Two-time national Coach of the Year (and current United States Under-23 Women's National Team Head Coach) Randy Waldrum announced Friday that Notre Dame has received commitments from eight talented student-athletes for the 2012 season, with the Fighting Irish incoming class ranked No. 1 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.

Notre Dame Women's Soccer Adds Stellar Six-Player Class For 2011

Feb. 3, 2011

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame head women’s soccer coach Randy Waldrum announced Thursday that six student-athletes have chosen to continue their academic and athletic careers with the Fighting Irish, signing National Letters of Intent to enroll at Notre Dame beginning in the fall of 2011.

Lauren Bohaboy, a 5-8 forward (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic HS/So Cal Blues), Jennifer Jasper, a 5-8 goalkeeper (Fort Worth, Texas/Trinity Valley School/Solar SC), Taylor Schneider, a 5-6 defender (Southlake, Texas/Carroll Senior HS/Dallas Texans), Sammy Scofield, a 5-7 defender (Geneva, Ill./Geneva HS/Eclipse Select), Karin Simonian, a 5-2 midfielder (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke HS/Albertson Fury) and Sarah Voigt, a 5-10 goalkeeper (Middleburg, Fla./St. Johns Country Day School/Ponte Vedra Storm), each made their official commitments to Notre Dame during the current signing period, which began Feb. 2.

Five of the six incoming Fighting Irish freshmen are ranked among the top 60 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings, with five-star selections Bohaboy (No. 5 in nation) and Simonian (No. 7) leading the way, followed by four-star choices Voigt (No. 45), Scofield (No. 47) and Schneider (No. 59).

“This entire class is very strong, and each of these players should come in right away and compete to play,” said Waldrum, the 2010 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)/Mondo National Coach of the Year. “It’s one of our best recruiting classes in recent years. I’m so excited to get started with this class, and to add them to a great cast of returning players to make another run at a national championship.”

Notre Dame won its third NCAA national championship in 2010, posting a 21-2-2 record and rolling to six consecutive wins in the NCAA Championship while outscoring its opponents, 15-1. The Fighting Irish will return seven starters (plus three others with previous starting experience) and 20 total players from their national championship team, led by 2010 Hermann Trophy runner-up/Honda Sports Award recipient/NSCAA first-team All-America forward Melissa Henderson (Garland, Texas/Berkner), 2010 Women’s College Cup Most Outstanding Defensive Player/co-captain Jessica Schuveiller (Plano, Texas/Plano West) and 2009 NSCAA first-team All-America midfielder/Hermann Trophy semifinalist Courtney Barg (Plano, Texas/Plano West).

A capsule look at the newest additions to the Notre Dame women’s soccer program follows:

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Lauren Bohaboy

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LAUREN BOHABOY, 5-8, Forward (Mission Viejo, Calif./Santa Margarita Catholic High School/So Cal Blues)
Olympic Development Program (ODP)/Club Team Highlights:
Ranked fifth in the February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (five-star ranking; No. 2 forward in nation) … invited and attended the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) … twice invited to attend the U.S. Club Soccer id2 National Identification Program … member of Cal South ODP team since 2006 … has enjoyed considerable success on club level with Costa Mesa, Calif.-based So Cal Blues, the nation’s top-ranked club program (according to February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer ranking), playing for head coach Randy Dodge … has helped her teams (U15 through current U18 squad) to combined 160-25-25 record (as of Jan. 21) … has recorded career club totals of 131 goals (including 49 game-winners) and 150 assists to date, accounting for 60 percent of her team’s offensive production … in first three full seasons (2007-08 through 2009-10), chalked up at least 30 goals and 40 assists each season … has helped So Cal Blues to three consecutive appearances in U.S. Youth Soccer (USYS) Nationals, finishing second in 2008 (U15) and third in 2009 (U16) before winning U17 national championship in 2010 … led 2010 USYS U17 Nationals in scoring with six goals in seven matches … also has helped club to 26 tournament and league titles in her career, including an unprecedented five consecutive Surf Cup championships, as well as four Blues Cup crowns, a USYS Region IV title, two Far West Regional League championships and a U.S. Club Soccer title.
Prep & Personal Data: On track to graduate from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., this spring … plays for head coach Chuck Morales … midway through her senior season at SMCHS … as of Jan. 21, has career totals of 81 goals, 26 assists and 188 points … in the past two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11 to date), has netted 25 game-winning goals and scored multiple goals in 18 matches, while accounting for approximately 60 percent of her team’s goal scoring production in that span … two-time NSCAA High School All-American (2009, 2010) … NSCAA Youth All-American (2010) … two-time ESPN RISE All-American (2009-10 – first team; 2008-09 – honorable mention) … two-time NSCAA All-Region VIII selection … NSCAA California High School Player of the Year (2010) … two-time first-team all-state selection (2009, 2010) … Orange County Register California Female Player of the Year … ESPN RISE Greater Los Angeles Girls Athlete of the Year … Trinity League Most Valuable Player (2009) … has recorded school-record 32 goals and eight assists thus far in 2010-11 season (22 matches played) … chalked up (then) school-record 28 goals (including five hat tricks) and nine assists in 2009-10 … helped Santa Margarita to 2009-10 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division I semifinals and Trinity League championship … born April 9, 1993, in Long Beach, Calif. … daughter of Cheri and Michael Bohaboy … has twin brother, Michael … will be one of three California natives on the 2011 Fighting Irish roster along with junior forward Lindsay Brown (Newport Beach) and junior goalkeeper Maddie Fox (San Jose).
Waldrum on Bohaboy…
“Simply put, Lauren is a goal scorer. I’m so excited about her, as she has that uncanny ability to be in the right place at the right time, and also can create goals on her own. She is tall, physical when she needs to be, and very good with the ball. She’ll be a player that can change games for us, and due to the fact that we lose Melissa Henderson after next fall, we needed to add another goal-scoring player of Mel’s quality. I said a few years ago that while we were recruiting (two-time Hermann Trophy recipient) Kerri Hanks and Melissa Henderson, every time we saw them play, they scored goals. The same can be said of Lauren.”

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Jennifer Jasper

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JENNIFER JASPER, 5-8, Goalkeeper (Fort Worth, Texas/Trinity Valley School/Solar SC)
ODP/Club Team Highlights:
Emerged as rising standout on club scene with Solar Soccer Club in Dallas, Texas, playing for head coach Adrian Solca … earned Golden Glove award as top goalkeeper at 2010 USYS U16 Nationals, allowing just one goal in four matches while leading Solar SC Red to the USYS U16 national title … helped Solar SC to Texas State Cup title in 2008, as well as runner-up finish in 2010 and semifinal berth in 2009 … team also was regional champion in 2010 and finalist in 2008, along with being a two-time Disney Showcase champion (2009, 2010) … Solar SC claimed four grand championships in Lake Highlands Girls Classic League Division I (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09), adding on runner-up finish in 2009-10.
Prep & Personal Data: Poised to graduate from Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, Texas, this spring … plays for head coach Eric Rohani … helped Trinity Valley to state semifinals in 2009 and state quarterfinals in 2010 … earned team’s Newcomer of the Year award as freshman in 2007 … a three-sport standout in high school, who also played field hockey and golf … was goalie in field hockey, earning all-state honors in 2010 … posted shutouts in 10 consecutive games (seven by 1-0 scores), while leading state in fewest goals allowed in both 2009 and 2010 … helped pace team to state private school titles in 2009 and 2010 … named to field hockey futures (ODP) squad from 2007-10 … also played for two-time state championship golf team, which won both titles by more than 15 strokes apiece … born Sept. 1, 1993, in Arlington, Texas … daughter of Karen and Joe Jasper … has older sister, Elizabeth … one of two Texans (along with Taylor Schneider) in Notre Dame’s incoming Class of 2011, and will be one of eight Texas residents on the 2011 Fighting Irish roster along with senior midfielder Courtney Barg (Plano), junior defender Jazmin Hall (Highland Village), senior forward Melissa Henderson (Garland), senior defender Jessica Schuveiller (Plano), junior midfielder Jordan Snyder (Dallas) and sophomore midfielder/defender Rebecca Twining (Houston) … an accomplished artist, having been published for both literary works and photography.
Waldrum on Jasper…
“Jennifer comes to us from Solar SC, another top club in Texas. She has great size and strength, which allows her to be a more physical goalkeeper. She also gives us a different type of goalkeeper than (rising junior) Maddie (Fox) or (fellow incoming freshman) Sarah (Voigt), and that’s why I think this competition should be great. All three goalkeepers next fall will work well together and push each other to become the best they can be, and this competition is very much needed for this position. Jennifer also possesses that confidence that is needed as a goalkeeper.”

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Taylor Schneider

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TAYLOR SCHNEIDER, 5-6, Defender (Southlake, Texas/Carroll Senior High School/Dallas Texans)
National/ODP/Club Team Highlights:
Ranked 59th in the February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (four-star ranking) … has been a member of U.S. National Team player pools at U15 and U17 levels … participated in U15 National Team camps in 2008 (January and April), as well as U17 National Team camp in June 2009 … attended the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) in 2009, earning camp all-star honors … member of Region III ODP team since 2007, serving as team captain in that time … participated in ODP Thanksgiving Interregional from 2008-10, along with ODP foreign tours to Costa Rica (2008), Denmark/Sweden (2009) and Portugal (2010) … also played for North Texas ODP squad, helping team to national runner-up finish in 2009 and regional finalist berth in 2010 … another in a long line of Notre Dame players who also experienced club success with the Dallas Texans, currently the state’s No. 2-ranked club program (according to February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer ranking) and previously ranked first or second in nation for three consecutive years (2008-10), playing for head coach Ryan Higginbotham … member of Texans program since 2003 … has helped team to two appearance in USYS Nationals, winning 2008 USYS Nationals and finishing third in 2009 … team also earned three Texas State Cup championships (2004, 2009, 2010) … Texans nabbed four grand championships in Lake Highlands Girls Classic League (2004-08) and won 2005 Disney Showcase.
Prep & Personal Data: Set for spring 2011 graduation from Carroll Senior High School (also known as Southlake Carroll) in Southlake, Texas … plays for head coach Matt Colvin … in first three seasons, played in 63 matches, starting 59 times as both a center back and midfielder … registered 13 goals, including three game-winners, and 14 assists (40 points) with 108 shots … helped Southlake Carroll to 2008 University Interscholastic League (UIL) Class 5-5A state championship (including school-record 24 shutouts), and area runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010 … NSCAA High School All-American (2010) … two-time NSCAA Youth All-American (2009, 2010) … ESPN RISE first-team All-American (winter 2010) … two-time NSCAA All-Region VI selection … 2010 NSCAA/Texas High School Player of the Year … two-time all-state selection by Fort Worth Star-Telegram (first team – 2010; second team – 2009) … 2010 UIL District 6-5A Utility Player of the Year … 2010 TASCO first-team all-region … three-time UIL All-District 6-5A pick (first team – 2009, 2010; second team – 2008) … also ran track at Southlake Carroll for two years, primarily competing in distance events (1,600m and 2,400m) … earned 2010 Academic All-District 6-5A honors … born March 4, 1993, in Jacksonville, Fla. … daughter of Lori and Tony Schneider … has older sister, Caitlin … one of two Texans (along with Jennifer Jasper) in Notre Dame’s incoming Class of 2011, and will be one of eight Texas residents on the 2011 Fighting Irish roster along with senior midfielder Courtney Barg (Plano), junior defender Jazmin Hall (Highland Village), senior forward Melissa Henderson (Garland), senior defender Jessica Schuveiller (Plano), junior midfielder Jordan Snyder (Dallas) and sophomore midfielder/defender Rebecca Twining (Houston) … played the piano and took dance lessons for many of her formative years … also competed with Southlake Stingrays swim club for four years … volunteered at Baylor Medical Hospital for three years.
Waldrum on Schneider…
“Taylor is another Dallas Texan player, just like Melissa Henderson, Jess Schuveiller, Courtney Barg, and Jazmin Hall, so she comes from one of the top club teams in the entire United States. She is a very skillful defender who can play centrally in the back, outside in the back, or as a defensive central midfielder. She is extremely smart on the field, sees the game very well, and is similar to Gudrun Gunnarsdottir from our 2004 national championship team.”

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Sammy Scofield

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SAMMY SCOFIELD, 5-7, Defender (Geneva, Ill./Geneva High School/Eclipse Select)
National/ODP/Club Team Highlights:
Ranked 47th in the February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (four-star ranking; No. 3 in Midwest Region) … member of 2010 U.S. U18 National Team player pool … participated in U18 National Team camp in April 2010 … attended the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) in 2009 … competed in 2010 ECNL Final Four Showcase in Raleigh, N.C., earning all-event team honors … spent two years in ODP Region II camps and with Illinois ODP program (2006-07) … latest in pipeline of Fighting Irish players from Chicago’s Eclipse Select club, currently the No. 6-ranked program in the nation (according to February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer ranking), playing for head coach Rory Dames … helped Eclipse to USYS Nationals, making final match all three years and winning U17 crown in 2009 while finishing second with U16s (2008) and U18s (2010) … shared tournament-high scoring honors with three goals in run to 2009 USYS U17 national championship, including two scores in title match victory … also won three consecutive USYS Region II championships (2008-10) and Illinois State Cups (2008-10).
Prep & Personal Data: On track to graduate this spring from Geneva High School in Geneva, Ill. … did not play high school soccer, competing full-time on club level … did compete on basketball team all four years of high school … team captain in 2010-11 … all-conference and academic all-conference selection in basketball … earned all-tournament honors at Benet/Naperville North Tournament (2009 and 2010) and Geneva Invitational (2010) … helped team to 2008 Illinois Class 4A semifinals and supersectional title, as well as two sectional championships, three regional crowns and three Upstate Eight Conference titles … 2011 Illinois State Scholar … 2010 recipient of Illinois Board of Education Prairie State Achievement Award in mathematics … member of high school honor roll and Acceleration and Enrichment Program … collected PTO Academic Letter and Academic Achievement awards … born Sept. 2, 1992, in Geneva, Ill. … daughter of Carol and Carter Scofield … has two older brothers, Nicholas and Tyler … will be one of three Illinois residents on the 2011 Fighting Irish roster along with senior defender Ellen Bartindale (St. Charles) and sophomore defender Kecia Morway (Lake Villa) … has sights set on becoming a college soccer coach after graduation.
Waldrum on Scofield…
“Sammy comes from the Eclipse Soccer Club out of Chicago, and just like the Texans, they are one of the premier clubs in the country. We have a ton of talented players come to our program from Eclipse, including Brittany Bock, Elise Weber, Michele Weissenhofer, Erica Iantorno and Amanda Clark. Much like Taylor Schneider, Sammy can play centrally in the back or centrally as a midfield player. Her versatility, and the calming effect that she brings will be a huge asset in either of these positions for us. She is a physical presence, but has the technical ability to go along with that presence. She plays in a calm way like (All-America center back) Carrie Dew did a few years ago, but has some of Jessica Schuveiller’s toughness and intensity as well.”

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Karin Simonian

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KARIN SIMONIAN, 5-2, Midfielder (Westbury, N.Y./W.T. Clarke High School/Albertson Fury)
National/ODP/Club Team Highlights:
Ranked seventh in the February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (five-star ranking; No. 4 midfielder in nation) … has been a member of U.S. National Team player pools at U15 (2008) and U17 (2009-10) levels … participated in 2008 Nike Friendlies and ODP Thanksgiving Interregional with U15 National Team … also competed in U17 National Team camp in July 2009 and with U17 National Team on December 2009 trip to Argentina … attended the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) in 2009 … member of Region I ODP team for four years (2006-09) … participated in ODP Thanksgiving Interregional in 2007 and 2009 (captain), along with ODP foreign tour to Costa Rica (2008) … also played for Eastern New York (ENY) ODP squad for six years … has been a mainstay with Albertson Fury club program since 2008, playing for head coach Paul Riley (also coach for Philadelphia Independence in Women’s Professional Soccer) … scored 37 goals during past two years (20 in 2008; 17 in 2009) … team captain … helped team to two Disney Showcase titles (2009, 2010) and consecutive berths in ENY State Cup finals (2009, 2010) … at age 14, made club debut with U18 club team, helping team to finals of ENY State Cup, Disney Showcase and Region I Premier League … most recently played for four seasons (2007-10) with Long Island Fury, an amateur team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) … amassed 10 goals and two assists for Long Island Fury, helping squad to 2008 WPSL East Conference/Mid-Atlantic Division title and berth in playoff semifinals … earned Big Apple Soccer Player of the Week honors on June 23, 2009, while playing for the Long Island Fury.
Prep & Personal Data: Set to graduate from W.T. Clarke High School in Westbury, N.Y., this spring … played for head coach Becky Wachsberger … played three seasons of varsity soccer (grades 8-10) before electing to play club soccer full-time … in her final prep season as sophomore in 2008-09, scored 25 goals and added three assists for 28 points, leading Nassau County in goals and points … helped team to New York Class A state semifinals as freshman in 2007-08 … three-time NSCAA Youth All-American (2008, 2009, 2010) … two-time NSCAA Youth All-Region I selection (2008, 2010) … all-state selection (2008) … two-time all-county choice (2007, 2008) … Newsday Player to Watch (2009) … East Meadow Herald Spotlight Athlete (2008) … high school honor roll selection … born May 10, 1993, in Mineola, N.Y. … daughter of Rehan and Alex Simonian … has younger sister, Dina … graduated from Holy Martyrs Armenian Language School in 2006 after attending the school on Saturdays since age 3 … also has begun serving as a referee at intramural matches.
Waldrum on Simonian…
“Karin is a dynamic little midfield player. She is so gifted technically with the ball, and has a quickness that makes her hard to defend. She will be one of the most talented players on our team skill-wise, and will be a great addition to the attacking options that we already have on the team. She’s explosive and has the ability to score goals coming out of midfield. She’ll be a fan favorite quickly, due to the creativity that she brings to the team.”

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Sarah Voigt

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SARAH VOIGT, 5-10, Goalkeeper (Middleburg, Fla./St. Johns Country Day School/Ponte Vedra Storm)
National/ODP/Club Team Highlights:
Ranked 45th in the February 2011 Top Drawer Soccer club soccer player ratings (four-star ranking; No. 1 goalkeeper in nation; No. 2 overall player in Florida) … member of U.S. U18 National Team player pools for past two years (2009-10) … participated in U18 National Team camp in April 2009 … attended the adidas Elite Soccer Program (ESP) in 2009, earning camp all-star honors … important contributor for Ponte Vedra Storm club program, playing for head coach Luis Torres … paced team to USYS U16 national runner-up finish in 2009 (fellow signees Lauren Bohaboy and Taylor Schneider competed in same U16 Nationals with So Cal Blues and Dallas Texans, respectively) … also helped club to Florida State Cup and Southern Regional champions that year … club also won Region III Premier League in 2010 … invited to 2010 USYS U19 Winter Training Camp.
Prep & Personal Data: In line to graduate this spring from St. Johns Country Day School in Orange Park, Fla. … played for head coach Mike Pickett … set school records with 50 career shutouts and only nine goals allowed in 2008-09 … also scored two goals and added an assist during prep career … backstopped team to three consecutive berths in Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 2A state semifinals (2008-10), including state championship in 2009, when she was named the tournament’s most valuable player … also paced St. Johns to four consecutive district championships (2008-11, extending school’s current streak to eight in a row), and three consecutive region titles (2008-10) … two-time ESPN RISE All-American (2009, 2010) … two-time NSCAA All-Region III selection (2009, 2011) … born Sept. 1, 1993, in Alexandria, Va. … daughter of Kimberlee and Col. Karl Voigt … has older brother (Scot Miller-Bent) and sister (Alexandria), and younger sister, Danielle … will be one of two Florida natives on the 2011 Fighting Irish roster along with another northeast Florida/First Coast-area resident, sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Tucker (Jacksonville).
Waldrum on Voigt…
“Sarah is from the Ponte Vedra Soccer Club, which is one of the best clubs in the South. She is a very gifted goalkeeper technically, and is also one of the best goalkeepers we will have in recent years with her feet. I expect Sarah to come in right away and compete with Maddie Fox and Jennifer Jasper for the starting goalkeeper position with the graduation of Nikki Weiss. Sarah has good size, does a great job of communicating and organizing the defense, and has a confidence that is needed in this position.”

For more information on the Notre Dame women’s soccer program, join the Fighting Irish women’s soccer news Twitter page (www.twitter.com/NDsoccernews) or sign up for the Irish ALERT text-messaging system through the sidebar on the women’s soccer page at UND.com.

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