The UTEP women’s soccer team has signed eight student-athletes to national letter of intents who will play for the Miners starting for the 2007 campaign, head coach Kevin Cross announced on Friday. The class features three junior college All Americans and five prep standouts.

“We feel very fortunate to have such a great recruiting class, and we are very excited that they joined the UTEP soccer family,” Cross said. “We feel that these players can contribute immediately to the success of the program. 

“I would like to thank everyone who helped make this class a success: especially the UTEP Soccer staff - assistant coaches Holly (Cohen) and Kelly (Parker) who worked very hard, Kia (Sams) and Heather (Clark), the UTEP team who sold these players on UTEP and did a great job on visits, and these players' coaches and families. I’d also like to thank the many UTEP administrators who helped out on visits such as Lisa Campos, Gina Romero, Coach Davis' staff and Tom Lechtenburg.”

Ashley Cole does not have to venture far to join the Miners, as she was a star for Andress High School in El Paso. Cole was a four-year letterwinner, playing a variety of positions. Cole garnered second-team all-district honors as a sophomore, before picking up first-team accolades as a junior. She tallied 25 goals as a sophomore, then 29 as a junior. In between, Cole was a lock-down defender.

Melissa Desilets hails from Edmonton, Alberta, where she played with the Edmonton Strikers. She was named the 2005 Player of the Year, leading her squad to the 2005 Outdoor Alberta Provincial Championship. Desilets, a talented defender, guided the squad to a fourth-place finish at the 2005 club nationals. She also trained at the U-16 national developmental camp.

Lauren Hamson ventures to the Sun City from Surrey, British Columbia. Hamson has played with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Super Y league, leading the squad to the 2005 and 2006 Super Y North American Finals. She was named an ODP all star in both years.

Kira Lazenby, one of three junior-college All-Americans in this year’s class, is a goalkeeper out of Iowa Western Community College. Lazenby was a second-team honoree in 2005 before being tabbed to the first squad in 2006. She ranked ninth in the country with a .425 goals against average as freshman before dropping that to a minute .260 average last year to check in fourth. Previously, at Payson High School in Payson, Utah, Lazenby led her squad to back-to-back state titles.

Jo Radcliffe, a second-team NJCAA All-American at Paradise Valley Community College, is a talented midfielder who will contribute immediately for UTEP. Radcliff scored 13 goals and registered nine assists en route to a team-best 35 points. She helped her team win the ACCAC title, snag a No. 12 national ranking in the NJCAA Division I polls and a runner-up showing in the Region I tournament. The team finished a program-best 14-3-2. Prior to junior college, Radcliffe guided Glendale Ironwood to the 2006 state title.

Kaysie Samaniego continues the trend of top talent from El Paso staying home to play their college soccer. She was a first-team all district honoree in 2005 as result of her team-high 28 goals. She also lettered in volleyball.

Ashley Thomas, the third junior college All-American of the class, ventures to UTEP after starring with Laramie County Community College. The standout defender, who was a teammate of current Miner Jessica Salvi, garnered first-team All-America honors in 2006. She was a co-captain of the Golden Eagles as well.

Heather York rounds out the 2007 class for the Miners, but she certainly will play a vital role in UTEP’s success in the future. York, who is the leading scorer of FC Texas in Dallas, also had plenty of success at Keller High School. York was second-team all district in 2004 and a first-squad all district the following year. She paced the squad in goals the past two campaigns, being named the 2004 Offensive MVP.