HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana women's soccer inked four to the 2020 recruiting class including Emma Jones, Olivia LaCava, Caroline Malmliden and Kathleen Myers, third-year SLU head soccer Coach Chris McBride announced this week.
 
Jones (5-foot-6-inches), a Dripping Springs, Texas native, was named first team All-District and All-State 5A as a defender. The Dripping Springs High School grad helped guide DSHS, under head coach Bailee Perrine, to a 21-5-3 record in 2019 and solidified a defense that allowed just 23 goals in 29 games including 18 shutouts
 
"Emma is a player who fits what we are about at," said McBride. "She is extremely hard-working with great character and will lead by example. Her distribution with the ball and aerial presence make her dangerous both on the attack and on defense."
                                                                                        
LaCava is a local product from Mandeville, Louisiana. The St. Scholastica Academy grad helped SSA win the last two Louisiana Division I state championships with her versatility as a forward and midfielder. LaCava also played with current SLU soccer standout Brogan Bernadas in the 2017-18 season on the way to the state title. As a junior, LaCava dished out seven assists helping SSA finish with a 22-0-3 record.
 
"We love having the best local players on our team," said McBride. "And I believe that Olivia is certainly one of the best. We've been fortunate to watch her progress over the years and she has had a huge jump from her junior to senior year. She has worked extremely hard and hopefully she keeps working hard in preparation for college."
 
Malmliden comes to SLU by way of Stockholm, Sweden. The goalkeeper started for Djursholms FC in senior Division 1, a third tier in Sweden. Before playing with Djursholms, the 5-foot-6-inch backstop spent time with Djurgårdens IF in the under 19 Allsvenskan, a top youth tier in Sweden.
 
"Carolina is a quality keeper," said McBride. "We've had a lot of success with our Swedish players in the past and Caroline comes very highly recommended.  Her understanding of the game and confidence in what she does will add great value to our goalkeeping spot and make it even more competitive."
 
Myers, a native of Oxford, Mississippi, could add some help to the Lady Lions' front line. The forward scored 16 goals and recorded 15 assists as a sophomore at Jackson Prep High School in Jackson, Mississippi. Last year, as a junior, she scored 10 goals for 6A Oxford High School and was named All-District 1-6A helping the Chargers to an 18-2-1 record. Myers also comes from an athletic family as her brother, Matthew, played baseball at Ole Miss from 2017-18.
 
"Kat (Kathleen) is someone who is extremely committed to her game," said McBride. "She travels hours just for practice and has put in countless hours to improve in preparation for college. Her growth and development over the last two years has been exceptional. I'm very excited about her joining our squad."
 
SCORE ONE MORE CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the women's soccer program are encouraged to join the Score One More Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners. All membership fees and donations to Score One More Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern soccer program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
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