Head Coach Paul Stumpf has signed seven new recruits to National Letters of Intent for the 2004 UCSB women’s soccer team.

Coming off a 2003 second-place finish in the Big West, the Gauchos secured three defenders, two forward-defender combos, one goalkeeper, and a central midfielder and will only lose one starter in forward Alma Martinez.

The recruits, all from California, start with goalkeeper Catherine Burson who will come to Santa Barbara from Poway High School in Poway. As a senior, Burson became the first Palomar League goalkeeper to not allow a goal during the entire league season, posting 16 shutouts.

On defense, Katie Dwyer, Jesse Steinberg and Kathleen Prieto will join the Gaucho staff. Dwyer hails from Santa Maria’s Righetti High School in Orcutt, where she was a two-time First Team All-Pac 5 League selection at the stopper and sweeper positions.

Out of Granada Hills High School in Northridge, Steinberg scored 10 career goals and 20 assists from the stopper and sweeper positions. In 2001, she became the first freshman to be selected First-Team All-Los Angeles City.

A defender and midfielder, Prieto will enter UCSB from Lancaster where she was named team MVP three times at Lancaster High School. Additionally, Prieto was a three-time first team All-Golden League pick having scored 43career goals.

Meghann Sadler will come to Santa Barbara from Sacramento as a forward-defender combo, having helped lead St. Francis High School to a San Joaquin Section championship. The four-year starter was an All-City selection.

Sally Domitrovich helped lead Modesto’s Fred C. Beyer High School to two Central California Conference championships and one CIF Section title. A forward-defender combo, Domitrovich was a First-Team All-Central California Conference selection as a sweeper.

The only midfielder to join the Gauchos, Nicole Remmenga was selected All-CIF and All-Ventura County twice out of Westlake High School in Thousand Oaks. Remmenga was three times selected as a first-time All-Marmonte League honoree and was named Marmonte League Defensive MVP her senior year.

With the addition of these recruits to an already full roster, Santa Barbara should be a major force in the Big West for the 2004 season.