With 10 seniors set to graduate this spring, the UCSB women’s soccer team is in a state of flux after their 2-6 last place finish in conference this season (7-11-2 overall).

Luckily, for UCSB, Head Coach Paul Stumpf and the rest of the staff have brought in a talented and deep recruiting class of 13 that should make a significant impact for the team next season.

“We graduated 10 players, so we knew we were going to have a minimum of 10,” Stumpf said. “But if players keep showing up on your doorstep expressing an interest, and you feel they might grow into something, you make a little bit of room.”

Headlining the recruiting class are a foursome of players from the Newport Beach Slammers club soccer team in forwards Mayra Almazan, Angelisa Cortez, and McKenzie Walsh, as well as midfielder Megan Romanowski.

Almazan, out of South Hills High in West Covina, CA, is a left footed player who was invited to play on the Costa Rican national team, but held out in hopes of making the U.S. national team. Cortez meanwhile hails from Edison High in Huntington Beach.

“The two that we went after the hardest play for the same club team and they are Almazan and Cortez,” Stumpf said. “I like getting natural lefties on the field so we can cross the ball from the left side of the field into the box.”

Romanowski is the youngest sister of current Gaucho soccer players in graduating senior Nicole and soon to be sophomore Danielle. Along with Walsh, UCSB hopes this foursome from Newport can come in right away and help the team improve on last year’s mark.

“I feel like we’re very competitive with [bigger conference teams],” Stumpf said. “We don’t always get the players we go after, but nobody does. In the end, if we get kids that really want to be here, we feel lucky. Luckily for us, UC Santa Barbara provides a great education, a very unique quality of life, and an athletics program that really has everything to offer a student athlete.”

A threesome of recruits who play for the Danville Mustangs club soccer team will also join the Gauchos in the fall. Goalkeeper Beth Ritter, and forwards Quinn McLaughlin and Meghan Fisher, while possibly not on the same level as the Newport Beach group, will also help to bring depth to a UCSB team that is losing nearly half of its roster to graduation.

“[Ritter] is short in stature for a goal keeper, but really athletic and really good with her feet,” Stumpf said. With 10 seniors set to graduate this spring, the UCSB women’s soccer team is in a state of flux after their 2-6 last place finish in conference this season (7-11-2 overall).

Luckily, for UCSB, Head Coach Paul Stumpf and the rest of the staff have brought in a talented and deep recruiting class of 13 that should make a significant impact for the team next season.

“We graduated 10 players, so we knew we were going to have a minimum of 10,” Stumpf said. “But if players keep showing up on your doorstep expressing an interest, and you feel they might grow into something, you make a little bit of room.”

Headlining the recruiting class are a foursome of players from the Newport Beach Slammers club soccer team in forwards Mayra Almazan, Angelisa Cortez, and McKenzie Walsh, as well as midfielder Megan Romanowski.

Almazan, out of South Hills High in West Covina, CA, is a left footed player who was invited to play on the Costa Rican national team, but held out in hopes of making the U.S. national team. Cortez meanwhile hails from Edison High in Huntington Beach.

“The two that we went after the hardest play for the same club team and they are Almazan and Cortez,” Stumpf said. “I like getting natural lefties on the field so we can cross the ball from the left side of the field into the box.”

Romanowski is the youngest sister of current Gaucho soccer players in graduating senior Nicole and soon to be sophomore Danielle. Along with Walsh, UCSB hopes this foursome from Newport can come in right away and help the team improve on last year’s mark.

“I feel like we’re very competitive with [bigger conference teams],” Stumpf said. “We don’t always get the players we go after, but nobody does. In the end, if we get kids that really want to be here, we feel lucky. Luckily for us, UC Santa Barbara provides a great education, a very unique quality of life, and an athletics program that really has everything to offer a student athlete.”

A threesome of recruits who play for the Danville Mustangs club soccer team will also join the Gauchos in the fall. Goalkeeper Beth Ritter, and forwards Quinn McLaughlin and Meghan Fisher, while possibly not on the same level as the Newport Beach group, will also help to bring depth to a UCSB team that is losing nearly half of its roster to graduation.

“[Ritter] is short in stature for a goal keeper, but really athletic and really good with her feet,” Stumpf said.