Nov. 17, 2014
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Missouri State field hockey team gained three commitments during the NCAA early signing period, head coach Gabby Gomez Sosa announced Monday, Nov. 17.
Serra High School teammates Kayla Jordan and Emily Tran, as well as Central Dauphin High School senior Renee Rhoads, have signed National Letters of Intent to continue their education and play field hockey for the Bears in Springfield going forward into the 2015 season.
"We're very excited to have these three young ladies as members of our squad," Gomez Sosa said. "They're bringing a lot of good energy and speed to our team. It's a solid class coming in and we expect great things. Hopefully they won't have too much time having to get adjusted and I think they will fit in great with our team."
Kayla Jordan | Forward | San Diego, Calif. | Serra HS
Jordan is a forward and teammate of Emily Tran on the Serra High School field hockey team. Led by head coach Laurie Berger, the Conquistadors are in the midst of postseason play and currently have a 23-1 record. A forward for the Conquistadors, Jordan leads the team with 67 points on 19 goals and 29 assists - with her assist total currently the highest among any players in California. The two-year starter and letterwinner has recorded two hat tricks and has eight multi-assist games this season. Prior to the start of her senior year, Jordan was named by the San Diego Union Tribune as a player to watch. She has earned the newspaper's Athlete of the Week honor once this season and was a member of the Serra 38th Annual All-Tournament team following her squad's championship finish. As a junior, Jordan was awarded first-team all-league honors on a team that finished 24-2. She also was selected to and competed this past summer in the 2014 U19 National Futures Championships hosted by USA Field Hockey. Jordan also played lacrosse for Serra as a sophomore and junior.
Gomez Sosa on Jordan
"Kayla can be on the forward line or even play in the midfield. She will help with our ability to close up a little bit of the gap we had in the midfield so we have a good transition there."
Renee Rhoads | Forward | Harrisburg, Pa. | Central Dauphin HS
Rhoads is a two-year starter and letterwinner for the Rams field hockey team out of Central Dauphin High School. The Harrisburg, Pa., native has played both the midfield and forward positions for Central Dauphin during her career. This fall, Rhoads earned Mid-Penn Commonwealth conference honorable mention honors as a part of the Rams' 10-7-2 season under head coach Janelle Berger. Rhoads has been involved in multiple sports at Central Dauphin. She's participated in track and field for three years as a Ram, running the 200-meter dash and competing in the pole vault, while also playing basketball and soccer early in her high school career.
Gomez Sosa on Rhoads
"Renee should make a big impact from the beginning. Her knowledge of the game should help her work really well with our returning forwards next season."
Emily Tran | Back | San Diego, Calif. | Serra HS
Tran is a defender and teammate of Kayla Jordan on the Serra High School field hockey team. The Conquistadors are in the midst of a 23-1 season and are currently in postseason play under head coach Laurie Berger. A captain on the Conquistadors' squad, Tran has currently registered 31 points on five goals and 21 assists as a senior. She earned MVP honors at the 38th Annual Serra Field Hockey Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament team this fall. She also has been recognized this season by the San Diego Union Tribune as Prep Athlete of the Month and been named to the Tribune's All-Academic team. Prior to the season, Tran was selected as a player to watch by the newspaper. As a junior, Tran was awarded first-team all-league honors on a team that finished 24-2. She also was selected to and competed this past summer in the 2014 U19 National Futures Championships hosted by USA Field Hockey. Tran has also competed in both soccer and lacrosse as a student at Serra.
Gomez Sosa on Tran
"She's a very solid player in the back. Throughout the years, our defense has really improved a lot. She's really going to help with solidifying our back line. We're very confident that she can take on a role in the back and help us remain on the right track." The Bears end the NCAA early signing period with the additions of Jordan, Rhoads and Tran. MSU will head into the 2015 season returning second team all-MAC selections Andrea Soler Codina and Charlie Redhead, among a roster that had 11 juniors play a season ago.
"It feels good," Gomez Sosa said of the addition of the three future MSU student-athletes. "We can kind of now focus a little bit more on our 2016 recruiting class. We're not exactly ahead of the ball, but we feel comfortable and are happy to have them with us."
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