Colorado College has received commitments from eight recruits, four each from in and out of the state, who will play Division I women's soccer as freshmen for CC next season, head coach Geoff Bennett announced.
   
Joining the Tigers this summer from outside Colorado will be midfielder/defender Lauren Hatch of Mesquite, Texas; midfielder/forward Kaitlin Kirkpatrick of Carmel, Ind.; defender/midfielder Carter Vettese of Pasadena, Calif.; and defender/midfielder Marika Viragh of Columbus, Ohio.
   
Roster additions from inside the state will be goalkeeper Hanna Berglund of Steamboat Springs, along with midfielder/forwards Brittney Lyman of Arvada, Brennan O'Connell of Littleton and Hannah Peterson of Denver.

"We are elated to have this group of talented young ladies joining us for our 2009 season next fall," said Bennett, who has guided the Tigers to a 54-32-11 (.613) record and one NCAA playoff bid (2006) in five previous campaigns at the helm. “Not only does the size of the class provide us with exceptional depth, but some of these players also could make an immediate impact as starters. All of them will help our program continue to make great strides, and we're excited to get started.”
  
Here is a capsule of each of the newcomers, in alphabetical order, with additional comments from Bennett:
   
Hanna Berglund – A versatile all-around athlete, Berglund was a two-time all-state selection in alpine skiing at Steamboat Springs High School, where she also lettered four years in soccer and one in basketball. She helped backstop the soccer team to four consecutive playoff appearances, and served as captain of the ski team, a perennial contender for the state championship. “Hanna is a great athlete that we believe will thrive in the college environment,” says Bennett. “We look forward to watching her train at this level and we are sure that she will adapt quickly. Hanna has great presence and is also a good shot stopper.”
   
Lauren Hatch – An all-region and all-district defender at Dr. Ralph H. Poteet High School in Mesquite, Texas, Hatch has served as team captain the last two seasons and helped lead the team to an 18-1-1 regular-season record as a senior in 2009. Poteet averaged 0.33 goals against in those 20 games. With post-season play still in progress, Hatch has scored 21 career goals and added 18 assists. Her club team, Dallas Texans Red 91, is the defending U.S. Youth Soccer U17 national champion. “Lauren has a tremendous engine and work ethic, and we know that she will give us 100 percent effort at all times,” Bennett says. “She can play as an outside midfielder or outside back, and is very quick and tenacious. She also has the technical ability to jumpstart our attack from out wide. Lauren will love competing at this level.”
 
Kaitlin Kirkpatrick – A three-year letter winner in soccer at Carmel High School, where she also competed as a sprinter and long jump in track and field one season, Kirkpatrick helped her team win three consecutive conference championships. She was involved in Indiana's Olympic Development Program from 2003 until 2007, and has been the leading scorer for her club team – Carmel United SC Sparx – since its inception at U10. “Kaitlin has very good speed and athleticism,” says Bennett. “We believe she can fit in either up top as a forward or as an outside midfielder. Kaitlin likes to run at people 1v1 and will give us a needed boost with regard to athleticism.”
   
Brittney Lyman – With her senior season in soccer still unfinished, Lyman already has earned first-team all-conference honors her three previous years at Arvada West High School. She scored nine goals and added 15 assists as a junior last spring, when her team reached the second round of the state 5A playoffs for the third consecutive campaign. She was involved in Colorado's Olympic Development Program from 2004 until 2007, and her club team – Real National – is the 2009 State Cup champion. “Brittney can score goals and has a knack for performing on  big stages,” Bennett says. “She will be a dangerous attacking player for us and can create opportunities for herself and her teammates. Brittney will help us greatly in the final third of the field with her ability as a pure finisher.”
   
Brennan O'Connell – O'Connell has played on a pair of championship teams in recent years, first at Mullen High School, which claimed a 5A state title in 2007, then with Riverside SC, which claimed a State Cup crown in 2008. She and CC freshman-to-be Hannah Peterson were teammates at Mullen, where they both also played basketball. “Brennan is quick and tenacious for her size and loves to take people on 1v1,” says Bennett. “She is a classic flank player, where she can run all day and can beat defenders 1v1 and provide great service. We look forward to seeing Brennan take her game to the next level.”
   
Hannah Peterson – A two-year captain at Mullen High School, where she is just beginning her senior season, Peterson already has earned all-conference recognition as a sophomore (second team) in 2007 and junior (first team) in 2008. Mullen won both the Colorado 5A championship and Centennial League title in '07. Peterson also was involved in the state's Olympic Development Program from 2005 until 2007, and was invited to the elite Region IV camp in '05. “Hannah is a tough forward who likes to play with her back to the goal and who also works hard all the time,” Bennett says. “She also can run at defenders when the game calls for it and can create scoring opportunities for us. Hannah will also bring a great knack for creating chances due to her work ethic.”
   
Carter Vettese – Vettese was named Area Player of the Year by both the Pasadena Star News and Glendale News her final two seasons as a prep at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in Southern California, serving as a team-co-captain. She also was a two-time All-Area selection. Her club team – Wolfpack SC – reached the Super Y national finals in 2006 and 2007. “Carter can play either as a central defender or a central midfielder,” says Bennett. “She has very good technical skills and is able to read the game very well. We will look towards Carter to help us organize and dictate tactics, as well as bring us composure on the ball.”
   
Marika Viragh – A two-year captain and prolific scorer and playmaker at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio, Viragh was named first-team All-District and team MVP in each of her final two seasons. She helped lead her team to the district semifinals in 2007 and 2008, and finished her four-year prep career with 28 goals and 70 assists including 11 and 25, respectively, as a senior in '08. She also lettered times in basketball at Wellington. “Marika is our lone left-footed player in this class, which makes her very important,” Bennett says. “She can play centrally as a midfielder and control the game by playing quick and simple, but we believe she could also play as a left back and be creative from playing deep.”

Colorado College celebrates its silver anniversary as an NCAA Division I program in 2009 with a schedule featuring opponents from coast to coast and 12 games at home. It will be CC's fourth campaign as an affiliate member of Conference USA. The Tigers will play in three invitational tournaments, serving as hosts for two of them. Included among 19 regular-season matches overall are 11 league outings against C-USA foes. Five of those will be played at Stewart Field, with a sixth against archrival UTEP (Texas-El Paso) taking place under the lights at Washburn Field.
  
In 24 years of competition since attaining Division I status in 1985, CC has posted a 272-153-34 (.630) record. The Tigers have posted winning records in 30 of 34 seasons overall as a varsity program, compiling a 407-203-47 (.655) mark in 657 all-time contests since the mid-1970s.