OSKALOOSA — William Penn women’s soccer coach Willie McGowan has announced the program’s 2012 recruit class.

Kelly Button is a transfer from Pima Community College in Arizona.

“Kelly will be a solid player for us being able to play as a forward or as an outside midfielder,” McGowan said. “Her experience at Pima will help the current squad and she will be a player we expect to help develop some of the underclassmen both on and off the field.”

Jerie Carson is a freshman from Idaho Falls, Idaho.

“Jerie has a great opportunity to prove herself after taking her senior year off away from soccer,” McGowan said. “Coming from a family who had two older siblings also attended William Penn will be a great help to her as she gets used to things on campus. As a defender she is quick to get into position and will be looking for playing time along our defensive line.”

Kirsty Fraser is a transfer from Iowa Central Community College.

“Having had the opportunity to work with Kirsty the past two years, I am delighted to have her for the next two as well,” McGowan said. “Kirsty is strong in the air and is a very aggressive defender who wins a lot of ball in the midfield. With her junior college experience, and having had me as her coach the past two years, I think she will be quite influential in communicating what I expect of my players and the focus I have on player development and team shape.”

Tiffany Just is a transfer from Iowa Central Community College.

“Tiffany is returning to soccer after some difficult injuries but has the potential to do well at William Penn,” McGowan said. “After playing just a short time at Iowa Central, she has shown a lot of character and strength to get back to playing soccer and will be looking to use this opportunity to regain her soccer ability.”

Amber Klootwyk is a freshman from Knoxville.

“Amber had a successful high school season and has had to be on her toes the majority of the time as a goalkeeper,” McGowan said. “Amber has a lot of raw talent and will bring some competition to the goalkeeping position. She has a high level of potential and with her confidence will do well here.”

Emmanuella Meneide is a transfer from the University of the Southwest.

“Mannie can play a couple of positions for us but will likely play a number of minutes as an outside midfielder,” McGowan said. “As an islander from Turks and Caicos, she has a creative side to her play and we will be looking for her to get in behind the opposition's defense to deliver some quality balls into the box. Her quickness is something we hope will be the key to us scoring goals this year.”

Tara Oosthoek is a freshman from Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Tara is a player who also plays goalkeeper, adding to the competitive nature for that position,” McGowan said. “We hope she can come in and push herself and everyone else to new heights while developing her skills.”

Hanna Rosenkranz is a freshman from Knoxville.

“As a central midfielder, Hanna has a big upside to her play and a high potential level,” McGowan said. “She has the work rate and the tenacity to win balls in the midfield. She also has the ability to play balls into the corner for her forwards and midfielders to run onto, which is something we will be looking to do. Through development of her skills and increasing her understanding of the game, I think Hanna will be a solid player for us.”

Kate Thayer is a freshman from East Fremantle, Australia.

“Kate has quick feet and is accurate with her passing,” McGowan said. “We see her playing throughout the midfield line as well as adding another dimension as a forward with her quickness. She has a great attitude and I know she will bring a lot to the team chemistry with her personality and playing ability.”

Lincoln Stutting is a freshman from Sturgeon Bay, Wis.

“Attending William Penn in the spring has given Lincoln a chance to see how we do things and be able to develop her skills a little bit more,” McGowan said. “Lincoln has the ability to play a few different positions for us and has a solid work ethic which will put her in good position as we move forward.”

Kristine Wagner is a freshman from Clarksville, Tenn.

“Kristine comes to William Penn after taking a year out from her studies after high school,” McGowan said. “By playing club soccer she has kept her hand in the game and is looking for a new challenge. Kristine can play primarily in the central midfield, but has the ability to play some different positions for us. She is mobile and distributes the ball well which we will use to move the ball forward into the final third of play.”

“As a coach coming in to this program, my main intention was to give the current players every opportunity to develop and make a push for the starting points, while also bringing in some quality players to help add to the talent level of the overall program,” McGowan concluded. “This program will not be rebuilt in this next year, but with this year’s recruiting class and the squad at our disposal I am confident that we will start moving forward with a focus on player development and remaining competitive throughout the season. The incoming recruiting class will allow us to add some personnel to some key positions which were left vacant by some very good departing players.”