BEAUMONT, Texas – Eight student-athletes have signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Lamar University on a women's soccer scholarship starting with the 2018 season, LU coach Steve Holeman announced Thursday.
 
Three of the signees, Siobhan Longmore, Esther Okoronkwo and Jocelyn Hanrath, are junior-college transfers. Longmore and Okoronkwo will have two years of eligibility, while Hanrath has three years of eligibility.
 
The octet joins an LU program that posted its most successful season ever. The Cardinals went 18-4-1 in 2017, including a 10-1 mark in Southland Conference play, as the Cardinals captured the Southland Conference regular-season and tournament crowns, as they qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the 11-year history of the LU soccer program.
 
"Our staff is excited to announce the addition of these eight players to our program.  This is a class that will help us right away and provide us with talent, athleticism, and depth," Holeman said.  "All of these young women have great character and personalities that will add to our team chemistry and help us continue our success."
 
Four of LU's recruits hail from the Lone Star State. Juana Plata is from Houston, Anessa Byerman is from League City, Texas, Aleythia Gutierrez is from Edinburg, Texas, while Esther Okoronkwo is from Richmond, Texas.  Hanrath hails from Salt Lake City, Utah. Three of the recruits add international flavor to the LU roster. Longmore, a transfer from Dodge City Community College, is from Busselton, Australia. Irene Saether is from Kirkenes, Norway, while Anna Loftus comes to LU from Milton Keynes, England.
 
Last year's signing class made significant contributions to LU's championship season. Forward Kelso Peskin was the Southland Conference newcomer of the year. Peskin and forward Lucy Ashworth were first-team all-conference selections, while defender Amelia Fullmer was a second-team selection. Freshman forward Madison Ledet was the MVP of the Southland Conference Tournament. Ledet, Peskin and Juli Rocha were named to the all-tournament team in their first season as Cardinals, as LU placed six players overall on the all-tournament squad.
 
In addition, Peskin was a second-team selection on the United Soccer Coaches All-Region squad, while Ashworth and Fullmer were named to the third team. In all, LU had four players named to the all-region team.
 
Name                                Pos.             Hometown                              Last School
Anessa Byerman                 D                League City, Texas                  Clear Springs HS
Aleythia Gutierrez               M                Edinburg, Texas                      Edinburg HS
Jocelyn Hanrath                 GK               Salt Lake City, Utah                 Highline College
Anna Loftus                         M                Milton Keynes, England           Sir Herbert Leon School
Siobhan Longmore           D/M              Busselton, Australia                 Dodge City CC
Esther Okoronkwo               F                Richmond, Texas                     Northeast Texas CC
Juana Plata                       M/F              Houston, Texas                       Davis HS
Irene Saether                      D                Kirkenes, Norway                    Norges Toppidrettsgymnas Tromso
   
Currently competing for Clear Springs High School, where she has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman season ... Named district defensive MVP last season and a second-team all-region player as Clear Springs went undefeated in district play for the second time in three seasons ... Has played club soccer for Challenge South, Space City and Dash-Pre Academy South ... A member of the National Honor Society, she is a Superintendent Scholar at Clear Springs ... Plans to major in mechanical engineering at LU.
 
Holeman about Byerman: "Anessa is quite simply one of the hardest working kids I've ever seen.  Her speed and athleticism combined with her incredible work ethic gives her the potential to do great things right away.  She loves to compete and is extremely tough physically and mentally. She is difficult to beat 1v1 and loves to get forward. And as good as she is right now, I truly believe her best days are still ahead of her."
 
Dynamo Dash director of coaching Randy Evans about Byerman: "We are absolutely thrilled for Anessa and Lamar, it appears to be a great fit. Anessa has a wonderful combination of athleticism and an incredible work rate. She has such grit, determination, and is absolutely fearless. It is a tribute to her and all of these qualities that have allowed her to mature into a player that should be able to make an immediate impact."
   
Plays for Edinburg High School ... Plays club soccer for RGV FC Toros and Sting Austin ... Played for the South Region in the Olympic Development Program ... Plans to major in computer information science at Lamar University.
 
Holeman about Gutierrez: "As a starter on the South Region Olympic Development Program team, Aleythia knows what it takes to play at a high level. She is extremely skillful, smooth on the ball, and has a very high soccer IQ. It's never easy to find center mids who can deliver accurate passes in the final third, but Aleythia has a special gift to do so. She is composed under pressure and will fit right into our possession style. She is also dangerous on set pieces, which gives us one more weapon in our attack."
 
RGV FC Toros director of coaching Rafael Amaya about Gutierrez: "Aleythia is a very technical player, great with both feet, and has excellent vision. She is creative, comfortable under pressure, and clutch on free kicks. She will compete very well at the next level and has the ability to make any team better. I would like to thank Steve Holeman and the Lamar University soccer program, and wish them another successful season in 2018."
   
Led Highline College to the Northwest Athletic Conference championship ... Posted a 0.28 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage as the Thunderbirds went 18-0-2 this past season with 15 shutouts in 18 starts ... Played high school soccer for East HS in Salt Lake City ... Helped team win a regional title in 2015 ... Helped East reach the state semifinals as a junior and state quarterfinals as a senior ...Second-team all-state selection as a senior ... Played club soccer for La Rocca, winning state and regional titles ... Played with Utah's Olympic Development program for three seasons, serving as team captain for one season ... Was on Vice President's Honor Roll at Highline College ... Received Utah Youth Soccer Susan K. Madsen Service Award and National Center for Learning Disabilities Allegra Ford Thomas Award in 2016 ... Plans to major in psychology with a minor in kinesiology at LU.
 
Holeman about Hanrath: "Jocelyn has the potential to come in and be an impact player for us from the get-go. She is an explosive keeper, who can make highlight save after highlight save. Her kicking game and hands also give you the steadiness any coach wants in goal."
 
Highline College head coach Tom Moore about Hanrath: "Jocelyn is a tremendous player, teammate and person. She has showed great perseverance along the way, and her willingness to get it done has made her and everyone around her more successful. I'm excited to see Jocelyn compete at the next level, as she is always looking ahead to her next challenge. Her idea of the game, her ability to perform under pressure and approach to competition/team give her a great advantage in having success as she moves on."
   
Played for the French developmental women's team for three seasons after moving to France from Great Britain ... After returning to Great Britain in 2014, played for the Milton Keynes Dons Centre of Excellence and ladies first team ... Plans to major in French at Lamar University.
 
Holeman about Loftus: "Anna has goals to play at the highest level and we are thrilled she chose Lamar to help her achieve these. She is a crafty midfielder who is very dependable in possession. She is instinctive with her distribution, intentional with her dribbling, and has a natural ability to set up her teammates. She also has a tremendous personality and will be another great addition to our team on and off the field."
 
MK Dons Ladies head coach James Honeyman about Loftus: "Anna is an exceptional player who is equally strong with either foot. She is quite unique in the fact she is highly competitive and simultaneously an excellent team player. Anna is technically brilliant, fast, agile, and she is incredibly powerful with an amazing passing range always finding her player. She is remarkably skillful and is excellent in the air. She makes a formidable opponent, as she is tall, strong and physically imposing.
 
"All in all, Anna is an extraordinary footballer who reads the game extremely well and will be an outright bonus to any team. We are very sad to see her go but wish her every success at Lamar University."
   
Played two seasons for Dodge City Community College ... Scored 10 goals and added five assists for 25 points as a sophomore ... Had 20 points on eight goals and four assists as a freshman ... Played for the Western Australian State School girls team for three seasons ... Earned best first-year player award ... Led the team in goals in her second season.
 
Holeman about Longmore: "Siobhan is fast, athletic, and skillful. She is a natural left-footer, which is something we didn't have on last year's back line. Because of her size and speed, she will be tough to beat. She also gives us another attacking option with her ability to play short and long passes from her outside back position or simply attack on the dribble."
 
Dodge City Community College head coach Steward Bortey about Longmore: "Siobhan is an awesome person. She is fun to work with and very coachable. She has the drive to be successful in everything she does.  She is very athletic and very fast and will not let anyone stop her. I describe her as a game changer or a difference maker. She is fun to watch because of her athletic abilities and how explosive she is."
   
Had 40 points on 18 goals and four assists as a freshman at Northeast Texas Community College ... scored 10 goals and added five assists for 25 points as a sophomore ... Played high school soccer for Foster High School in Richmond, Texas.
 
Holeman about Okoronkwo: "Esther does things on the ball that most players don't even contemplate. She has a unique blend of quickness, athleticism, size, and craftiness. She is great with her back to pressure, comfortable in traffic, and has the potential to be a game changer. With all three starters on our front line returning, the addition of Esther provides us some really good options.
 
Northeast Texas Community College head coach Ian McGimsey about Okoronkwo: "I was very excited to hear Esther Okoronkwo was signing with Lamar University. She was a difference-maker for us at Northeast Texas CC, and I see her doing the same at the Division I level. I believe she has not even reached her full potential yet, and the staff at Lamar will be able to help her to continue to grow on and off the field.
   
Playing in her senior season at Davis High School in Houston ... Was named the district MVP last season ... Team's offensive MVP as a freshman ... Member of the National Honor Society ... Named to all-academic team last season ... Plans to major in nursing at Lamar University.
 
Holeman about Plata: "Juana is another speedy player with a fantastic left foot. She has the ability to beat players on the dribble and a knack for scoring goals. She is one those players whose just as fast with the ball at her feet as she is without. Beyond her abilities on the field, Juana is a first-class individual and will look great in red and white.
 
Houstonians FC coach Michael Dillon about Plata: Since her freshman year, Juana has been consistently getting better, faster, stronger, and smarter each year. Her work ethic is insane. She carries that work ethic and discipline into the classroom as well. Her junior season, she set a school record with more than 40 goals, and more than 20 assists. Juana plays with an unstoppable mentality and is determined to do everything she can to make her team better.  Her quickness, speed with and without the ball, coupled with a great left foot shot is hard to stop and duplicate. She has gotten out to an equally as good start to her senior season.
 
"When she gets on the soccer field, she has the heart of a lion and truly gives her all, every play. She is very coachable and will make any necessary adjustments to improve her skills, to gain a competitive advantage. To simply sum up Juana Plata, she is truly the total package!"
   
Played for Kirkenes IF, helping the team to finish second at the Norway Cup ... Played for Floya IF as team reached the semifinals of the Norway girls 19 championships ... Was a guest player for Alta IF, helping that team win the Umea Fotbollfestival in Sweden ... Played high school soccer for Norges Toppidrettsgymnas Tromso.
 
Holeman about Saether: "When you think about the qualities you want in a center back, you come up with a description of Irene. She not only excels at winning the ball, but she has tremendous poise and composure in her ability to keep the ball. She is comfortable playing entry balls into the midfield or providing instant offense with her long service. She is very good at winning balls on the ground or in the air, and should have a smooth transition into the college game."
 
Norges Toppidrettsgymnas coach Eline Torneus about Saether: "Irene is a very physical player and loves to compete.  She is one of the best I've seen in the air and can be very dangerous on set pieces.  She is great with both feet and has good ball control. Going to the U.S. and playing for Lamar will be very good for her development."