SASKATOON - The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's soccer team will see five new and one familiar face enter the program this Fall as they unveiled their 2019 recruiting class Wednesday.
 
Four of the five new players are local products who graduated high school in Saskatoon and will be staying close to home for their U SPORTS careers. Meanwhile, fellow recruit Halle Krynowsky is a Calgary native who will be bringing her talents to the Huskies program from west of the provincial border.

Also returning to the team will be Jenelle Zapski, a former Canada West Second Team All-Star who is back for her fifth and final season of eligibility.
 
"Our recruits will bring an immediate desire to contribute as they are coming from high-quality programs and have shown already a competitive drive to push our existing standards to new levels of success," said Huskies head coach Jerson Barandica-Hamilton.
 
In a youthful 2018-19 season that saw the Huskies advance into the Canada West quarter-final after a 2-0 win over the Victoria Vikes in a Canada West Play-in game, the program will continue to grow a strong core of youth and experience as they get set to chase their eighth-straight postseason appearance.
 
"Building on our young lineup from 2018, we foresee all six players adjusting well into our playing philosophy of being a possession and attack-minded team," said Barandica-Hamilton.
 
Barandica-Hamilton is already extremely familiar with the quality character of four of the Saskatoon-born players who were each developed within the Jr. Huskies program.
 
"They all possess an eagerness and willingness to learn and challenge each other and, most importantly, will fit from a personality standpoint into the culture of success that we are building here in our Huskie program."
 
With each of the six incoming recruits already possessing impressive athletic pedigrees, they will be looking to use their wealth of experience to benefit the Huskies program in the coming season and beyond.
 
"They are all exceptional student-athletes and are genuinely great people to work with," said Barandica-Hamilton. "We look forward to watching their growth as players and people in the years to come."


2019 RECRUITING CLASS
 
Jade Houmphanh, Midfielder
City: Saskatoon, SK
High School: Centennial Collegiate
Previous Club Team: Jr Huskies Program
Intended college: Arts & Science
 
Notable Achievements:
•           2014, 2017 Club National Teams
•           2014, 2017 PSL Champion
•           2016 Rookie of the Year (Centennial Collegiate Athletic Awards)
•           2018 Women's League Top Goal Scorer in the Saskatoon Futsal League
•           2018 Jubilee Cup with SK Impact FC
•           2019 MVP (Centennial Collegiate Athletic Awards)
 
Player Comments 
I chose to compete at the University of Saskatchewan because I am interested in the offered academic programs and have strong aspirations to play soccer at the next level. In my first year as a Huskie, I hope to contribute to the team's record of success while growing as a player and person.
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Hannah Lytle, Goalkeeper
City: Saskatoon, SK
High School: Marion M. Graham Collegiate
Previous Club Team: Junior Huskies
Intended college: Arts and Science

Notable Achievements:

• 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 High honour roll
• 2017, 2018 MVP Marion Graham Volleyball team
• 2018, 2019 SHSAA provincial champion
• 2019 silver in women's prairie futsal tournament
• 2018, 2019 SHSAA city championship
• 2017 Gold medal at Powerplay Cup Showcase
• 2016 PSL starting keeper

 
Player Comments:
I have chosen to compete at the University of Saskatchewan after witnessing how the Huskies hold themselves to such a high standard and act in an unyielding professional manner. The team has proven to have a strong chemistry that positively impacts their game; they are constantly growing and improving. It is a competitive environment that will challenge me and help me to find success not only on the pitch but in life.
 
I started my journey with the Huskies soccer program in 2012 when I began attending their summer soccer camps each year. I was inspired by the passion the camp leaders displayed for the sport. I fondly remember achieving the player of the week award - I felt special because I received the award from the Huskies that I looked up to. I decided my goal would be to one day play at the university level just like them.
 
Coach Comments:
Hannah is a player who has worked very hard to put herself in this position. She is a very determined and hardworking player with a team-first mindset which is why we have taken a chance to bring her on board with our team. She has two great role models to learn from every day and we excited to see her grow and push herself to become the best version of herself.


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Kieran McKercher, Winger
City: Saskatoon, SK
High School: Aden Bowman Collegiate
Previous Club: Junior Huskies / Aden Bowman Bears
Intended college: Edwards School of Business
 
Notable Achievements:
•           2017, 2018 Saskatchewan PSL, Saskatoon Selects team
•           2017 PSL Provincial Champions
•           2017 Club Nationals "player of the game" award
•           2016-2017 Saskatoon Youth Soccer League city champions, Lakewood Premier
•           2015, 2016 SaskFirst Provincial Hockey Program, Team Saskatchewan
•           2015 Saskatchewan Soccer Association, Team Saskatchewan
•           2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Honor Roll at Aden Bowman
 
Player Comments
I am proud to be from Saskatoon and am very pleased to be able to continue my education at the University of Saskatchewan. USask has a solid reputation in academics with a strong history in athletics. I strongly believe the Huskies women's soccer program has the ability to be highly competitive at the U SPORTS level and I look forward to the opportunity to learn and develop as a player within the culture of the team and under the guidance of the great coaching staff.
 
Coach Comments 
Kieran is a player that we are extremely excited to have join our squad from our Junior Huskies program. She is a very versatile player that will add a lot of flexibility to our squad. Her main attribute is her speed and movement off the ball, which will fit perfectly into the brand of football that we are building here at USask. On top of that, she is a player has a great personality and will continue her family tradition of representing our university with pride and excellence. We look forward to seeing her compete and evolve as a student athlete in this upcoming season.


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Anna Oliver, Defender
City: Saskatoon, SK
High School: Holy Cross High School
Previous Club Team: Holy Cross Crusaders/Junior Huskies
Intended College: Kinesiology
 
Notable Achievements:

• Provincial Team 2014, 2015
• Provincial Soccer League Champions 2017
• Club Nationals Team 2017-2018
• Holy Cross Soccer Outstanding Contribution 2018
• Holy Cross Basketball Outstanding Contribution 2016-2017
• Honour Roll With Distinction 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, 2018-2019

 
Player Comments:
I've chosen to pursue soccer at the University of Saskatchewan because I've had the opportunity to train in the Huskies' environment and I feel it fits me well both as an athlete and a person. I look forward to competing at the university level alongside other athletes that share in my passion for soccer. I am excited to be challenged by my coaches and teammates to improve both as a player and as an individual.
 
Coach Comments: 
I have had the opportunity to coach Anna for the last few years, and she is a player that always has impressed us with her character and desire to work hard and improve herself. She is a very versatile player that has the ability to contribute in more than one position on our defensive line. She is a player that we know will continue to grow immensely in our environment and represents the type of player and person we are looking to continue building our program with. We are excited to see her grow and evolve within our team environment for the next few years.



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Jenelle Zapski, Forward
City: Saskatoon, SK
 
Notable Achievements:
•           2014, 5 Canada West goals
•           2014, Canada West Second Team All-Star
•           2014, Canada West fourth-place finish

Coach Comments: 
We are extremely excited to have Jenelle return for her fifth year of eligibility. A player of Jenelle's qualities always makes your team better and this is a perfect time for our young squad to add another senior player from who our young attacking players can learn from. She will add another dimension to what we have been building on from last year and we believe the chemistry already shown between her and some of our young attacking incoming recruits will be exciting to watch.