LSU’s soccer program, which is headed for the first round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday, enjoyed another exciting moment Thursday with announcement of the signing of seven new players.
“Really excited for this 2022 class to join us,” LSU soccer head coach Sian Hudson said. “My staff has worked tirelessly and done a fantastic job during a tough recruiting period to bring in a class that we see taking our program to the next level.
“It is a class with great diversity in terms of their talents on the field, and a group with tremendous character and personalities off of it. Together they will be a force for the Tigers for years to come.”
The seven signees are Jocelyn Ollivierre (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Bailey Herfurth (Northport, N.Y.), Laney Gonzales (Magnolia, Texas), Kelsey Major (New Orleans), Raelyn Prince (Titusville, Fla.), and Sage Glover (Atlanta, Ga.).
Here are some thumbnail sketches on the new signees with quotes from LSU’s recruiting coordinator, Seb Furness:.
Jocelyn Ollivierre – Colorado Springs, Colo. – Defender – Pride SC
Played club soccer for Pride SC ECNL … ECNL Texas Conference Selection Program Member … U.S. Soccer YNT Regional Identification Center Participant ….Played varsity soccer for Air Academy High School … Captain of Air Academy varsity squad from 2019 to present day … All-League First Team in 2019 and 2021 … Defensive MVP for Air Academy in 2020 … MVP for Air Academy in 2021.
“Jocelyn will be a great addition to our backline. She has a lot of the traits we are looking for in a defender. She is a tough defender, who uses her body well and is difficult to beat 1v1. Those defensive qualities matched with her ability in possession, her composure and decision-making qualities are what we believe makes her a great fit for our program.” – Furness
Bailey Herfurth – Northport, N.Y. – Goalkeeper – IMG Academy
Starred in goal for IMG Academy the past three years … 2021 Southeast GA Champion … three-year member of the ODP Region I squad … named to the Red Bull Select team … 2017 ECNL Northeast Champion and National Finalist … started playing varsity soccer in eighth grade for Northport High School … named to the Suffolk County all-freshman team … led Northport to two Suffolk County championships … two-sport athlete and was a 2019 state champion in New York in lacrosse.
“Our goalkeeping union is getting a really strong addition in Bailey. She is coming from an incredibly strong environment at IMG and has a good understanding of what it takes to be a top-level player. She is athletic, technically sound and someone who puts a lot of time into her craft. She has the tools to be a competitive goalkeeper on our team and in our conference.” – Furness
Laney Gonzales – Magnolia, Texas – Defender/Wingback – Houston Dash 04 GA
Played club soccer on the Houston Dash DA/GA team since 2017 … invited to US Soccer U-18 virtual meeting … played varsity soccer for Magnolia High school from 2020-2022 … named 2020-2021 First Team All-State … 2020-21 District MVP, First Team All-District, Team MVP and Academic All-District.
“One of our objectives when our staff arrived on campus was to find a left footed left back. Laney fits the bill. She is a technically gifted player who has the ability to attack on the dribble and impact in the final third with her crossing and finishing capability. She will be an exciting player for our fans in Baton Rouge to see flying down the wing and we are looking forward to having her join our team next fall.” – Furness
Kelsey Major – New Orleans – Midfielder – Lonestar SC/Louisiana Fire
Named the 2020-21 Louisiana Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year after scoring 26 goals and registering 19 assists as she led St. Mary’s Dominican to the DI state final with a record of 22-1-1 … named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches High School All-American team … 2020-21 LHSAA Division I Offensive Player of the Year … named to the All-Metro and All-State soccer teams from 2018-21 … served as soccer captain at St. Mary’s Dominican since 2019 … helped Louisiana Fire club squad to five state titles (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020) … captain of the Louisiana Fire club team since 2015 … 2019 ODP National Training Camp invitee … named to the ODP South Region player pool from 2018-21 … member of the ODP South Inter-Regional squad team in 2018 and 2021 … two-sport star in high school … became first high school athlete in Louisiana history to win two Gatorade Athlete of the Year awards in the same year as she was named the top athlete in Louisiana in both soccer and cross country during the 2020-21 athletic season … 2020 LHSAA 5A state champion in cross country … 2020 All Metro Runner of the Year in cross country … three-year member of St. Mary’s Dominican Student Leadership Council.
“Since the day our staff arrived on campus, we had heard the buzz about Kelsey and her reputation within the state. We believe she is the top Louisiana recruit in the 2022 class and we could not be happier that she chose to stay in her home state to be a part of our team. She is a dynamic and versatile player who brings mobility and energy to the team and she has the potential to play in two or three positions. We are looking forward to seeing her impact on the program in the coming seasons.” – Furness
Raelyn Prince – Titusville, Fla. – Midfielder – Florida Krush ECNL
Member of Florida Kraze Krush ECNL for the past four seasons … 2021 US Youth National Team Regional ID roster member in Florida … 2021 WPSL Sunshine All Conference Team … 2020 ECNL Florida National Selection Team … 2019 & 2021 ECNL Southeast All Conference Team … 2019 and 2020 ECNL Conference Select Program … 2017 & 2019 ECNL Florida Kraze Kush Player to Watch … team captain for Florida Kraze Kush dating back to 2017 … named to the Region III ODP Florida state team pool in 2016 and 2017 … played varsity soccer for Titusville High School as a freshman and sophomore … 2019 and 2020 All Cape Coast Conference Team … 2019 Offensive Player of the Year for Titusville HS … member of the National Honor Society.
“Rae is a midfielder with tremendous passing range and goal scoring ability. With the quality of her final ball and striking ability from distance, she will add goals and assists for years to come and we are thrilled she is bringing her talents to Baton Rouge and joining our program.” – Furness
Danielle Shannon – Houston, Texas – Midfielder – Houston Dash Academy
Member of the Houston Dash Girls Academy since 2017 under Coach Omar Morales … consistently ranked in 2022 IMG Top 150 players and achieved highest ranking of 34 in the nation … ranked as the No. 15 midfielder in the country/No. 2 in Texas region … Selected to U18/U19 WNT Virtual Camp … selected to the Girls Academy Showcase Best XI … served as team captain for the Houston Dash U18/U19 club team … earned several invitations to train with the Houston Dash NWSL team … attended U14 GNT camp … played one year for Coach Brittany McCloskey at Atascocita High School and led the team to their first ever district title.
“Dani is a box to box midfielder, an absolute driving force and presence in the middle of the park. Her courage to want the ball in tight spaces, matched with her tenacious approach to how she presses and defends is what has set her apart in the recruiting process. She will be a great addition to our team and we are excited she will be joining the Tigers.” – Furness
Sage Glover – Atlanta, Ga. – Forward – Concorde Fire
Has played club soccer for a number of competitive programs such as Cleveland Soccer Academy, Louisiana Fire, PDA Sting, PDA South ECNL, and Concorde Fire Platinum ECNL … served as the team captain for the PDA ECNL regional squad in 2017 and 2018 … led her high school, North Atlanta High School, in assists during the 2019 season and earned the Distributive Award for the season … led North Atlanta to to the 2018 Cape Atlantic League title … named to the 2019 Cap Atlantic League First Team … member of the national Honor Society … has been playing competitive soccer since the age of seven.
“Sage made a strong impression on our staff during the recruiting process with her technical ability, her tactical understanding and her enthusiasm for the game. She is a versatile player who can operate anywhere across the attacking third and impact the game with her ability to create chances for herself and others. We look forward to welcoming Sage and her family to LSU.” – Furness
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