Saint Louis head women’s soccer coach Katie Shields has announced the addition of eight student-athletes to the Billikens’ program. All eight players will have four years of eligibility beginning next fall.
“We are excited to welcome our 2019 recruiting class officially into the Billiken family,” Shields said. “These eight individuals will add to our talented returning roster on the field and enhance our championship culture off the field. This recruiting class will be instrumental in helping our program repeat as the Atlantic 10 Conference champion and return to the NCAA Tournament.”
The new Billikens are:
Brianna Arthur • F • Carmel, Ind. (Brebeuf Jesuit H.S. | Indiana Fire)
Sydney Beach • D • Troy, Ill. (Triad H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Emma Christanell • D • Webster Groves, Mo. (Nerinx Hall H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Jaime DeBerardinis • M/D • Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mullen H.S. | Colorado Rush)
Sophia Denison • D • West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West H.S. | Cleveland Development Academy)
Karsen Kohl • M • Wildwood, Mo. (St. Joseph’s Academy | Lou Fusz)
Abbie Miller • D • St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell North H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Anna Walsh • M • Fenton, Mo. (Rockwood Summit H.S. | St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Brianna Arthur • F • Carmel, Ind. (Brebeuf Jesuit H.S./Indiana Fire)
Four-year starter … helped lead Brebeuf Jesuit to the 2015 state championship as a freshman … team also was a MaxPreps national champion and 2016 state runner-up … first-team All-District as well as All-State as a junior and senior … three-time All-Conference, four-time All-Marion County, and Indiana Soccer Coaches Association second-team All-District her sophomore year … Academic All-State … selected to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Fall State Stars list … made the Lady Eagle Invitational All-Tournament team … earned an IndyStar Sports Girls Soccer Player of the Week nod … received the Chief’s Award, the highest honor given to an athlete at Brebeuf … All-America nominee … tallied 41 goals and 25 assists … member of the ODP Region II state team … her 2016 Indiana Fire ECNL team reached the national playoffs … led Carmel United to two state titles, scoring game-winning goals in 2012 and 2013 … earned Brebeuf Jesuit academic honors all four years.
Shields on Arthur: “Brianna joins us from a very talented Indiana Fire Development Academy Team. She is a dynamic, attack-minded player who can take on opponents 1v1 or through combination play, and she is a tenacious defender. Brianna’s work rate, intellect and coachability are first class. She will be an outstanding addition to our flank play.”
Sydney Beach • D • Troy, Ill. (Triad H.S./St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
A starter in her first three seasons … All-Sectional, first-team All-Conference and Defensive Most Valuable Player as a junior, helping lead Triad to a regional championship … made the All-Conference second team as a sophomore as Triad captured the Illinois Class 2A state championship and a second straight conference title … All-Conference honorable mention and the team’s Newcomer of the Year as a freshman … ECNL Player to Watch and PDP selection the past two years … National Honor Society member … high honor roll as a junior, honor roll as a freshman and sophomore … U.S. Market Training Center participant.
Shields on Beach: “Sydney is one of the best defenders to come out of the SLSG-IL club in recent years. She is a very athletic and hard-nosed defender who possesses a deep understanding of the game. Sydney’s work ethic, competitiveness and leadership will make her and those around her an asset on our backline.”
Emma Christanell • D • Webster Groves, Mo. (Nerinx Hall H.S./St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Will earn her fourth varsity letter in the spring … three-time All-Conference performer … was named Nerinx Hall’s 2017 Most Valuable Player … her St. Louis Scott Gallagher club team was one of 16 teams to qualify for the 2018 ECNL Champions League Finals after posting a 14-0-0 regional record and winning the Midwest Conference title … the 2017 team reached the ECNL Champions League playoffs after winning the Midwest Conference and going 13-0-3 in regional play … was part of the 2016 SLSG squad that was an ECNL North American Cup finalist … first honors student and National Honor Society member.
Shields on Christanell: “Emma is a local product coming to us from one of the top club teams in the country, St. Louis Scott Gallagher. She will continue the tradition of strong defenders from SLSG to join our program. Emma is a smart and physically imposing defender. She reads the game at a high level and can build the game out of the back. She will strengthen our backline, which has been among the best in the country the last two seasons.”
Jaime DeBerardinis • M/D • Highlands Ranch, Colo. (Mullen H.S./Colorado Rush)
Was a starter for Mullen High School as a freshman and sophomore … earned Centennial All-League honorable mention her sophomore season … member of the Colorado Rush U19 Development Academy the past two years … competed with the Colorado ODP team and the national Rush Select team in 2016 and 2017 … named to Coerver Center of Excellence – Elite Level from 2015 to 2017 … member of National Honor Society, National Social Studies Honor Society and National Latin Honor Society.
Shields on DeBerardinis: “Jaime comes to us from one of the top youth clubs in the country, the Colorado Rush Development Academy. She is a smart and technical player who will fit perfectly into our style of play. Jaime possesses a combination of technical sophistication and tactical understanding of the game at a high level. We are thrilled to add her to our program.”
Sophia Denison • D • West Chester, Ohio (Lakota West H.S./Cleveland Development Academy)
Team captain and four-year letter winner … made the 2018 All-State second team … first-team All-Conference in 2017 and 2018, second-team All-Conference in 2016 … first-team All-City in 2017 and 2018 … was Lakota West’s Most Valuable Player in 2018, Defensive MVP in 2017 and Offensive MVP in 2016 … helped lead the team to the 2018 district final … earned a Lakota West Athlete of the Week award … her club team was a USYS national semifinalist the past two years … four-time first-team All-Academic … National Honor Society member and high honor roll student who carries a 4.0 grade point average … member of the Lakota West Student-Athlete Advisory Board.
Shields on Denison: “Sophia is a dynamic wide-attacking player who has the ability to be a playmaker on the flank and physically dominant defender. She has a relentless work rate and athleticism that overwhelms opponents for 90 minutes.”
Karsen Kohl • M • Wildwood, Mo. (St. Joseph’s Academy/Lou Fusz)
Will be in the St. Joseph’s starting lineup for a fourth season this spring … first-team All-Conference as a sophomore … helped lead the team to the state semifinals her freshman and sophomore years … her Lou Fusz Elam club team won the State Cup in 2017 and 2018 … played in Missouri’s Olympic Development Program for five straight years … competed in club futsal nationals … enrolled in honors programs … Spanish National Honor Society president.
Shields on Kohl: “Karsen is a tremendously athletic player who has the ability to make an impact wherever she plays on the field. She is a defensive warrior with the technical ability to establish rhythm in possession. Her competitiveness and leadership qualities will make her a valuable addition to our program.”
Abbie Miller • D • St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell North H.S./St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
As a junior, was All-State, All-Region and the GAC South Player of the Year … All-State, All-Region and first-team All-Conference as a sophomore … second-team All-Conference as a freshman … played on St. Louis Scott Gallagher club teams that won two ECNL conference titles, going undefeated in conference play both seasons … her team has qualified for the ECNL Champions League three times … invited to PDP her freshman and sophomore years … served as a Francis Howell North mentor her junior year and was a student council member as a freshman and sophomore.
Shields on Miller: “Abbie possesses the rare combination of technical sophistication and tactical understanding of the game. She is an outstanding ball-winner in the midfield, and she can dictate the rhythm of the game with her ability in possession. Her mentality and competitive desire to win will continue to push our program to new heights.”
Anna Walsh • M • Fenton, Mo. (Rockwood Summit H.S./St. Louis Scott Gallagher)
Named first-team All-State, All-Region, All-Metro and first-team All-Conference in her junior season, helping Rockwood Summit capture the state championship … also was a Top Drawer Soccer Spring State Star as a junior … first-team All-Conference as a sophomore … was a second-team All-Conference pick as a freshman as Rockwood Summit finished second in the state … three-year recipient of the team’s 110 Percent Award … her St. Louis Scott Gallagher ECNL team won the 2018 Midwest Conference crown … four-year player in Missouri ODP … made the 2018 Southern Coast Cup Top XI.
Shields on Walsh: “Anna is a dynamic, attacking-minded player who has the ability to be both a playmaker and a goal scorer out of the midfield. She is a fierce competitor with the ability to strike the ball on set pieces and add another weapon to our relentlessness to our team attack.”
