Buffs Add Eight on National Signing Day

BOULDER—Colorado head soccer coach Danny Sanchez announced a class of eight student-athletes that will join the Buffaloes for the start of the 2019 season on Thursday.

The class consists of two forwards, four midfielders, one defender and one goalkeeper.

Name	Height	Position	Hometown (High School)
Jade Babcock-Chi	5-5	Midfield	Del Mar, Calif. (Torrey Pines)
Tessa Barton	5-7	Forward	Littleton, Colo. (Columbine)
Alyssa Duke	6-1	Defense	Upland, Calif. (Upland)
Kyla Ferry	5-8	Forward	Phoenix, Ariz. (Xavier College Prep)
Amaya Gonzalez	5-3	Midfield	Bellflower, Calif. (Downey)
Emma Miller	5-9	Goalkeeper	Demarest, N.J. (NVRHS Demarest)
Allie Palangi	5-8	Midfield	Pismo Beach, Calif. (Arroyo Grande)
Roo Yarnell-Williams	5-6	Midfield	Sacramento, Calif. (SAEL)

"We are excited to add these eight-fantastic student-athletes to our university program," Sanchez exclaimed. "With us graduating seven seniors this year, they all have the ability and opportunity to make an immediate impact. We have addressed our immediate needs while adding significant depth and competition to our squad. We are really looking forward to seeing their growth over the next several months as they prepare for the 2019 season."

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Babcock-Chi is an athletic center midfielder from Del Mar, Calif. She played club with San Diego Surf, winning the 2014 USYS National Championship. In 2015 she helped the Surf to an ECNL runner-up finish. Babcock-Chi was a part of the ODP player pool in 2014 and 2015. She started every game at Torrey Pines her freshman and sophomore seasons. Babcock-Chi was a first-team All-Avocado West League selection in 2017. She sat out her junior and senior seasons in accordance to US Soccer DA rules.

Sanchez on Babcock-Chi
"Jade is a pure central midfielder joining us from San Diego Surf SC DA. She is confident on the ball and does the work on the defensive side. Jade reads the game well and can play multiple roles in the center of the pitch."

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Barton joins her sister Tatum on the front-line for the Buffs. She played one year with the Colorado Rapids ECNL. Barton, a three-time first-team All-Conference selection, played three seasons at Columbine. She scored 33 career goals in 48 games for the Rebels. Barton totaled 11 goals and nine assists in her junior season, helping her earn first-team All-State honors.

Sanchez on Barton
"We are excited that Tessa will be joining us and her sister here at CU. Tessa joins us from Colorado Rapids ECNL as a goal scorer who plays well with her back to goal and also running at players. She has a strong mentality and fantastic work ethic on the field."

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Duke, at 6-foot-1, is a tall center back with a talent for finding the open field. She is a three-time letterman at Upland H.S., and plays club for Strikers FC. Duke helped Upland to a 22-1-3 record her junior year, totaling 17 shutouts. She scored one goal and assisted on nine. Duke earned Best IX honors at the ECNL playoffs in 2016. She was also named to the 2018 Top Drawer Soccer Winter State Stars California team. Duke also participated in the ODP pool from 2011-13.

Sanchez on Duke
"Alyssa joins us from Strikers FC and is a prototypical center back. She is clean on the ball and reads the game well. Alyssa is a good passer of the ball and we feel will really continue to develop in our soccer environment."

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Ferry comes to Colorado, having won the 2018 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year. She has a knack for finding the back of the net, scoring 47 career goals in her three seasons at Xavier College Prep. Ferry has also tallied 23 career assists in 60 career games. She has earned multiple conference and regional Player of the Year honors, to go along with her AZ Central High School Girls Soccer Player of the Year and United Soccer Coaches High School Winter All-Region accolades. She plays in the club ranks with SC del Sol DA and is the No. 7 ranked forward by TDS in the Rocky Mountain & Southwest Region. She is currently ranked No. 69 in the IMG Academy 150.

Sanchez on Ferry
"Kyla joins us from the DA program at SC del Sol. She is a great back to the goal striker but can also play as an attacking midfielder. Kyla is a pure goal scorer while also having the ability to set her teammates up."

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Gonzalez rejoins former club teammate Jesse Loren in Boulder. She is a three-time national champion, winning the ECNL in 2015, 2016 and the DA in 2018. Gonzalez attended the 2015 US Youth Soccer ODP Girls National Training Camp. She also played two seasons at Downey H.S., before moving into the DA. Gonzalez is currently ranked No. 136 in the IMG Academy 150.

Sanchez on Gonzalez
"Amaya joins CU from LAFC Slammers where she won a couple of club national championships with current Buff Jesse Loren. She is a player that has had a lot of success as a deep-lying midfielder. However, we feel Amaya can also play higher up the field with her technical ability."

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Miller is the lone goalkeeper in the 2019 class. She is a four-time letterwinner at Northern Valley Regional H.S. at Demarest. Miller became the first NVD freshman to start in goal. She started every game in her high school career, totaling 332 career saves. She was a first-team All-League selection as a junior, upgrading from her second-team honors in her freshman and sophomore seasons. Miller was a team captain in her junior and senior seasons in both soccer and basketball.

Sanchez on Miller
"Emma joins us from New Jersey. She came to us late in the recruiting process, but we are excited she is a Buff. Emma has tremendous upside and will really develop under Associate Head Coach Jason Green and JJ Tompkins."

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Palangi is rated as a four-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and is ranked No. 73 in the IMG Academy 150. She is a two-time first-team All-League midfield at Arroyo Grande. Palangi has found the net 25 times in her three seasons. She scored five goals as a freshman, the most ever by a freshman on varsity. Miller plays at the club level with Eagles SC in the ECNL. She won the Golden Boot as the leading scorer at the ID2 Invitational Camp in three consecutive seasons (2014-16). Palangi has also won three USYSA ODP National Championships with Cal South.

Sanchez on Palangi
"Allie is a very versatile midfielder that can play in both an attacking and holding role. She is very good in the air and is a fantastic passer of the ball. Allie is also versatile enough to play in the back."

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Yarnell-Williams is a traveled club player, having played in tournaments in places like Japan and Sweden. Her team won the Gothia Cup in Sweden her freshman season and picked up a second-place finish her sophomore year. Yarnell-Williams has participated in three ID2 camps and played in one ID2 ECNL National Training Camp in 2017.

Sanchez on Yarnell-Williams
"Roo joins us from San Juan SC ECNL. She is our most versatile player in the class and we feel she can play on any of the three lines. Roo is fast, technical and an absolute grinder on the field."

The Buffs finished 13-4-3 in 2018, going unbeaten in a program-record 16 games to start the season. CU totaled records in goals (47), assists (52) and total points (148). Colorado returns 12 players with starting experience from 2018, including two of its top-scorers in Taylor Kornieck and Tatum Barton. JJ Tompkins will also return for her senior season in net.

Colorado University Athletics

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