UNH's backline, playing as a center or outside back. Dudley also had an outstanding career with Bartram Trail High School, St. John's County player of the Year, a two-time captain and regional/conference champion with the Bears.
Achievements:
- Two-time Varsity Captain with BTHS.
- Back to back state final four appearances.
- Class 7A State Champion
- All-Conference and All-District team member.
- District and Conference Champs of the ECNL Southeast.
- Awarded the team's 'Heart of the Team' award in two straight seasons.
- 2020 St. Johns County Player of the Year (12 goals, led team).
Coach Welham on Dudley:
"Ella is physically imposing in the air and reads the game very well. She has the ability to control the back line along with bringing the ball forward into the midfield. She is comfortable in tight situations and can also play accurately over distance. Ella will also be a threat on restarts inside and outside of the box due to her very long throw-in.
Anna Hewlett (Webster, N.Y.) played her pre-college soccer with Webster Schroeder High School and the Western NY Flash of the ECNL. Hewlett proved to be a goal-scoring threat all four seasons (47 goals) and will hope to continue that output in a Wildcat kit.
Achievements:
- Monroe County Division 1 Player of the Year (2019).
- Two-time Class AA Section V Champion.
- First-Team All-County all four seasons.
- United Soccer Coaches All-Region Team (2018, 2019).
- Second-Team All-State (2018, 2019).
- NYSW State Cup Champion and Adidas Empire Cup Champion (2016).
- Three-time varsity captain.
Coach Welham on Hewlett:
"Anna is an extremely gifted attacking midfielder. Although she can play further back, she excels in attacking situations. She possesses both a high speed of play and a high speed of thought of play. Technically sound with both feet Anna will be a goal scoring threat along with someone who can create goals with her final pass and bring her teammates into the game."
Cassie Jones (Beverly, Mass.) is one of the native New Englanders joining the Wildcats for the 2020 season, playing her high school soccer at Beverly High where she scored 63 goals, and her club soccer New England F.C. under Doc Simpson. The converted center back to forward saw great success in Massachusetts State Cup competition.
Achievements:
- Named Student-Athlete of the Year for freshman season.
- 2019 National Cup Champions
- Two-time Massachusetts State Cup Champion
- All-Conference First Team as a striker, Second Team as a center back.
- Led the NEC in scoring her senior year with 28 goals.
- Salem News Player of the Year
- Team MVP in senior season.
- AP Scholars Award winner.
Coach Welham on Jones:
"Cassie is a spark plug…full of energy, speed and tenacity. She will fit in very nicely with our pressing style of play. She has a nose for goal and a relentless work ethic. We look forward to seeing her mesh well with our attacking players."
Alivia Kelly (Pembroke, Mass.) is another local New England product who will also bolster UNH's back line. The tri-sport high school athlete played soccer, track & field, and basketball for Thayer Academy, as well as her club soccer with Scorpions FC of the ECNL under Evan Burokas.
Achievements:
- Varsity Captain in senior season; led team to its first ever ISL title in school history.
- ISL Defensive MVP, Three-time All-ISL First-Team
- All-NEPSAC, All-State, and All New-England teams.
- High honors.
Coach Welham on Kelly:
"Strength, power, presence, skill all come to mind when I watch Alivia play. She possesses so many outstanding qualities as a central defender. She is brave, smart and quick, good in the air and can carry the ball forward to start the play. She has the ability to break pressure by playing long or keeping it simple with a shorter pass… not to mention she is very good in the air."
Keegan Mayer (Summit, N.J.) was a four-year varsity player at Summit High School, and was named the team's MVP in her final three seasons, and team captain in her final two seasons with the team. Mayer also played with PDA (the Players Development Academy) of New Jersey under Josh Osit. Mayer was a prolific goal-scorer and chance-creator for Summit High (48 goals, 20 assists in her career) and will be a welcome sight to UNH's group of strikers.
Achievements:
- Four-year varsity starter.
- Three-time All-County and All-Division First Team
- Three-time team MVP.
- Team Captain in junior and senior seasons.
- Union County Semifinalist
- Viewers Choice Goal of the Year Nominee (Jersey Sports Zone)
- NJ.com Top 80 Senior Girls High School Soccer Players list.
- Magna Cum Lade grade 9-12.
- Also played lacrosse and basketball.
Coach Welham on Mayer:
"A naturally left sided player and an attacking threat is what you see when you watch Keegan play. She can strike a ball very well with pace, power and accuracy. She is both technical and dynamic, likes to go 1v1 at speed and will be an attacking presence on free kicks.
Logan Nicholson (St. Augustine, Fla.) is the second Jacksonville Armada player joining the 2020 roster. Nicholson was a team captain for the Armada in her final season with the club and was also a North Florida Senior All-Star for Nease High School scoring 46 goals.
Achievements:
- National Honor Society / ASL National Honor Society.
- Three-time All-Conference Team for Nease High.
- Four-time All-First Coast Team
- Four-time All-County team
Coach Welham on Nicholson:
"Logan is a feisty, hard, and fierce competitor. She is a leader and a 'positive life force' on and off the field. Quick with the ball and dynamic both in attack and defense Logan will compete in a variety of positions for us straight away. We are very excited for her arrival on campus and feel she will excel in our attacking style of play.
Chloe Schnitt (New York, N.Y.) is a flexible forward/winger who has seen time as a back as well. The varsity captain for Marymount School started her varsity career in eighth grade, and while at Marmount also lettered in swimming. With her club team, FC Fury coached by Paul Riley, she also won a Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Achievements:
- Four-time AAIS League All-Star.
- Team captain for Marymount in senior season
- Team captain for FC Fury, Defensive Player of the Year in junior season.
- Second honors her junior and senior years.
Coach Welham on Schnitt:
"Chloe blends speed and power into her game very nicely making her an extremely versatile player. Tenacious in the tackle with tremendous recovery pace make her an ideal candidate as an outside back. Her pressing and ability to get forward make her a positive candidate as an attacking personality either coming from deep or in an advanced position."
Savannah Schoonmaker (State College, Pa.) will join the other defenders in bolstering the UNH defense; the four-year honor student performed well on and off the field, earning captaincy in her senior season at State College Area High. She also saw National Championship action with her ECNL club squad, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
Achievements:
- Four year high-honor student in high school.
- Varsity team captain in senior season.
- ECNL National Finalist in junior season.
Coach Welham on Schoonmaker:
"Savannah quietly gets the job done on the field and possesses a quiet confidence about herself when she plays. She does a lot of little things right on the field (reading the game and winning the ball instead of tackling) and we are looking forward to her continued development here at UNH."
Kayleigh Shearer (Moseley, Va.) is the final addition and another dual-threat back/forward whose versatility will be a welcome addition to the UNH squad. Overcoming a knee injury that required surgery her freshman season, Shearer worked her way to a two-year varsity captain with Cosby High, and a National Title appearance with Richmond United of the ECNL under Andy McIntosh and UNH Alum and Director of Coaching Aaron Brunner.
Achievements:
- Two-year varsity captain
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Team Academic Award winner
- Two-time All-Conference
- ECNL National Finalist
- Inductee of Mu Alpha Theta – Mathematics Honor Society
Coach Welham on Shearer:
"Kayleigh's physical presence and technical ability on the field will aid in her ability to play either in an attacking role or a defending role. She is strong, good in the air, reads the game very well and keeps a lot of things simple and clean when she plays."
"Our recruiting class of 2020 will allow us to continue to be successful on and off the field. We continue to look forward and build on our upward trajectory and we know this class will help us do just that. We look forward to having you all on campus sooner than later. In the meantime, stay safe and Go 'Cats!" – Coach Welham
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