University of Louisville head coach Karen Ferguson-Dayes announced the addition of eight standout student-athletes that will join the Cardinals next fall. The 2017 recruiting class is made up of seven players from the high school ranks and one transfer.
This year’s class boasts six offensive and two defensive players joining the Cardinals in the fall of 2017. On offense, the class is made up of four midfielders and two forwards. Defensively, the Cardinals added one to the back line and one goalkeeper.
Six players will join the team in the fall while Nadege L’Esperance and Kennadi Carbin joined the team in January.
The women’s soccer class of 2017:
TJ Anderson
Midfielder | 5-7 | Atlanta, Ga. | Wesleyan School
Club Team: Concorde Fire ECNL
Accomplishments
2016 Georgia AA Player of the Year; Named to the 2016 AA All-County Class; 2016 AA All-Region Class; 2016 NCSAA All-American; 2015 AA All-County Class; Named the 2015 Offensive Player of the Year at Wesleyan School; 2014 Impact Player; 2013 Outstanding Offense Award; Scored 19 goals with 11 assists in 2015; Led Wesleyan School to the AA Final Four in 2014; National Honor Society, Latin National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Science Honor Society member; Played club soccer for the Concorde Fire ECNL.
“You can find good soccer players everywhere, but a player who is a leader, a team player, talented, has an excellent attitude and is respectful towards her coaches, like TJ, is hard to find. All of these attributes make her so special and unique.” – Coach Vallejo, Wesleyan High School
“TJ comes from the very successful Concorde Fire ECNL environment, and we know she will be well prepared for the ACC. She is an exceptional athlete, has great size, strength, and endurance. She is tough in a tackle, dominant in the air, and has a very dangerous long throw. She will greatly benefit from our performance model as she already has a great athletic base. She will be a great addition to our talented midfield.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Lana Batson
Goalkeeper | 5-9 | San Diego, Calif. | Patrick Henry HS
Club Team: Albion SC San Diego ECNL
Accomplishments:
Led Patrick Henry High School to the 2015 CIF semi-finals; Played for the Albion SC San Diego ECNL; 2014 Players Showcase finalist; Led Albion SC San Diego ECNL to the 2014 Surf Cup semi-finals; 2015 Manchester City FC America’s Cup Champions; 2015 ECNL Playoffs.
“As a coach, you are lucky to work with a player that has a high work ethic and takes pride in their body of work. Lana is one of these players. If she could, she would be at the facility the moment it opened and would be the one locking it up at the end of the day. She has every attribute you can want in a collegiate or professional athlete and is a role model to any young player looking for an example of how you can reach your full potential.” – Martin Johnson, Albian SC Coach
“Lana has great size and presence as a goalkeeper. She is 5’9 and very strong. She comes from one of the top clubs in California, having played for the Albion SC San Diego ECNL program. She is dedicated to her goalkeeper training, speed, power, and strength training, which will all pay huge dividends for her as a goalkeeper at this level. She is smart, a great shot stopper and good with her feet. She will add size and talent to our goalkeeping trio.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Morgan Dewey
Defender | 5-7 | Johns Creek, Ga. | Blessed Trinity Catholic HS
Club Team: Concorde Fire ECNL
Accomplishments:
Led Blessed Trinity Catholic High School to a Georgia State runner-up finish in 2014, 2015 and 2016; Scored 10 goals with 18 assists in 2015; Scored three goals with three assists in 2016; Graduated Summa Cum Laude; Played for Concorde Fire ECNL from 2010-16; Scored two goals with four assists in 2015; US Soccer Training Center participant.
“Morgan also comes from the Concorde Fire ECNL program, and we expect her to be very prepared because of that environment and the level of players she trains with daily. She is a wide defender and naturally left footed, which is a rare asset to have. She is fast, strong in a tackle, and smart defensively. She also loves to attack out of the back, which is what we are looking for our wide defenders to do. She will be a great addition to our talented and disciplined back line.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Emina Ekic
Midfielder | 5-4
Hometown: Louisville, Ky.
High School: duPont Manual HS
Club Team: Javanon SC
Accomplishments:
Named Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016; NSCAA All-American in 2015; Named KHSGSCA Player of the Year in 2015; 2015 Kentucky Youth Soccer ODP Player of the Year; 2015 NSCAA High School State Player of the Year; Named first team All-State in 2015 and 2014; Named to the Regional All-Tournament Team in 2015, 2014 and 2013; First team All-Region in 2015, 2014 and 2015; 2016 and 2015 Courier Journal Kentuckian Sports Awards Female Athlete of the Year and Girls Soccer Player of the Year; Scored 23 goals with 16 assists in 2015; Named Academic All-State in 2015; Played for Javanon SC; Member of the U17 US Women’s National Team; Olympic Development Program Regional All-Star Team in 2014.
“Emina’s resume with the youth national team program speaks for itself. She is a talented player with a good combination of technical ability and athleticism. She is shifty and quick in tight spaces, and can also be dynamic running at the back of the defense from any forward or midfield position. Her ability to beat players one vs. one typically means extra defenders are sent to help, and when that happens she is more than capable of facilitating for teammates. Emina is a very likable young lady that has a good rapport with her teammates. She is a soccer junky, and comes from a family of soccer junkies that don’t just play the game, but live the game. That will serve her well at the next level.” – Christopher Tinius, Javanon SC
“Emina has been committed to us since she was a freshman at Manual High School, so we are thrilled that it is finally time for her to join our program! We have enjoyed watching Emina play for Javanon, Region I ODP, and the US Women’s National Youth Teams over her career. Emina is a very high level player having attended over 12 camps with our US Women’s National youth teams. Her experience gained at that level will prove invaluable as she makes the transition to college soccer in the ACC. Emina is extremely quick, crafty on the ball, and has tremendous vision. She is a deft final passer and will add a dimension to our team that will take us to the next level.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Morgan Everett
Forward | 5-8 | Kernersville, N.C. | East Forsyth HS
Club Team: NC Fusion ECNL
Accomplishments:
Named Conference Offensive MVP; Named first team All-Conference in 2015 and 2014; Named first team All-Region in 2015, 2014 and 2013; Scored 16 goals with 12 assists in 2015; Named Student of the Year for the 2013-14 school year; National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, Social Studies Honor Society, and Finance Academy member; Played for the NC Fusion ECNL; Participated in the regional Olympic Development Program camp in 2012, 2014 and 2015; Traveled to Spain and placed third in the Donasti Cup; Traveled to Sweden and played in the Gothia Cup; Traveled to Denmark and won the Dana Cup.
“Morgan is one of the most physically gifted athletes I’ve ever worked with. Package that with being excellent technically and clean on the ball explains why she is going to play in the toughest conference in the country. She loves the game, works hard, listens to instructions and wins. She not only excels on the soccer field, but in the classroom and in her family life. She is a top level player and a top level person.”
– Patrick Bridges, NC Fusion ECNL DOC
“Morgan is a prototypical ACC athlete, she is 5’10 and runs like a gazelle. She can play as a central or wide forward. Every time our staff watched her play she found a way to score goals, and that is a unique quality. We will look to Morgan to add depth to our front line and provide many more scoring opportunities for our team.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Taylor Kerwin
Midfielder/Forward | 5-7| Whitefish Bay, Wis. | Whitefish Bay HS
Club Team: FC Wisconsin Eclipse
Accomplishments:
Second team All-Conference 2014; Took sophomore and junior seasons off due to injury; Played for FC Wisconsin Eclipse; Competed in the ECNL Finals in 2015; Placed second in 2016 ECNL North American Bracket; Participated in three ECNL ID2 camps.
“Taylor plays in a wonderful club environment under Christian Lavers at FC Wisconsin, so we know she will be prepared for the rigors of the college game at the ACC level. She is an extremely versatile player who can play as either a defensive or attacking mid as well as a center forward. Taylor is very committed and focused on what she needs to do to prepare herself for college, and we are excited she understands the level of discipline that is required. Taylor has a wonderful demeanor about her and has natural leadership abilities. She will be a wonderful addition to our program” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Nadege L’Esperance
Midfielder | 5-3 | Candiac, Quebec, Canada |Lakeshore HS
Canadian National Team
Accomplishments:
Nominated for Most Valuable Player in the Quebec Soccer League in 2014 and 2015; Led Lakeshore to a first place league finish in 2013, 2014 and 2015; Finished fifth at the 2014 Canadian Championship; Received Honorable Mention in 2016; Named Ambassador of the athletic program at Lakeshore High School for excelling in sport and the classroom; Played for the Canadian National Team in the U17 World Cup.
“Nadege is a diverse player with the ability to influence the game from different areas on the pitch. She does this with a tremendous work ethic and the ability to recognize what to do in order to be successful in certain situations. Nadege is a player that leaves it all on the field and will do more than the necessary to ensure the success of her team.” – Dave Odorico, Lakeshore High School
“Nadege came to us this spring as an early enrollee out of Quebec, Canada. We are very impressed with her already from a fitness, strength, and soccer standpoint. Nadege is a very dedicated soccer player and comes to Louisville with very high level experience having played in a U17 World Cup with Canada. Nadege is a versatile player with the ability to play in the midfield and the back line. She is quick, and very good technically. Tactically she sees the game at a very high level. Her experience coupled with her attention to detail in her own training and preparation will help her make an immediate impact this Fall.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Kennadi Carbin
Forward | 5-11 | Louisville, Ky. | Mississippi State
Club Team: Javanon Soccer Club
Accomplishments:
(at Mississippi State) Started five and played in 18 games during her 2015 freshman season; Led the Bulldogs in goals with four, while adding one assist on the season; Her nine points ranked second on the team; Played in 15 matches as a sophomore; Tied for second on the team with five points; Finished her sophomore year with two goals and one assist.
Played six years with Cavalier FC in Nassau, Bahamas; Played three seasons with Javanon Soccer Club in Louisville; Three-time Kentucky Club State Champion; 2013 Kentucky Female Player of the Year; Played for the Bahamas’ U15, U16 and U17 national teams; The youngest player to earn a cap on the Bahamas’ youth national team; earned 19 caps in her career; appeared in her first international contest in 2008 with the U15 team.
Coach’s Comments
“Kennadi joins our program after having spent two seasons at Mississippi State playing in the highly competitive SEC. Kennadi grew up in Louisville and is very familiar with our program. Kennadi has great size and athleticism and will be a great asset to us as a wide forward. Her ability to play on the left side is a great advantage and gives us another option in the front line.” – Karen Ferguson-Dayes, University of Louisville Head Coach
Kimberli Pemberton
Assistant Sports Information Director
University of Louisville
