Northern Illinois University women’s soccer head coach Michael O’Neill has announced the addition of nine newcomers for the 2022 campaign. The incoming Huskie soccer class includes five freshmen and four transfers representing six different states and two foreign countries.
“I am extremely excited to welcome our 2022 recruiting class to NIU,” said O’Neill. “The class is full of quality and character that will improve this program both on and off the field. I look forward to getting them on campus soon and working with them. I know they are ready to get started and will relish the opportunity to make an impact on this program anyway they can.”
NIU’s incoming class includes a pair of teammates, including forwards Amber Best (Southfield, Mich./Mercy) and Madison Looby (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central) who played together with the Michigan-based club Nationals Soccer in the Girls Academy League. The pair played with the Nationals Gray U19 Team in 2021-22.
Lea Grunnagel (Homburg, Germany/Intergrierte Gesamtschule Contwig) and Reegan Kingpavong (Rockford, Ill./Guilford) join the Huskies from Saginaw Valley State, where they played under O’Neill for the past two seasons. Grunnagel, a defender, tallied five assists last season in 22 matches for the Cardinals while Kingpavong, a forward, scored five goals with five assists in 23 matches while earning Second Team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) honors.
Defender Jordyn King (Menifee, Calif./Paloma) arrives at NIU from Eastern Washington, where she started all 17 matches in 2021 and was named to the All-Big Sky Second Team. Katie Bennett (Liverpool, England/Carmel Sixth Form) also comes to DeKalb as a transfer. A midfielder, Bennett joins NIU following one season at Iowa Central Community College, where she scored four goals and recorded one assist.
Midfielder Aubrey Robertson (Fishers, Ind./Fishers) and forward Jalyn Tse (Queens, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) each played in the Girls Academy League this past season. Robertson was a member of the Indy Premier Soccer Club, where she helped the U19 team to a third-place finish in the Mid-America Conference, while Tse played with the Long Island Soccer Club U19 team in 2021-22.
Goalkeeper Deighton Wamer (Oregon, Ohio/Clay) played with Detroit City FC in the USL W League this summer after spending time with the Michigan Hawks in the ECNL. Wamer was the 21st ranked player in the Great Lakes Region Class of 2022 by Top Drawer Soccer.
NIU will open the Michael O’Neill era with an exhibition game at Iowa on Sunday, Aug. 7. The regular season opener takes place on Thursday, Aug. 18 at Eastern Kentucky and the Huskies will host Lindenwood in the home opener on Friday, Aug. 26.
NIU Women’s Soccer Incoming Class of 2022
Katie Bennett, Midfielder, Iowa Central CC, Sophomore (Liverpool, England/Carmel Sixth Form)
Amber Best, Forward, Nationals GA, Freshman (Southfield, Mich./Mercy)
Lea Grunnagel, Defender, Saginaw Valley State, Junior (Homburg, Germany/Intergrierte Gesamtschule Contwig)
Jordyn King, Defender, Eastern Washington, Grad Student (Menifee, Calif./Paloma)
Reegan Kingpavong, Forward, Saginaw Valley State, Junior (Rockford, Ill./Guilford)
Madison Looby, Forward, Nationals GA, Freshman (Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central)
Aubrey Robertson, Midfielder, Indy Premier GA, Freshman (Fishers, Ind./Fishers)
Jalyn Tse, Forward, Long Island Soccer Club GA, Freshman (Queens, N.Y./St. Francis Prep)
Deighton Wamer, Goalkeeper, Michigan Hawks ECNL, Freshman (Oregon, Ohio/Clay)