Armstrong Adds Eight on National Signing Day
November 13, 2019 | Soccer
by Brian Ogden, Assistant Director/Communications
STARKVILLE – Four ranked prospects highlight the eight-member signing class that Mississippi State head soccer coach James Armstrong secured on Wednesday.
The class is made up of three defenders, four forwards and a goalkeeper from five states. Armstrong drew two state players of the year and one national player of year to Starkville, including two high school All-Americans.
"We are thrilled to add these players to our Mississippi State soccer family," Armstrong said. "This 2020 class ticks all of the boxes in terms of character and quality. All of them will complement our current group perfectly in every aspect and we cannot wait to welcome them on campus soon."
Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson is the highest rated prospect in the class. She is a three-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer.com and was the No. 29 player in Texas. Anderson is the fourth-ranked goalkeeper in the state and was named to the United Soccer Coaches' All-South Region Team. She was invited to the ECNL National Training Camp where she was selected to play with Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly against Manchester City.
Marcella Cash, a forward out of Ohio, was also invited to the ECNL National Training Camp. She too is a three-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer and was named the MaxPreps.com National Player of the Year in 2018. That same year her club team advanced to the ECNL Final Four where she earned All-American honors and was named to the Best XI Team.
Elle McCaslin was named a United Soccer Coaches' High School All-American and the Illinois Player of the Year as a junior. McCaslin placed second in Gatorade Player of the Year voting that season as well. She split her club soccer career between the Michigan Jaguars and Campton United. The Jaguars finished second at the state cup in three consecutive seasons and placed third at nationals in 2017.
KK Pavatt is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas where she scored 31 goals while recording 12 assists as a junior. That year saw her post seven multi-goal games, including six hat tricks. The forward was also named the Wendy's Arkansas Activities Association Player of the Year and was a two-time all-state selection with 56 career goals.
A two-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer, Chloe Iuliano set school records for single-season goals (43), single-game goals (8) and fastest goal from kickoff, scoring in 15 seconds. She won the Golden Boot award in Florida three times as a forward for her high school team, but played as a defender on the club circuit. She was named United Soccer Alliance's U16/17 Development Academy MVP in 2019.
Kendal Johnson is a three-star defender out of Florida, according to TopDrawerSoccer. Her club team won the Southeast Division championship and was a semifinalist at the ECNL National Championships in 2018-19. She also played with United Soccer Alliance and was part of the second-ranked defense in the nation last year. Johnson also boasts middle school state records in the 200m hurdles and led the nation in the event in 2016.
Taylor James played alongside Anderson at Challenge Soccer Club in Texas, making the ECNL National Playoffs three times. The forward was selected to the Texas ECNL Player Development Program Training Camp twice and named an ECNL Player to Watch for 2019-20.
Olivia Simpson rounds out the class. The defender out of Georgia was named to the Florida Olympic Development Program team in four straight years. Her club, Armada FC, won the Southeast Conference title in 2018. Simpson holds school records in both the 40-yard dash and the box jump.
Mississippi State is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history. A year after making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bulldogs reached the SEC Tournament for the first time in 15 years. Armstrong led State to program records in goals, assists and points in SEC play while posting the third-best winning percentage in conference play in school history.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
STARKVILLE – Four ranked prospects highlight the eight-member signing class that Mississippi State head soccer coach James Armstrong secured on Wednesday.
The class is made up of three defenders, four forwards and a goalkeeper from five states. Armstrong drew two state players of the year and one national player of year to Starkville, including two high school All-Americans.
"We are thrilled to add these players to our Mississippi State soccer family," Armstrong said. "This 2020 class ticks all of the boxes in terms of character and quality. All of them will complement our current group perfectly in every aspect and we cannot wait to welcome them on campus soon."
Goalkeeper Maddy Anderson is the highest rated prospect in the class. She is a three-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer.com and was the No. 29 player in Texas. Anderson is the fourth-ranked goalkeeper in the state and was named to the United Soccer Coaches' All-South Region Team. She was invited to the ECNL National Training Camp where she was selected to play with Paris Saint-Germain in a friendly against Manchester City.
Marcella Cash, a forward out of Ohio, was also invited to the ECNL National Training Camp. She too is a three-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer and was named the MaxPreps.com National Player of the Year in 2018. That same year her club team advanced to the ECNL Final Four where she earned All-American honors and was named to the Best XI Team.
Elle McCaslin was named a United Soccer Coaches' High School All-American and the Illinois Player of the Year as a junior. McCaslin placed second in Gatorade Player of the Year voting that season as well. She split her club soccer career between the Michigan Jaguars and Campton United. The Jaguars finished second at the state cup in three consecutive seasons and placed third at nationals in 2017.
KK Pavatt is the reigning Gatorade Player of the Year in Arkansas where she scored 31 goals while recording 12 assists as a junior. That year saw her post seven multi-goal games, including six hat tricks. The forward was also named the Wendy's Arkansas Activities Association Player of the Year and was a two-time all-state selection with 56 career goals.
A two-star prospect according to TopDrawerSoccer, Chloe Iuliano set school records for single-season goals (43), single-game goals (8) and fastest goal from kickoff, scoring in 15 seconds. She won the Golden Boot award in Florida three times as a forward for her high school team, but played as a defender on the club circuit. She was named United Soccer Alliance's U16/17 Development Academy MVP in 2019.
Kendal Johnson is a three-star defender out of Florida, according to TopDrawerSoccer. Her club team won the Southeast Division championship and was a semifinalist at the ECNL National Championships in 2018-19. She also played with United Soccer Alliance and was part of the second-ranked defense in the nation last year. Johnson also boasts middle school state records in the 200m hurdles and led the nation in the event in 2016.
Taylor James played alongside Anderson at Challenge Soccer Club in Texas, making the ECNL National Playoffs three times. The forward was selected to the Texas ECNL Player Development Program Training Camp twice and named an ECNL Player to Watch for 2019-20.
Olivia Simpson rounds out the class. The defender out of Georgia was named to the Florida Olympic Development Program team in four straight years. Her club, Armada FC, won the Southeast Conference title in 2018. Simpson holds school records in both the 40-yard dash and the box jump.
Mississippi State is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history. A year after making their first NCAA Tournament appearance, the Bulldogs reached the SEC Tournament for the first time in 15 years. Armstrong led State to program records in goals, assists and points in SEC play while posting the third-best winning percentage in conference play in school history.
For more information on the Bulldog soccer program, follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram by searching for "HailStateSOC."
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