Buffs Add Nine On National Signing Day

	Signing Day Press Conference

Name	Pos	Hometown (Previous School)
Jorian Baucom	F	Scottsdale, Ariz. (LSU)
Hannah Cardenas	D	Placentia, Calif. (El Dorado H.S.)
Libby Geraghty	F	Greenwood Village, Colo. (Cherry Creek H.S.)
Jordan Goodwin	M	Broomfield, Colo. (Broomfield H.S.)
Katie Joella	F	Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mountain Vista H.S.)
Caitlin McPherson	GK	Greenwood Village, Colo. (Cherry Creek H.S.)
Cassie Phillips	M	Hartland, Mich. (Maryland)
Martine Puketapu	F	Auckland, New Zealand (Epsom Girls Grammer School)
Becca Rasmussen	M	Golden, Colo. (Georgia)

BOULDER – Colorado soccer head coach Danny Sanchez announced the addition of nine student-athletes for the 2017 season on National Signing Day on Wednesday. Six freshmen will join three transfers to make up the group of newcomers. Transfers Jorian Baucom (LSU), Cassie Phillips (Maryland) and Becca Rasmussen (Georgia) complement first-year student-athletes Hannah Cardenas (Placentia, Calif.), Libby Geraghty (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Jordan Goodwin (Broomfield, Colo.), Katie Joella (Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Caitlin McPherson (Greenwood Village, Colo.) and Martine Puketapu (Auckland, New Zealand).

Phillips, Puketapu and Rasmussen are all enrolled for the spring semester.

"We lost six great seniors," Sanchez said. "Not only were they fantastic on the field, but they provided great leadership off the field. We feel that our 2017 recruiting class has all the intangibles to build off the success from last season and the characteristics we are looking for on and off the field. Each of them has had tremendous success, whether it is high school, club, collegiate or internationally. They will fit in great with our returning Buffs."

Baucom, a 5-foot-9 forward, will have one year of eligibility remaining as she joins the Buffaloes after three years at LSU. A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, she has scored 33 goals in three seasons for the Tigers and was a first-team all-SEC player as a sophomore in 2015 with 15 goals scored. She also scored 10 times in 2016 as a junior. She's well-experienced with the United States youth national teams, participating in camps at the U-15, U-16, U-19 and U-20 levels. Baucom was the No. 13-rated player coming out of high school in 2014 and a five-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer.

Sanchez on Baucom: "Jorian is a proven goal scorer during her three years of collegiate action. She has quickness to beat defenders, but also the strength to hold up the ball and create space for her shot. Jorian will have an immediate impact on our program and will flourish playing at Colorado and competing in the Pac-12."

Cardenas, a 5-foot-7 defender, is a senior at El Dorado High School in Placentia, California. She has been an outstanding club player for Slammers FC, helping her team to a No. 1 national ranking and reach the ECNL national semifinals in 2016. She's currently in the middle of her senior season at El Dorado and was named all-CIF Southern Section and all-North Hills League as a junior, leading the team to a league championship and helping it reach the CIF Southern Section semifinals and the CIF State Regional semifinals.

Sanchez on Cardenas: "Hannah comes to us from one of the top youth programs in the country, Slammers FC. She has versatility to play anywhere along the backline or in the midfield. Hannah is very technical and can make an immediate impact on our program."

Geraghty, a 5-foot-6 forward, will play her senior season at Cherry Creek High School this spring and was named second-team all-state as a junior. She also plays for Colorado Storm and the club was the ECNL top Colorado team each year from U-13 to U-17, including a No. 6 national ranking at U-17. Geraghty is the 60th-ranked player in the 2017 Top 150 by Top Drawer Soccer as well, including the No. 25 forward.

Sanchez on Geraghty: "Libby is a flat our goal scorer for her club team Colorado Storm and at Cherry Creek High School. She also has the ability to play-make from an attacking midfield position. Libby has all the tools to compete immediately for us and in the Pac-12."

Goodwin, a 5-foot-4 midfielder, will enter her senior season this spring at Broomfield High School. She's been a four-year letterwinner and led Broomfield to a runner-up finish at the state tournament as a freshman and sophomore, and the semifinals as a junior. She's totaled 14 goals and 17 assists in her three years. At Boulder FC, she won a U.S. club national championship in 2016 and has been a two-year team captain.

Sanchez on Goodwin: "Jordan is a true central midfielder with a great engine. She plays box to box for FC Boulder and at Broomfield High School. She is strong in the tackle and a good passer of the ball who will fit in well with our style of play in the midfield."

Joella, a 5-foot-4 forward, is about to play her final season of high school soccer at Mountain Vista High School. She led Mountain Vista to the state finals as a junior with 16 goals and three assists and was a second-team all-state selection. She also plays for Real Colorado, which was ranked the No. 6 club in the country in 2016 and all of its ECNL teams reached the playoffs and/or national championships in 2016.

Sanchez on Joella: "Katie has tremendous pace and nose for the goal. She scores goals in bunches for her Real Colorado club team and at Mountain Vista High School. We feel Katie will flourish in the college environment and will get even better working and competing in the Pac-12."

McPherson, a 6-foot-0 goalkeeper, is a senior at Cherry Creek High School where she played two years of soccer before focusing on club. With Colorado Storm ECNL '99, she has been a league champion every year since 2011, a State Cup champion in 2012 and a runner-up in 2013. She participated in the U-13 to U-15 Olympic Development Program and made state ODP as well.

Sanchez on McPherson: "Caitlin is a goalkeeper with a lot of experience with her very successful Colorado Storm squad. She has great size and potential. Caitlin will really improve working with [associate head coach] Jason [Green] and our two returning keepers."

Phillips, a 5-foot-7 midfielder, is a native of Hartland, Michigan. She played two years at Maryland where she made 20 starts, including 12 as a sophomore in 2016. She scored one goal and attempted 13 shots this past season. She has also been a part of several United States youth national roster pools, including U-18 in 2013 and 2014, U-15 in 2011 and U-14 in 2010.

Sanchez on Phillips: "Cassie is a true play maker in the midfield. In her short time here at Colorado this spring she has shown her qualities on the ball. Cassie has all the makings of a player that can have a great impact on our squad over the next two seasons."

Puketapu, a 5-foot-8 forward, is the first CU player to come from New Zealand. She has played on several national teams in her homeland and has scored 26 goals in international competition between the U-17, U-18 and U-20 teams. She has scored six goals with the U-20 team, which she competed with in 2016. Puketapu also competed with the Three Kings United club team and her the team to a league championship with a league-leading 27 goals in 18 games in 2016.

Sanchez on Puketapu: "Marty has joined us this spring and is a goal scorer. She has tremendous international experience at all levels playing for New Zealand. Marty has the ability to play with her back to goal and links up well with our midfielders. Having this spring to acclimate will be invaluable as she heads into this fall as a freshman."

Rasmussen, a 5-foot-4 midfielder, is a native of Golden, Colorado, and joins CU after playing three years at Georgia. She started 49 games in three years with the Bulldogs and was named the team's offensive player of the year as a sophomore in 2015 after scoring a goal and assisting on two more. She made 16 starts in 2016 and scored against LSU. She has also been a part of the United States youth national team program, earning call-ups to the U-18 camp twice and the U-20 camp in 2014. She was ranked as the No. 31 player in the country by Top Drawer Soccer coming out of Dakota Ridge High School in 2014.

Sanchez on Rasmussen: "Becca has joined us at semester and has already shown some great qualities. She is very quick with the ball and is fantastic on the dribble. Becca has three successful years of collegiate experience under her belt and we are very happy she has come back home for her senior year after all her success in her youth days at Colorado Rush."

Colorado is coming off one of its best seasons in school history, tying the school record for wins and reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament after tying for second place in the Pac-12 with national champion Southern California. CU posted a 15-6-1 overall record, including 8-2-1 in conference action. The Buffs graduate six seniors, including first-team all-Pac-12 selection and NWSL Draft pick Danica Evans, who was selected 22nd overall by the Orlando Pride earlier this month. They do, however, return seven starters, including Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Taylor Kornieck, who tied Evans with a team-best 11 goals in 2016.

Players Mentioned

Jorian Baucom

Hannah Cardenas

Danica Evans

Libby Geraghty

Jordan Goodwin

Katie Joella

Taylor Kornieck

Caitlin McPherson

Cassie Phillips

Marty Puketapu

Becca Rasmussen

Colorado University Athletics