Ten New Players Coming to Little Rock for 2017

LITTLE ROCK – Fresh off the greatest season in program history, the Little Rock soccer team will be adding 10 highly skilled student-athletes to their roster for the 2017 season, Coach Adrian Blewitt announced on Wednesday.
 
Of the 10 players, six are American while four more come from three different European countries. The Trojans will be adding two youth national team players from Iceland, one former German youth national team player and one Spaniard.
 
"Our 2017 recruiting class adds strength to our starting lineup and depth to our squad," Blewitt said. "I really feel we are adding even more quality to our ever-progressing team. There are some top US players in this group and it's nice to see our squad has attracted national team players from around the world. With us now producing professional and national-team players, new players can believe their game will ascend to a higher level when they come to Little Rock."
 
In 2016, Little Rock broke the program record for wins in a season with 12 and conference wins in a season with six. The Trojans earned their highest-ever seed in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and set a program single-season records for goals against average. Another first, the Trojans reached No. 83 in the national RPI rankings –  its highest-ever spot in those rankings – and finished at No. 92.
 
Bergrós Ásgeirsdóttir | Selfoss, Iceland | Defender | 5'3" | Fjölbrautaskóli Suðurlands
One of two players to be joining the Trojans from Iceland this fall, Ásgeirsdóttir will be bringing experience from the Icelandic youth national teams to Little Rock. As a center back, Ásgeirsdóttir was named the best defender of her youth team in 2012 and 2013 and also earned Player of the Year honors in 2014. Besides her accolades on the soccer pitch, she also was a gymnast for three years. She played club soccer for UMF Selfoss.
 
Blewitt on Ásgeirsdóttir: "Bergrós will bring versatility to our back line as she can play as a central defender or as a full back. An excellent 1-on-1 defender, Bergrós is solid in the air and composed on the ball."

Lillian Davis | Kansas City, Mo. | Midfielder | 5'6" | Lee's Summit North High School
A four-year varsity letterman at Lee's Summit North High School, Lillian Davis will be a member of the Trojans' roster in 2017. Davis was named First Team All-District and Second Team All-Region in 2016 as well as All-Conference Honorable Mention. She served as her team's captain in 2017 and played as a defensive midfielder. She played her club soccer for Kansas Rush Academy and also played one season of basketball in high school.
 
Blewitt on Davis: "Lilli is a true ball-winner with a bulldog mentality in the midfield. She covers every blade of grass on the field and is a true 'box-to-box' midfield player. Lilli will add to the toughness of our midfield."

Samantha Donaldson | St. Charles, Mo. | Defender | 5'2" | Francis Howell North High School
Donaldson continues the Trojans' tradition of bringing in players from St. Charles, Missouri, as she will be the fifth different player to hail from St. Charles under Coach Blewitt's tenure with the team. Donaldson played four years at Francis Howell North and played her club soccer for the St. Louis Scott Gallagher Club.
 
Blewitt on Donaldson: "Another tough, physical player who can play as a defensive midfielder or as a full back. A good athlete with composure on the ball, Sammy is an all-around tough competitor."

Hafdis Gunnarsdóttir | Hafnarfjordur, Iceland | Goalkeeper | 5'6" | Reykjavik Junior College
The second of two players joining the Trojans' roster from Iceland, Gunnarsdóttir comes to Arkansas having played goalkeeper for Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar (FH), one of the most prestigious club soccer teams in Iceland. Gunnarsdóttir has played for the Iceland national Under-17 team and Under-19 in major international competitions.
 
Blewitt on Gunnarsdóttir: "Hafdis has tremendous experience playing at the international level which will give her confidence in adjusting to the U.S. college game. She is a good athlete with superb hands and feet."

Kelly Hogan | Suffolk, Va. | Goalkeeper | 5'10" | Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
A decorated goalkeeper from Virginia, Kelly Hogan will be a part of the Trojan roster in the 2017 season. She played her high school soccer for Nansemond-Suffolk Academy where she was named the Defensive MVP and Second Team All-Conference during her four-year career. With the Virginia Legacy club team, she was also named Goalkeeper of the Year. Besides her prowess on the pitch, Hogan also played basketball in high school as a center or power forward, earning First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference honors.
 
Blewitt on Hogan: "An extremely confident keeper with a strong, physical presence. Kelly has a great mentality and won't be outworked by anyone. A very good shot-stopper and imposing from crosses, Kelly will command the goal area very well."

Peyton Laughley | Aledo, Texas | Forward | 5'6" | Aledo High School
A striker who scored nearly 30 goals in her senior season of high school, Peyton Laughley will join the Trojans for the 2017 campaign. A four-year letterwinner at Aledo High School, Laughley was named to her All-District First Team three times as well as All-Region First Team once and All-Region Second Team once. Laughley helped her Aledo team win two district championships while serving as team captain. She played her club soccer for Americas FC '99 where she also served as team captain.
 
Blewitt on Laughley: "Peyton is a superb athlete with fantastic speed and 1-versus-1 ability. A smart player who makes intelligent runs, Peyton is another strong addition to our front line."

Maialen Martinez | San Sebastian, Spain | Defender | 5'6" | San Sebastian High School
Joining countrywoman Arola Aparicio, Maialen Martinez will be Little Rock's second player on the roster from Spain in 2017. An All-Basque Country defender for three seasons, Martinez played high school soccer for San Sebastian High. At the club level, she competed for Añorga where she won the Basque Regional championship in 2012 and played in the Spanish Second Division.
 
Blewitt on Martinez: "Maialen is an excellent combination of the strong athlete who also possesses an attacking, creative flair. The ability to play as a full back, wing back, or even a center back, Maialen gives us many possibilities with her versatility. She is an attacking-minded defender who likes to have an impact on the wings and is an excellent crosser and striker of a ball."

Liesa Seifert | Potsdam, Germany | Defender | 6'1" | University of Potsdam/Sportsschule Potsdam
A former teammate of current Trojan Doro Greulich, Liesa Seifert will become the second German on the Little Rock roster in 2017. Seifert played high school soccer at Sportschule Potsdam and was club teammates with Greulich at FFC Turbine Potsdam. Seifert has played at some of the highest levels of German soccer, seeing time on the Under-17, Under-19 and Under-20 German national teams. With FFC Turbine Potsdam, won the Under-17 German National Championship in 2010 and 2011 and won the Second Bundesliga North crown in 2012 and 2014. She was also part of Germany's extended U-20 National World Cup Team in 2014.
 
Blewitt on Seifert: "Liesa is another unique player for us this season. A dominant force in the air, she will be a huge attacking threat from set pieces. She has a good mind for the game and her experience shows as she has great positioning and sensible distribution out of the back."
 
Morgan Smocovich | Frisco, Texas | Defender/Midfielder | 5'4" | Frisco High School;
A First Team All-District member during her two years of soccer at Frisco High School, Morgan Smocovich is the third incoming member of the Little Rock roster from Texas. Smocovich played her club soccer for the Solar Chelsea Soccer Club.
 
Blewitt on Smocovich: Mo will bring excellent composure to our midfield. Very rarely dispossessed on the ball, Mo displays a great passing range which will allow us to keep the ball. An excellent set-piece taker and striker of the ball, Mo can play as a defensive or attacking midfielder."

Megan Swanson | Lee's Summit, Mo. | Goalkeeper | 5'6" | Blue Springs South High School
Swanson, one of 3 new goalkeepers on Little Rock's roster for the 2017 season, comes to the Trojans from Missouri where she played for Blue Springs South High School and Sporting Blue Valley ECNL. A four-year letterwinner at Blue Springs South, Swanson was named Second Team All-State as a junior.
 
Blewitt on Swanson: "Megan is a superb shot-stopper and handles the ball very well. With good feet and lateral movement, Megan is quick coming off her line and brave in 50/50 challenges."