NAMPA, Idaho — With her team coming off its second-best campaign in the past eight years, Northwest Nazarene head women's soccer coach Mary Trigg now looks to push her Crusaders to their best season ever.

To help accomplish that goal, Trigg is pleased to announce the signing of six star recruits who will be freshmen this coming fall, along with the addition of two stellar junior-college transfers.

Joining NNU's team in the fall of 2016 as juniors will be forward Emily Wilkins from Tacoma Community College, who was named the Northwest Athletic Conference's West Region MVP, and defender Cassandra Clarke from Treasure Valley Community College, who is a two-time All-NWAC selection.

The Crusaders also add three local prep stars in Timberline High School forward Brooke Felzien and Timberline defender Corrinah Schaefer, and Mountain View midfielder Tennyson Young.

Trigg also is excited to introduce star Washington high-school players Isabelle Isgrig, a midfielder from Tahoma High School in Ravensdale, Wash., midfielder Maddy Midstokke from Capital High School in Olympia, Wash., and forward Sydney Kuehn from Cedarcrest High School in Duvall, Wash.
 
Here is a look at the newest members of the Crusader women's soccer team:
 
CASSANDRA CLARKE (TREASURE VALLEY CC & BLACKFOOT HS IN BLACKFOOT, IDAHO)

A two-time All-NWAC selection at defender and a two-year team captain with the Chukars, Clarke also was a star in the classroom, earning NWAC All-Academic Team honors last season and being named to the 2014 Dean's List.

In high school, Clarke led Blackfoot in scoring all four years and was a First-Team All-Conference and all-area pick as a junior and senior.

She played club soccer for the Velocity Futbol Club, and away from the soccer field she maintained a 3.5 GPA at Blackfoot HS and was active in her church youth group.

"Cassandra is a tremendous athlete who will make an immediate impact in our backline," Trigg said. "She is a fantastic one-v-one defender who is also composed and able to play out of the back.

"She is a great fit athletically, academically and spiritually."
 
BROOKE FELZIEN (TIMBERLINE HS IN BOISE, IDAHO)

A standout on the field and off, Felzien helped the Boise Nationals Soccer Club to two State Cup championships and to the US Youth Soccer National Championships as the Nationals were the first Idaho team to advance to the national championship.
 
The student body vice president at Timberline, Felzien also helped start the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at her school, where she maintains a 4.063 GPA.

A four-year starter on the field, she was voted Most Improved her sophomore year, was team captain as a senior and won the Spirit of the Wolf Award as a senior.

"I've been able to coach Brooke for three years in club soccer and have watched her grow as a player and a person," Trigg said. "She has the ability to beat people one-v-one up top and serve in a great cross.

"I am thrilled to have a high-character girl like Brooke join our NNU family and look forward to watching her grow even more in these next four years."


 
ISABELLA ISGRIG (TAHOMA HS IN RAVENSDALE, WASH.)

A starter at midfield for two years at Tahoma HS, Isgrig helped lead her team to the playoffs as a junior and senior, and a 24-9-4 overall record for those two seasons.

A team captain in high school, Isgrig also has been team captain of her Pacific Northwest Soccer Club team since 2010.

The midfielder was named a Washington Youth Soccer Challenge Cup Golazo Best XI Player in 2014, is a member of the National Honor Society, and maintains a 3.86 GPA in school.

"Izzy is a great institutional fit," Trigg said. "She's the type of hard working, coachable player we love. We are thrilled to have her join the NNU family."
 
SYDNEY KUEHN (CEDARCREST HS IN DUVALL, WASH.)

A forward who earned all-conference honors all four seasons at Cedarcrest, Kuehn also earned All-State honors as a senior.

Team captain and an All Western Washington Girls Performer of the Week as a senior, she led Cedarcrest to the district tournament all four years, and helped the Eastside FC club team win the 2012 State Cup.

Away from the field, Kuehn was named to the honor roll and earned the Academic Achievement award all four years at Cedarcrest where she maintains a 4.0 GPA, is a three-year member of the National Honor Society and a Link Crew Officer.

"We have gotten to know Sydney over the past year and half and each time we interact with her and watch her play we are more and more impressed," Trigg said. "She is mature, disciplined and hard working. She will be a great addition to our attack, adding a different dynamic with her size and ability to hold a ball.

"We're excited to see her grow here at NNU and have a fantastic collegiate career."
 


MADDY MIDSTOKKE (CAPITAL HS IN OLYMPIA, WASH.)

The midfielder was captain of her Capital High team as a junior and senior and scored 35 goals and assisted on 33 others during those two seasons, earning her First Team All-Narrows League Offensive Player honors both seasons.

A four-year player for Capital, she also was named First Team All-Area Forward by The Olympian newspaper as a senior, was named to the All-Area Second Team by the Tacoma Tribune newspaper, and named Second Team All-State at forward.
 
In club soccer, Midstokke was team captain the past two seasons for the Blackhills Football Club.

Away from the pitch, Midstokke was named an Academic All-American as she maintains a 3.717 GPA, is the Capital High senior class president, and has been a member of the National Honor Society for the past two years.

"Maddy has a great mind for the game and will be able to complement our style of play," Trigg said. "She is a composed midfielder who keeps possession well and is also dangerous in the attack. We expect her to make an immediate impact.

"She is a great overall fit for our university."
 
CORRINAH SCHAEFER (TIMBERLINE HS IN BOISE, IDAHO)

A defensive star for Timberline, Schaefer was named her team's Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, was team captain, and helped lead Timberline to a third-place finish at the 2013 Idaho State Tournament.

Playing for the FC Nova ECNL club team, Schaefer won the Idaho State Championship in 2015 and her team was fourth in the ECNL National Playoffs.

Away from the pitch, the defender maintains a 4.2 GPA, is a Rotary Scholar, and earned the Outstanding Individual Scholastic Award in 2013-15. She also is a leader of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Timberline and has been a two-year member of the National Honor Society.

"We are excited to add Corrinah to our backline," Trigg said. "She will immediately add depth and composure to our backline.

"We have been able to see her grow as a player over time and we are excited about the fantastic collegiate career she has ahead," NNU's coach added. "She is a perfect fit for NNU, both on and off the field."




 
EMILY WILKINS (TACOMA CC/OLYMPIC COLLEGE & SOUTH KITSAP HS IN PORT ORCHARD, WASH.)

A junior transfer from Tacoma CC who was named the NWAC's West Region MVP after her sophomore season, the forward from Port Orchard, Wash., was an all-star as a freshman who scored 23 goals at Olympic College — second-most in the NWAC.

In the classroom, Wilkins maintains a 3.5 GPA, and prior to college she was team captain at South Kitsap and helped lead her high school team to the playoffs three years in a row.

"Emily is a proven goal scorer and we're excited to add her athleticism to our attacking group," Trigg said. "She is a hard-working, energetic player who will add to our depth up top.

"We are excited to have her join the NNU family for what will hopefully be the best two years of her career."
 



TENNYSON YOUNG (MOUNTAIN VIEW HS IN MERIDIAN, IDAHO)

The Mountain View midfielder helped lead the Boise Nationals Soccer Club to two State Cup championships, to the Regional finals and the national tournament.
 
Away from the field, Young is a nominee for valedictorian and maintains a 4.1 GPA. She has won the Southern Idaho Conference Academic Award three years in a row and is a member of the National Honor Society.

"I have had the privilege of coaching Tennyson for almost three years now in club and she is not only a great person with an incredible work rate, both in the classroom and on the field, but she is also an intelligent soccer player," Trigg said. "She is composed in the center-mid and understands the game well.

"I am excited to watch her grow as a person and a student-athlete here at NNU."