Staff report | @KyKernelSports

[email protected]

UK women’s soccer head coach Jon Lipsitz added 11 players to his roster Thursday as he announced his 2013 signing class.

“This signing class has generated a lot of excitement around our program,” Lipsitz said in a news release.

Last year the Cats had the best season in school history. A 14-7-1 (8-4-1 SEC) record included two wins over top-15 teams and culminated with the first NCAA Tournament win in program history.

The winning goal in that NCAA Tournament win over UT-Martin was scored by then-freshman forward Kelli Hubly, one of many first-year players who contributed to the Cats’ record-setting campaign.

“We did some special things last year, and a large part of that was because of our freshman class,” Lipsitz said.

“They set the bar for this incoming class and I am confident that these young women are ready to set a new standard here.”

The incoming freshman list includes two players from Kentucky in forward Destine Graves of Lexington and forward Morgan Riggs of Louisville.

Riggs becomes the second family member to join the Cats’ soccer family, with older brother Tyler who plays at forward for the men’s team.

Lipstiz has made a point of recruiting close to home. In addition to the two in-state signees, the incoming class features three players from Ohio.

Goalkeeper Ayanna Parker comes from the Buckeye State, along with midfielders Kaitlin Miller and Ashley Riddle.

“We put a lot of time and focus on recruiting and I think we have selected a lot of not only really solid soccer players, but also good community people and women we want to be around our program on a day-to-day basis; women who can help us become the team we want to be in the fall,” Lipsitz said.

Joining them as freshmen in the fall are defender Kaylee Hoehin from Centreville, Va., forwards Zoe Swift (Naperville, Ill.) and Jade Klump (Pacific, Mo.), and California-native forwards Karli Ladwig and Chloe Watson.

Midfielder Alex Cater, of Conway, Ark., enrolled as a student for the 2013 spring semester and will also lace up her cleats as a freshman once the season gets under way at the new-looking UK Soccer Complex in August.