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UC Irvine's Courtney "CoCo" Goodson - Transfer Success Story

Sometimes in the world of college soccer, things just don’t work out.

With the recruiting process prompting younger and younger players to make verbal commitments, it should hardly be a surprise that many players (and coaches) find out that they’ve made a big mistake a year or two into the college experience. With college soccer’s relaxed transfer rules, many players have found a new lease on life at a second (or even third) destination on their college soccer journey. In some cases, like CoCo Goodson’s above, those ex-pats have even gone on to be All-Americans at their new home.

With that in mind, here are some of 2011′s transfers to keep an eye on:

1. Hayley Brock – Maryland from Penn State, Kristin Schmidbauer – Maryland from UNC Greensboro

OK, it’s not like there was a seriously pressing need for forwards in College Park this season. After all, the Terps did return Jasmyne Spencer, Sade Ayinde, and Ashley Grove to the mix, all capable of hitting double digits in goals this season. The additions of Brock and Schmidbauer take this group to another level though. Brock was a former U.S. U17 World Cup team member in 2008 and had impressed off the bench for Penn State but was always going to find it tough with teammates Maya Hayes and Tani Costa stealing the spotlight. Schmidbauer had no problems in dominating the Southern Conference with UNC Greensboro and was left an easy out when Eddie Radwanski left for Clemson. The pair are probably here for depth more than anything else this year with the senior trio listed above likely to dominate the starting lineup. But they provide great depth and help make this one of the deepest forward corps in the country.

2. Kaila Cameli – Portland from Phoenix JC

JUCO transfers are always an uncertain proposition and are usually best left to mid-major teams looking for an instant infusion for short-term gain. Then again, Cameli’s not your usual JUCO player. An explosive goal machine who set single season scoring records at Phoenix College, Cameli could be just the ticket for a squad that had mystifying problems in front of goal at times. Considering she broke the records of Jessica MacDonald, a former national title winner at North Carolina and Chicago Red Stars draftee, there’s reason to get excited about the Pilots’ new scoring threat. If she’s truly over the injury bug that plagued her in high school, Cameli could be the key to the Pilots staying on top of the WCC in 2011.

3. Vanessa Ibewuike – Texas from Purdue, Taylor Knaack – Texas from Notre Dame

It’s not exactly a mystery to figure out what Texas’ squad was missing last year: goals. Especially after Leah Fortune’s decision to leave the team in the middle of the season. With the pressure to win and win now in Austin likely never higher, coach Chris Petrucelli has opted to bring in a pair of transfers who could make a big impact right off the bat. Ibewuike has to be chomping at the bit to get back on the pitch after being a Big Ten All-Freshman Team performer at Purdue in 2009. Ibewuike had three goals and five assists for the Boilermakers and should be a contender for instant minutes this year in Austin. Knaack is probably chomping at the bit to get back onto the pitch after a less than ideal end to her Notre Dame career in the middle of last season. Knaack has already proven she can score against any opponent and could be key to the Horns’ chances this season.

4. Morgan Kennedy – Oregon State from UNC Greensboro

What to get for the side that has just about everything? How about another big defender who was a standout and a workhorse at her last stop? That’s what the Beavers are getting in Kennedy, who led the Spartans in minutes played as a freshman last year on a side with a punishing defense. Obviously, there’s a step up in class from the SoCon to the Pac-12, but Kennedy’s hardly put a foot wrong so far and will be surrounded by some very talented defenders in Corvalis. Could Kennedy be the ingredient that puts the Beavers over the top and on the road to Kennesaw and the College Cup?

5. Natalia Ledezma – UC Irvine from UCLA, Mady Solow – UC Irvine from Florida

Scott Juniper looked like a genius last year after bringing over CoCo Goodson from Texas and seeing the big, mauling defender turn into an All-American and help lead the charge to a Big West title and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. Of all the transfers listed here, Ledezma may be the biggest catch come the end of the season. A U.S. youth international who played full-back at UCLA, Ledezma is versatile and talented enough to have been a starter for the Bruins last year and could fill any number of roles for the Anteaters this year. Solow is a Canadian U20 international who was one of many, many players to have fallen victim to the numbers game at Florida and will also have the potential to be a key contributor right off the bat for UCI.

6. Vanessa Legault-Cordisco – Marquette from Evansville

Another example of the rich getting richer. Legault-Cordisco was always a weird fit at a soccer program like Evansville, and the Canadian U18 international quickly showed she was destined for bigger things in a freshman season that saw her establish herself as one of the top players in the Missouri Valley Conference. Her six assists was good for second in the MVC, and the Canadian could have very easily turned into one of the league’s legends had she stayed with the Purple Aces. But a move to Marquette turned out to be in the cards, and though Legault-Cordisco is the only Canadian on the Golden Eagles, she’s certainly not the only talent. With plenty of strong and experienced campaigners, the pressure won’t be on the Canadian to lock down a starting spot on day one, but regardless, she might just find herself in the starting mix sooner than later this year.

7. Laura McCalla – Purdue from UAB

Sometimes there are just fits that make a lot of sense for both parties involved. Purdue’s once fearsome offense fell on hard times last year, and the entire team suffered badly as a result. McCalla has looked a class apart at UAB for the past three seasons, racking up twenty-two goals and eleven assists, including a blistering twelve goals and six assists last year. Purdue will only have the Fayetteville, GA native on the pitch for one year, but she could be an important cog in the offensive machine that the Boilermakers are trying to get back on track after last year’s disappointment.

8. Erin McNulty – Penn State from Florida State

It only feels like she’s been around forever. McNulty first emerged on the college soccer scene way back in 2007 in Tallahassee and quickly took control of the goalkeeping situation for the Noles, starting every match as a freshman as Florida State reached the College Cup final. Since then, it’s been a total roller coaster ride for the Canadian youth International who sat out 2008 to be a part of Canada’s U20 World Cup effort before regaining the starting job in 2009. But last season, McNulty was beaten out as FSU’s #1 by hotshot youngster Kelsey Wys and that McNulty’s Seminoles career was effectively over became just about the worst kept secret in college soccer circles. When it appeared that McNulty’s college career might have come to an end, she suddenly popped up on Penn State’s roster, enrolled as a graduate student in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions have dearly missed the presence of Alyssa Naeher in goal, and McNulty has every chance of claiming the starting job out of camp this year.

9. Stine Schoening – Washington from UNC Greensboro

Sometimes you can go home again. Schoening is another ex-pat from UNC Greensboro leaving for different waters after the 2010 season. Originally from Woodinville, Washington, Schoening certainly has family bloodlines with the Huskies with a brother who had played soccer at UW and a cousin currently on the UW golf team. For her part, Schoening’s a fine addition to a talented Washington side after coming from an all-conquering Spartan team in Greensboro. Schoening had four assists for UNCG last year and Huskies boss Lesle Gallimore will be hoping for a similar impact this year from her newest defender.

10. Chelsea Stewart – UCLA from Vanderbilt

Another player who has seemingly been around the college soccer world forever, Stewart comes to Westwood with a mind-boggling three years of eligibility remaining. A member of Canada’s doomed voyage at the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany, Stewart has missed two of the last three seasons thanks to international commitments, having signed for Vanderbilt before the 2008 season. The center midfielder was a fine player for the Dores in her one college season so far in 2009 but still largely remains a mystery at this level. She won’t be walking right into the first team either at UCLA. Stewart faces a fight for playing time in a team crowded with stars, but if she can make the grade, the Bruins may have picked up a key piece in their push for a national title.

11. Taylor Vancil – Florida State from Louisville

If Vancil moving to the Noles wasn’t the biggest transfer of the offseason, it surely was its most shocking. Vancil was far from a struggling fringe player with the Cardinals, instead being the cornerstone of a program that had been treading water after having expected to rise to bigger and better things with the highly touted goalkeeper in their ranks. It wasn’t like many were expecting Florida State to be suddenly in the market for a transfer keeper either having the young and mercurial Kelsey Wys as their #1. But Wys wasn’t entirely convincing at all times last year, and Vancil hopped down to Tallahassee sending shockwaves through the college soccer world and potentially crippling her old school. One thing’s for sure: Vancil didn’t make this move to sit on the bench, meaning that the Garnet and Gold could be home to a smoldering goalkeeping battle heading into the new season.

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