Clemson Women’s Soccer Program Announces 2008 Recruiting Class

May 5, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – Head Women’s Soccer Coach Hershey Strosberg has announced the signing of seven players to national letters of intent for the fall of 2008. In his first season as the Tigers’ head coach, Strosberg will add seven freshmen, including four from the state of Georgia and one early enrollee, to the roster for the 2008 season.

“We are very excited about the 2008 recruiting class. These seven young women bring a good combination of experience, athleticism and versatility to our team,” said Strosberg. “We look forward to having them join the team this fall and welcoming them to the Clemson soccer family, knowing that they will be an integral part of this program for the next four years.”

“[Assistant Coach] Todd Shulenberger was instrumental through the coaching transition,” added Strosberg. “I give him all of the credit for staying connected with our recruits. He kept the class on board until the new staff was in place, while also providing us with momentum toward the future.”

Tara Cort, a midfielder/forward from Wellesley, MA, graduated early from Wellesley High School and enrolled at Clemson in the spring of 2008, joining the Tigers for the spring season. Cort was named an Eastern Massachusetts All-Star and a First Team Bay-State League All-Star in 2007 at Wellesley High School, where she was a four-year varsity letterwinner in soccer. Her high school team won the MA Division 2 State Championship in 2005. Cort’s club team, FC Greater Boston Bolts, was the U-17 MA State Cup Champion in 2007 and the U-16 State Cup and Region 1 Champion in 2006. That team took third place at the USYSA nationals that year.

Loganville, GA native Ashlynne Bass led her team in goals scored her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons and earned All-County honors at Loganville High School. She played for the Gwinnett Soccer Association club team, which won the GA State Cup Championship in 2004 and was a finalist in 2005 and 2007 and a semifinalist in 2006. Her GSA team was a USYSA Region 3 Tournament quarterfinalist in 2006 and also participated in the region tournament in 2004 and 2005. The same team was the U-15 Region 3 Premier League East Champion in 2005, and took second place in the same tournament in 2006 and third place in 2007. In high school, Bass was a member of FCA and FFA and participated in the Special Olympics Partners Club.

Midfielder/defender Sofia Blanco will join the Tigers from Roswell, GA where she was a four-year varsity letterwinner and starter on the Roswell High School soccer team. Blanco was a six-year member of the GA ’89 ODP team and participated in region camp from 2003-06. She played for the Gwinnett Soccer Association’s Phoenix Red `90 club team, which was a Georgia State Cup finalist in 2005 and 2007 and a semifinalist in 2006. Her club team reached the USYSA Southern Regional Championship quarterfinals in 2006 and was a participant in the tournament in 2005. Blanco was named to the Honor Roll all four years of high school and was a member of the National Honor Society, National French Honor Society and the Beta Club.

K.K. Duffy is a defender from Atlanta, GA where she earned four varsity letters in soccer at Marist High School. Marist won the region championship in 2005 and 2007, and reached the state semifinals in 2006 and 2007. Duffy earned Dekalb All-County honors in 2007 and was named to the Greater Atlanta All-Area team in 2008. She played for the TopHat club team, which won the Georgia State Championship in 2005.

Greer, SC native Sarah Jacobs earned four varsity letters in soccer and one in basketball at Riverside High School. Riverside won the SC High School League State Championship in 2006 and won its region championship from 2004-07. The midfielder/forward earned all-state honors and was a High School Sports Report All-State Elite Team selection from 2005-07. Jacobs played for the CESA ’89 club team, which won the SCYSA state championship from 2004-07. She was a member of the SC Soccer Super 22 all-star team in 2007.

Forward Sarah Jordan, from Duluth, GA, played for Providence Christian Academy, which won the GA High School State Championship in 2007. Jordan was named the AAA Player of the Year and the Atlanta Journal Constitution Player of the Year in 2007 and earned Gwinnett Daily Post Super Six honors and the Golden Boot Award the same season. She scored 120 goals during her high school career, including 54 in 2006, which tied the record for most goals in a season by a player in the state of Georgia. Jordan was a member of the GSA Phoenix Red ’90 club team.

Rachel Hurd comes to Clemson from Sammamish, WA where she lettered four years in soccer and two in track and field at Eastlake High School. Her Eastlake team won the Washington State 4A Championship in 2007 and finished the season with a 19-0-0 record and was ranked sixth in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Her high school team reached the state semifinals in 2006 and also advanced to the state playoffs in 2005. Hurd played for the Crossfire Premier ’89 club team, which was a WA State Championship Cup semifinalist in 2005 and quarterfinalist in 2006. She participated in the Washington State ODP pool in 2004 and 2005. Hurd was a member of the National Honor Society and was also named to the National Society of High School Scholars.