PROVO, Utah – Three players have been added to the women's soccer team to start the winter semester. Two return missionaries and the program's first early enrollee will help add depth during the spring season as five players will have left on missions by the end of this semester.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Rachel Boaz returned from the Washington Everett mission in December and is a transfer from San Diego State. She played two seasons at San Diego State after redshirting her first year there. Boaz helped the Aztecs to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in 2012 and earned All-Pacific Region First Team honors in addition to being named to the Mountain West All-Tournament team. She is still the season and career leader in goals against average at San Diego State.
"This just feels right walking on campus," Boaz said. "It's a huge change, very different from SDSU. Different culture, different atmosphere, different weather, academics everything. It just feels right and I don't have any doubt it's now where I'm supposed to be."
Boaz played at Murrieta Valley High School in Murrieta, California and played her club soccer for the So Cal Blues. She also took part in a U.S. U-18 National Team training camp before starting her collegiate career.
Sophomore defender Courtnee Wood returned from the Philippines Laoug mission in December. She was a freshman in 2012 and played in four games that year totaling 24 minutes. She will be one of seven players from 2012 on next season's roster.
"There's not a lot of people left from 2012," Wood said. "It's actually a whole new team and I'm one of the oldest ones on the team. I went from being the very youngest to one of the oldest."
Wood played her high school soccer at Layton High School and was named to the All-State Second Team by the Deseret News.
Freshman goalkeeper Josie Manwill enrolled for winter semester after graduating early from high school. Manwill is the first player in program history to join the team in January right out of high school. She played keeper for Northridge High School in Layton over the past four seasons, recording more than 10 shutouts in her career and being named a Deseret News 5A Honorable Mention in 2013.
"I decided last January I would (graduate early)," Manwill said. "I'm glad to be here. It's exciting to actually be here and begin things. It feels really good to be learning, be playing and loving it."