Apr 15 • Latest Commitments!
4 big-picture takeaways from the girls Class of 2026 college commitment list
April 13, 2026
Where is New England’s top soccer talent headed? Which programs are prioritizing local recruits?
As spring approaches, our database of the Class of 2026 lists 170 college commits, including 90 to Division 1 schools. A few more commits may sprinkle in between now and the summer, but the senior class is largely set in stone.
Our Best of New England series provided a closer look at the individual talent, but the takeaways extend beyond the players. At this point, we have enough data to examine the trends and themes shaping the girls’ Class of 2026 and draw conclusions from past and future classes.
Here are four big-picture takeaways from this recruiting cycle.
How many players are headed to Power Four schools?
The college soccer landscape has shifted immensely over the last few years. Currently, the “high major” conferences in women’s soccer, also known as the Power Four, are the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC.
The Class of 2026 has seven players headed to Power Four schools.
Natalie Chudowsky (Duke) and Nina Mathelus (California), the top two players in our Class of 2026 rankings, are bound for a pair of ACC powers. Both project to be high-impact players right away after earning national team experience in high school.
Wylie Roossien had another outstanding season for Phillips Andover. (Phillips Andover Athletics)
From the prep school ranks, Miss Porter’s defender Bella Salina (Kansas), BB&N forward Addy Kalaw (Boston College), Phillips Andover forward Wylie Roossien (North Carolina) and Westminster defender Maya Goddard (Virginia Tech) all ended up at Power Four schools after earning All-NEPSAC recognition last fall.
Roossien stands out, joining a UNC program that’s won 23 national championships, most recently in 2024. The Tar Heels have defender Caitlin Mara (BB&N/FC Stars) on the roster, so Roossien will add even more local flair to the powerhouse program.
Kambryl Armstrong, our No. 6 prospect, chose Miami, continuing a growing pipeline of New England talent to Miami. Caroline Hood (Needham) is entering her senior season with 27 career starts, Amanda Peck (Bishop Feehan/NEFC) appeared in 13 games as a freshman and former Pingree star Maggie Landers has become a key piece in the midfield after transferring from BC.
With seven Power Four commitments, the Class of 2026 actually trails the Class of 2025 (15) by eight Power Four commitments. This dip isn’t a cause for concern, though, because the Class of 2027 is already approaching Class of 2025 levels with 12 Power Four commits.
What about the Big East?
The Big East is considered one of the best non-Power Four conferences in the country. A lot of local players end up at Big East schools like UConn, Georgetown and Providence.
The Class of 2026 is no different.
Four players (Maeve Staunton, Anya Montano, Jasmine McNish, Marion Ayeh) will head to UConn, and three (Kenzie Ellis, Makenna Foley, and Jocy Koffi) are Providence-bound. Staunton, a playmaking midfielder from Northwest Catholic in West Hartford, Conn., is a great get for the Huskies after compiling 62 goals and 51 assists in her career. McNish is an intriguing prospect. She has immense upside but has battled injuries the past two years.
Nicole Proia celebrates Natick’s title win over Franklin. (Brian Kelly/NESJ)
Seton Hall also has three local commits in Natick, Mass., stars Nicole and Lydia Proia and Scorpions SC/Silver Lake (Kingston, Mass.) defender Caitlin Snow. Choate goalie Madi MacDonald is committed to Georgetown, bringing the Big East to 11 players from New England in the Class of 2026. That number is up from the seven Big East commits in the Class of 2025. The Class of 2027 already has six Big East commits, including three to UConn.
Which local schools recruited heavily from the region?
Sacred Heart leads the way with six New England commitments in the Class of 2026.
The Pioneers made the NCAA Tournament last fall with 12 regional players, and coach Matt Micros dipped back into that market again. Trumbull (Conn.) forward Alexandra Riehl is a name to watch. She was one of the best players in the CIAC and is an underrated signing for Sacred Heart.
Elsewhere, Trinity landed five local commitments, including Brooks defender Syd Cohen and Milton Academy midfielder Larissa Rubeiz. Several schools had four commits, such as UNH, Central Connecticut State, Fairfield, Hamilton, Middlebury, Saint Anselm and Stonehill.
The takeaway is that our local schools continue to recruit from their backyard.
I really like UNH’s class. Molly Tufts, our No. 13 player, emerged as one of the region’s top center backs, while Kayla Smyrnios (Pingree/NEFC) and Megan Jakubicka (Sandwich/Scorpions) are versatile attacking threats. All three players resided in the Top 50.
Stonehill also has an under-the-radar class, headlined by Central Catholic (Lawrence, Mass.) standout Lucy Irwin, who scored 64 goals in high school. The Skyhawks went 6-8-4 last fall in their fourth season as a Division 1 program and are using local talent to build the foundation.
Outside the region, Lafayette has four New England commits. Lewis Mills (Burlington, Conn.)/FSA forward Lily Castle was our highest-ranked player heading to the Leopards. But Northwest Catholic midfielder Allie Loveless, Danvers (Mass.) forward Addison McCarty and Newton (Mass.) North midfielder Eva Hautefeuille give coach Mick Statham, a Franklin Pierce graduate, a deep and talented class to build with in the Patriot League.
NESCAC power
The NESCAC has 24 commits from the region in the Class of 2026, the most of any conference across all three divisions. Two classes that stand out are Hamilton with Mansfield (Mass.) twins Aly and Maddie Fernandes, who tore up the MIAA last fall, and Bates with rangy defender Alexandra Clarke (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Dexter goalie Jess Marino.
Amherst also hit it big, signing FC Stars teammates Aubrielle Amaral and Kat Davis. Both players were in our Top 50 rankings and felt overlooked in the recruiting process. Amaral was an All-NEPSAC player at BB&N and brings leadership, reliability and playmaking to the midfield.
The Ivy League also nabbed nine Class of 2026 commitments, including our No. 5 player Hope McMillin (Yale), No. 12 Emma Loparco (Dartmouth) and No. 14 Anya Tansil (Brown).
The abundance of NESCAC and Ivy League commitments not only shows the depth of talent in the region but also that many of our best players are seeking the right mix of education and athletics at the next level. Those trends are already taking shape again in the Class of 2027, and should continue when the Class of 2028 recruiting window opens in June.
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4 big-picture takeaways from the girls Class of 2026 college commitment list
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