SAN FRANCISCO – USF head women's soccer coach Jim Millinder announced the incoming class of seven student-athletes who have signed national letters of intent. The group is made up entirely of incoming freshmen, six of whom hail from California and one from Colorado.  
 
"I can't wait for all these kids to get in and compete during preseason, because that's when you really find out a lot about kids," Millinder said. "They're the best kids in their area and playing well at the club level, but coming in and playing against somebody who has the same pace they do, you throw them all together and see what sticks.
 
The seven newcomers will join a USF team in the fall expected to return four seniors, three juniors and seven sophomores.
 

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Cassidy Helenihi – Defender
Huntington Beach, Calif. | Edison High School | Irvine Strikers

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Helenihi was a first-team All-Sunset League pick and the league's most valuable offensive player after helping lead Edison High School to the Aliso Cup championship. She earned second-team all-league honors as a sophomore and honorable mention recognition her freshman season after her team won the Sunset League and were Division I CIF finalists. Helenihi is a three-time Sunset League Scholar Athlete of the Year and won the ABC Award for outstanding academic performance. She helped lead her club team, the Irvine Strikers, to a Surf Cup title in 2016.
 
Coach Millinder on Cassidy: "She's got all the pieces we're looking for: big, strong, tall, athletic, skillful, good pace. She could fill multiple roles for us as an outside back, center defender, or holding midfielder. She's got all the tools, but she's going to have to come in and prove herself, but I think she has a lot of promise."
 
 

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Sydney Cooper – Forward
San Clemente, Calif. | San Clemente High School | West Coast FC

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Cooper comes to USF by way of the prolific West Coast FC, Top Drawer Soccer's No. 1 team at the U16 level, with which Cooper helped lead to a U16 national title, scoring a goal in the match. She also helped her club claim back-to-back Southwest Conference championships and a Surf Cup championship in 2013. She tallied 10 goals and 12 assists during the ECNL U17 season, while adding another goal in the U17 national title game. Cooper has been ranked individually by Top Drawer Soccer since the U14 level and was named to the TDS Best XI in Los Angeles. Cooper was also a Calsouth Pro+ ODP selection. At San Clemente High, Cooper posted a hat trick against Long Beach Poly and boasts a 4.2 GPA. She is a member of the Superintendent and Principal's Honor Roll.   
 
Coach Millinder on Sydney: "The kid just amazes me because she just scores goals. We need somebody who can stick the ball in the net for us and we're hoping Sydney can come in and give us some goals, whether it's in a starting role or off the bench. I think she'll have to get caught up to the speed of play at the Division I level, too, but she's certainly a goal scorer who I think will have a bright career here."
 
 

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Mia Bonifazi - Forward
Highlands Ranch, Colo. | Mountain Vista High School | Real Colorado

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Bonifazi plays for one of Colorado's top prep programs at Mountain Vista High School. An All-State honorable mention selection in 2016, Bonifazi led her team in assists and has recorded 21 goals and 15 assists over her high school career, while earning the Academic All-State award in 2015 and 2016 with a 4.2 GPA. An aspiring physician, Bonifazi was nominated as a Colorado delegate at the Future Physician and Medical Scientists Congress, a highly selective national program. She is currently training with U19 ECNL Real Colorado, having had previous stints with the U18 ECNL National Team and with Olympico, where she led the team with 14 goals.
 
Coach Millinder on Mia: "Athletic. She's been at a couple ID camps and we really liked her. I think she's got a lot of potential. She has to come in and work extremely hard to develop all the aspects of her game that will give her a chance to compete and play at the Division I level. Great kid, hard worker, very likeable."
 
 

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Michelle Feinberg – Defender/Forward
San Jose, Calif. | Monte Vista High School | Pleasanton Rage

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Feinberg is a second-degree black belt in taekwondo and a four-year Scholar Athlete at Monte Vista High School who helped lead her team to the 2015 NCS title game and a 2016 NCS semifinal appearance with a game-winning goal in the quarterfinals. Feinberg won the 2014 Nike Mustang Stampede U15 Premier with MVLA Monsoon and the 2014 Rage Showcase, while being selected to the 2013 NorCal State Player Development Program and the 2014 Sonoma State Training Camp. Feinberg also earned a spot in the 2014 U.S. Training Center and the 2015 ECNL Player Development Program.      
 
Coach Millinder on Michelle: "She was at our ID Camp and the staff was really impressed with her more so than ever. I think she's getting her confidence. She can play multiple positions, she's very versatile and can play in the midfield, can play in the back, can play up front."  
 
 

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Emily Pye – Midfielder/Defender
Los Altos, Calif. | Los Altos High School | MVLA ECNL

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Pye is a four-year letterwinner at Los Altos High School, earning first-team All-Santa Clara Valley Athletic League honors each year of her career. A two-year captain, Pye was named the league's co-junior of the year. Off the pitch, Pye won the Outstanding Spanish IV Student Award. She is also the captain of her club, MVLA ECNL. 
 
Coach Millinder on Emily: "Big, strong, holding midfielder and central defender. She's very technical for her size. I think she has the ability to be a good Division I player with some more work to make herself effective, but she has all the tools to be very successful at this level."
 
 

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Kaelyn Del Rosario - Defender
Murrieta, Calif. | Murrieta Mesa High School | Arsenal FC

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Del Rosario is a four-year letterwinner at Murrieta Mesa High School, earning second-team all-league honors as a sophomore. She helped lead her team to a Southwestern League title and two appearances in the CIF playoffs. A team captain this year as a senior, Del Rosario has earned Scholar Athlete honors each year of her high school career while carrying a 3.75 GPA. A member of Arsenal FC ECNL since 2013, she was part of the Cal South Pro+ ODP Player Pool and helped lead her team to a third-place finish in the ECNL North American League playoffs in 2015.
 
Coach Millinder on Kaelyn: "Very athletic. She's going to have to work hard to continue to improve, but she should find a home as an outside back and has the ability to be a solid DI player."
 
 

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Ashley Humphrey – Forward/Midfield
Torrance, Calif. | Redondo Union High School | Fram SC

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Humphrey took home Bay League Offensive Player of the Year honors at Redondo Union High School in 2015-16 and earned a selection to the All-CIF team. She was named to the All-Tournament team at the South Torrance Holiday Classic while notching a hat trick against Mira Costa earlier this year. 
 
Coach Millinder on Ashley: "I think Ashley will provide a lot of good wide play for us. She's a good one-on-one player who has a knack for scoring goals. I think the key for her will be to get caught up to the speed of Division I play, but I think she has the chance to be a very good player."