PISCATAWAY, N.J. (December 15, 2008) – The Rutgers women's lacrosse team signed seven players to National Letters of Intent, head coach Laura Brand-Sias announced Wednesday. Stephanie Anderson (Wading River, N.Y.), Aimee Eileen Chotikul (Baltimore, Md.), Stephanie Dickson (Smithtown, N.Y.), Lindsay Harris (Ijamsville, Md.), Lily Kalata (Nesconset, N.Y.), Amanda Trendell (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) and Rachel Welch (Medford, N.J.) all plan to suit up for the Scarlet Knights in 2010.

"We were able to accomplish many of our program goals with this class," said Brand-Sias. "Not only were we able to recruit first class athletes, but we have added to the quality of our program in both character and academics. These young women will hit the ground running when they arrive 'On the Banks' and I am confident they will make this program proud."

Anderson, a midfielder at Shoreham Wading River High School in Wading River, N.Y., will be entering her senior year as a captain of the reigning New York State Champions. She was ranked eighth in the nation as a Top Rising Senior by Inside Lacrosse magazine after recording 51 goals and 16 assists her junior year. Her experience as a midfielder on such a talented team will be noticed immediately on the field in 2010. Her sister Kristen is currently a sophomore attacker for the Scarlet Knights.

Anderson was named to the New York Team1 at the US Lacrosse National Tournament in 2008. She was also a finalist for the Heather Leigh Albert Award, given to the top high school player in the country. She won the gold medal with the 2008 Empire State Team along with fellow incoming freshman Lily Kalata.

On top of Anderson's success on the lacrosse field, she is also an All-League performer on the varsity cross-country team, as well as a varsity winter track star. Her senior leadership has earned her the role as captain of each team.

Chotikul, one of two goalies in the class, is currently a captain for the women's lacrosse team at Baltimore Lutheran School in Towson, Md. She has been a starter since her freshman campaign and has 551 saves in three years. She is a two-time Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland (IAAM) All-Conference team honoree and a two-time team MVP. She led her squad to three consecutive IAAM conference championship games, winning in 2006 and 2007.

The Baltimore, Md. native is also the starting goalkeeper for the boys varsity soccer team at Baltimore Lutheran. She posted a 0.78 goals-against average her junior year and is the only female to be named Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) conference Athlete of the Week. She earned MIAA All-Conference team honors in 2008.

Chotikul is also a goalkeeper and a returning captain for the indoor soccer team. She earned four consecutive team MVP honors and is a four-time IAAM Indoor Soccer All-Conference team honoree. She is the only athlete to achieve back-to-back championships in both the MIAA and the IAAM conferences, as well as the only athlete in school history to be part of five championship teams.

Dickson, a four-year varsity starter at Smithtown High School West in Smithtown, N.Y., will be playing attack/midfield for the Scarlet Knights. She was All-League and All-County and has been a member of the Long Island Yellow Jackets for five years. She was also a member of the U.S. National School girls team.

Dickson competed in cross country and was named team MVP after leading her team to an undefeated season and the league championship. Her cross country squad was recently named the top Scholar Athlete Team in New York State and will receive awards from the state in January. She is also a four-year member of the winter track squad, receiving All-League and first-place Suffolk county honors. She was named to the New York State Scholar-Athlete team.

1 2    Next  »

2008-12-15