Sanchez Adds 10 for 2020

BOULDER—Colorado head soccer coach Danny Sanchez announced a class of 10 student-athletes who will join the Buffaloes for the start of the 2020 season on Thursday.

The class consists of three defenders, four forwards, two midfielders and one goalkeeper and was ranked the 10th best in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.

Jenny Beyer, 5-7, Midfielder, Stuttgart, Germany (Schickhardt-Gymnasium)
Rachael Black, 5-9, Goalkeeper, Scottsdale, Ariz. (Pinnacle)
Addie Bundy, 5-7, Midfielder, Fort Collins, Colo. (Rocky Mountain)
Kendyll Fritts, 5-5, Defender, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (J Serra)
Filippa Graneld, 5-8, Forward, Stockholm, Sweden (Stockholms Idrottsgymnasium)
Haley Harnisch, 5-6, Forward, Denver, Colo. (Valor Christian)
Shyra James, 5-7, Forward, La Mesa, Calif. (Helix Charter)
Jayden Newkirk, 5-8, Defender, Cypress, Calif. (Los Alamitos)
Rachel Rosen, 5-7, Forward, Hermosa Beach, Calif. (Mira Costa)
Lawson Willis, 5-7, Defender, Centennial, Colo. (Cherry Creek)

"We are losing six fantastic seniors from our program this year," Sanchez opened. "We feel that in this 2020 class we have some people that can help fill some of those holes. They will have big shoes to fill, but these players have the qualities on and off the field to make an impact on our program."

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Beyer comes to Colorado from Stuttgart, Germany. She is a member of the German U17 National Team and has represented her country on the international stage since 2016. Beyer helped SC Freiburg to two U17 Bundesliga-Sud championships. She also won the 2019 U21 Regionalliga Fall championship. Beyer will be Colorado's second player from Germany, joining former Buffs Hannah Scheid.

Sanchez on Beyer
"Jenny came to us late in the recruiting process. She's a player that plays in the back for her club team but also plays in the midfield for the German Youth National team. Jenny plays for FC Freiburg on the U21 team. She has a lot of qualities that we're looking for that we think can make an impact in the Pac-12. She's very experienced and has the drive to play for the full German National Team."

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Black will continue the line of Colorado goalkeepers from Pinnacle H.S., following in the footsteps of Jalen Tompkins. Black started every game as a freshman and sophomore, earning 6A All-Conference and All-State honors in 2017. She did not play her junior season due to Development Academy rules. Black played club for SC Del Sol and was the first SC Del Sol, ECNL or DA goalkeeper to be named a captain. She is a two-time US Youth National Camp invitee and attended various US Women's National Team camps. Black was the eighth-ranked keeper and the No. 77 in Top Drawer Soccer's top-150.

Sanchez on Black
"Rachael has represented the US at the U17/18 level and various camps. She's got great size, great mobility and excellent distribution with the ball. She comes from a very competitive club environment where she's got a lot of great training. We fell that Rachael has all the qualities to come in and compete from day one to be a starter."

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Bundy, is a 5-7 midfielder out of Fort Collins, Colo. She earned one letter, her freshman year, at Rocky Mountain H.S. Bundy played club for Real Colorado and was the 10th ranked player in the Rocky Mountains & Southwest by Top Drawer Soccer. TDS also lasts Bundy as No. 94 in its' top-150. Bundy played for the Colorado ODP team and was a US Soccer Training invitee.

Sanchez on Bundy
"Addie is primarily a holding midfield but can still play anywhere in the midfield. Like a lot of our players, she has the versatility to play in the back as well. She's good on the ball and kind of a natural-born leader. She is also a very good student and was one of our first commitments in the class. She really wanted to be a Buff and we're excited to add her to our program."

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Fritts, a 5-5 defender, has won two Trinity League titles with J Serra H.S. She was a third-team selection by USA Today as a freshman. She was voted a captain her sophomore year and was First-Team All-CIF, First-Team All-OC and an Allstate All-American. Fritts was a Second-Team All-League selection as a junior. She played club with Blues Baker, winning seven Blues Cup championships and six Surf Cup titles. Fritts attended ID2 training camp and was ranked the No. 25 midfielder by Top Drawer Soccer. Fritts is also ranked No. 122 in TDS's top-150.

Sanchez on Fritts
"Kendyll plays at J Serra, which is arguably one of the top high school programs in the country. She plays club at So Cal Blues, which has produced a lot of former Buffs. She won the club national championship the last couple of years at the ECNL level. She plays center back in club, but we feel she has the versatility to play out wide. She is super competitive and we feel she has the tools to come into the Pac-12 and help us right away."

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Graneld, a 5-8 forward from Stockholm, Sweden, becomes Colorado's second-ever Swedish player. Graneld spent two years in the US, playing at Harriton H.S., outside of Philadelphia, Pa. She was Second-Team All-Main Line as a freshman and improved to First-Team as a sophomore. Graneld started every game at Harriton, scoring 16 goals before moving back to Sweden. Internationally, Graneld has played with both the U17 and U18 Swedish National Team. She was selected to the U17 EURO qualifier but could not compete due to injury.

Sanchez on Graneld
"Filippa plays her club soccer with Hammarby, one of the top clubs in Sweden. She just got back from some friendly internationals with the Swedish U18 team in Iceland. She got her first start at that level. We feel as a striker, she has a lot of tools and experience that she can come in and replace some of the players that we're losing."

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Harnisch stays close to home, joining the Buffs from Valor Christian. The 5-6 forward scored six goals as a freshman and recorded the most points by a varsity freshman (13). Due to DA rules, she could not play at Valor after her freshman year, opting to play for Real Colorado. Harnisch was the top scorer for the U16/17 team in the 2017-18 season, which included a national championship. She was the top scorer and led the U14/15 team in assists in 2016-17. Harnisch also played two years on the ODP Colorado team.

Sanchez on Harnisch
"Haley has been one of the top scorers for Real Colorado the last few years, playing primarily as a wide forward. I think in our formation, she also can play wide in the midfield. She's another fantastic student that will be in the Leeds School of Business honors program. She has a great nose for the goal. It's all about scoring goals at our level and I think she is another player that can come in and contribute right away."

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James, a 5-7 forward from La Mesa, Calif., played her freshman year at Preuss before transferring to Helix Charter. As a freshman on varsity, she scored an amazing 52 goals in 16 games, breaking school records for goals and assists (34). James played club for San Diego Surf and has been the team's leading scoring the past two seasons. She was a DA National championship finalist in 2019 and won the ECNL National Championship in 2018. James has played on the ODP team the last three seasons and has gone to two US National Team camps. Top Drawer Soccer lists James as their 16th-ranked forward and the No. 54 ranked player in its top-150.

Sanchez on James
"Shyra is a product of the San Diego Surf DA program where she's scored lots of goals in the last few years. She has also been in a few camps with the US U16/17 level. She has a really good feel for the game. She is great on the ball and very technical. She has a really good feel as a striker, for her movements and touches."

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Newkirk, is a 5-8 defender from Cypress, Calif. She was First-Team All-State and All-CIF last season as a junior. Newkirk scored 11 goals and totaled seven assists in 31 games last season at Los Alamitos. She is also a three-time Academic Award of Excellence honoree as well as a three-time scholar-athlete. Newkirk has helped Los Alamitos to three consecutive league championships and a state championship last season. She has played club for Strikers FC

Sanchez on Newkirk
"Jayden is also a player that came to us a little later in the recruiting cycle. She plays center back for her club team, but we feel she can play anywhere along the backline. Physically, she will be able to complete right off the bat in the Pac-12."

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Rosen continues the string of LAFC Slammers players to come to Colorado. The 5-7 forward won two letters at Mira Costa H.S., as a freshman and junior. She did not play as a sophomore due to DA rules. Rosen led Mira Costa with 21 goals and eight assists last season. She was First-Team All-Bay League and the team's offensive MVP. Rosen helped lead Mira Costa to the CIF and State Finals last season, the first time the school had played in both championships. Rosen played with the ODP Regional team in both 2016 and 2017.

Sanchez on Rosen
"Rachel has had a lot of success competing at the ECNL level. She is a naturally left-sided player, the only one in this class. I think she can also play as a left-back. She can really get forward and sees the field very well."

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Willis is the third local signee in the class of 2020. The 5-7 defender played her freshman season at Cherry Creek, totaling three points in 15 games. She was First-Team All-Conference, helping the Bruins to a 15-1-1 record. Willis played the next two seasons with Real Colorado. She was a 2018 DA Best XI Central Conference selection. Willis was the captain of U18/19 Real Colorado DA and is ranked the No. 19 defender by Top Drawer Soccer. Lawson comes in at No. 103 in TDS's top-150.

Sanchez on Willis
"Lawson is a hard-nosed defender slash midfielder. She is strong on the ball and a great ball striker. She plays center back and holding mid. We fell that she can play as an outside back because of her pace and strength on the ball. One of the first things we noticed about her was how competitive she was."

Colorado's season continues in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The Buffs host Northern Colorado at noon MT. The game will be televised across the Pac-12 Networks.

Players Mentioned

Jalen Tompkins

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