The University of Notre Dame women's soccer program welcomed five members to the Class of 2025 as part of the Early Signing Period this past week
The signing class, which consists of athletes from four states (Arizona, California, New Jersey and Washington), includes three defenders and two midfielders. A number of the players have youth national team experience and have played in top competitions with their clubs teams
“We always try to recruit a very specific type of person into our program. Notre Dame is a unique school where one must be a very talented player, student, and the type of person who longs to grow in their service to others. This group of players fits all those criteria. They address some of our immediate concerns, and will continue to drive our program forward on and off the field.” - Head Coach Nate Norman
Notre Dame Class of 2025
- Midfielder Aly Akers (Bellevue, WA/Crossfire Premier ECNL)
- Defender Katie Coyle (Middletown, NJ/PDA)
- Midfielder Sophia Fisher (Scottsdale, AZ/San Diego Earthquakes/SC Del Sol)
- Defender Maddie Mooney (Seattle, WA/Crossfire Premier ECNL)
- Defender Kaylie Ronan (Carlsbad, CA/San Diego Surf SC)
ALY AKERS
Midfielder, Bellevue, WA (Crossfire Premier ECNL)
- Played club for Crossfire Premier ECNL and coach Justi Baumgardt
- 2020 ECNL National Selection Game (Houston)
- 2020 Northwest ECNL Conference Selection Program
- 2019 Surf Cup, Best of the Best Champions
- 2014-2018 U.S. Soccer Training Center Invitee
- 2016 ODP, WA State Team, Region IV Champions
- 2017 ODP National Camp Invitee
- 2017 ODP Interregional Camp Invitee
- 2x ODP Region IV Camp Invitee (2016-17)
- 2017 U.S. Soccer Northwest Combine
- 2020 Eastside Catholic High School, girl’s soccer Co-Captain
- 2020 All-Metro First Team selection
- Club teammates with fellow signee Maddie Mooney
- Daughter to Jessica and Mike Akers
- Has two brothers, Andrew and Cole
- Dad played soccer at the Central Florida
- Undecided on a major
QUOTABLES
"I’m choosing to attend Notre Dame because of the combination of outstanding academics, amazing athletics, tradition, and sense of community. There is nowhere else that is quite like being on the Notre Dame campus." - Aly on Notre Dame
“We believe Aly is one the best center mids in the country. She is very calm on the ball and never seems to be rushed. She is one of those midfielders that always seems to know when to speed the play up or to slow it down to control tempo. We believe she will fit perfectly in our system and allow us to play an even more expansive style.” - Norman on Aly
KATIE COYLE
Defender, Middletown, NJ (PDA)
- Played Club for PDA and coaches Mike O'Neill, Madison Tiernan, and Stan Lembryck
- Made the quarterfinals at the 2019 ECNL Nationals
- Captain at Middletown South
- 2020 All-State Team, All-Shore Conference Team and First Team All-Division selections
- 2019 North 2-Group 3 Sectional Champion and North 2-Group 3 Division Champions
- National Honors Student
- Daughter to Joe and Karen Coyle
- Has one brother, Patrick
- Mom player soccer at the University of Mary Washington
- Undecided on a major
QUOTABLES
"I chose Notre Dame because of its unparalleled combination of top notch athletics and academics. It is such a special place and I am so excited to be joining the Irish Family! The strong tradition and sense of community really made it feel like home the first time I set foot on campus." - Katie on Notre Dame
“Katie is an outside back who can really play anywhere in the back line. She is a versatile player who simply does everything well. She is very confident on the ball and connects well out of the back. She is a strong athlete that allows her to be a great defender. She also has great attacking instincts which gives her the confidence and ability to go forward and join the attack.” - Norman on Katie
SOPHIA FISHER
Midfielder, Scottsdale, AZ (San Diego Earthquakes/SC Del Sol)
- 2019 U17 Women's National Team (WNT)
- 2018, 2017 U15 Girls National Team (GNT)
- 2016 U14 Girls National Team (GNT)
- 2x Arizona Olympic Development Team (2016 & 2017)
- 2x Region IV ODP Interregional Team (2016 & 2017)
- 2019 U.S. Soccer Development Academy Best XI
- 2018 Girls Development Academy Playoff Best XI
- 2017 Region IV ODP All-Tournament Team
- Plays club for the San Jose Earthquakes and coach Andres Deza and the SC Del Sol and coach Les Armstrong
- Daughter to Joe and Melissa Fisher
- Has four siblings; Kylie, Cameron, Sami and Justin
- Mom played soccer and basketball at Santa Clara
- Kylie plays soccer at Northwestern
- Cameron plays soccer at North Carolina (UNC)
- Undecided on a major
QUOTABLES
“I chose Notre Dame because the minute I stepped on campus it felt like home. Notre Dame was always my goal and the top academics, amazing soccer program, and tradition made it a no brainer for me.” - Sophia on Notre Dame
“Sophia will actually be joining us in the spring which we are excited about. She is a creative and dynamic attacking player. She is comfortable playing centrally or in the wide areas. She can not only take players on 1-v-1 but she is a great passer and combines well with her teammates.” - Norman on Sophia
MADDIE MOONEY
Defender, Seattle, WA (Crossfire Premier ECNL)
- 2019-2020 US U-17 WNT Training Camps (Nov 2019 - Jan 2020)
- 2019 US U-17 WNT UEFA International Tournament - Prague, Czech Republic
- 2019 US Soccer's Top XI Team - Western Conference
- US Soccer Youth National Training Center participant (2014-2019)
- 2017 ODP Region IV Team
- 2016 ODP Region IV All Star Team Honors
- Two-time Washington State Champion (2015 & 2016)
- Plays club with Crossfire Premier ECNL and coach Justi Baumgardt
- Club teammate with fellow Irish signee Aly Akers
- Previously played club for Reign Academy (coaches Matt Dorman, Sam Laity, Jason Farrell) 2016-2020
- Daughter to Ken and Pam Mooney
- Has one sister, Morgan and one brother, Mac
- Undecided on a major
QUOTABLES
“I knew I wanted to come to Notre Dame because I value the commitment to both academics and athletics. I love the sense of togetherness and tradition the students and athletes share. I knew Notre Dame would challenge me to be my best self, on and off the field.” - Maddie on Notre Dame
“Maddie is a very talented center back. She combines being one of the best soccer playing center backs in the country with being a very athletic player. She has a great range of pass and can also drive forward into the midfield to help create overloads and unbalance the other team’s defensive shape. We are very excited about Maddie and believe she has a chance to instantly make an impact with our team.” - Norman on Maddie
KAYLIE RONAN
Defender, Carlsbad, CA (San Diego Surf SC)
- 2018 Cal South ODP Championship Finalist
- 2016-2018 Cal South ODP Player Pool
- US National Team Regional Pool
- Played club for San Diego Surf SC and coach Rob Baccera
- 2018 ECNL Championship Finalist
- 2017 ECNL Quarterfinalist
- Played basketball at Carlsbad HS, holds the school record for most career assists
- Academic Honors
- 2017-20 Honor Roll
- Student Athlete Top GPA Award
- Seal of Biliteracy for Spanish
- Global Citizenship Youth Leadership
- Daughter to Sean and Angela Ronan
- Has one brother, Cade
- Mom played soccer at Cal State Northridge
- Intends to major in psychology
QUOTABLES
“I chose Notre Dame because the way it makes me feel when I am there. I was touched by the service orientation that is demonstrated in the Notre Dame culture, as well as the welcoming community feel. The coaching staff is a perfect fit for me not only personally but for my preferred style of play. I am excited to be challenged to excel athletically, academically, and as a person.” - Kaylie on Notre Dame
“Kaylie is a very fast, athletic outside back. We love to use our outside backs in the attack and Kaylie will fit that roll perfectly. She has a tireless engine that allows her to cover a ton of space in transition attacking or defending moments. She is also a strong 1-v-1 defender who uses her speed and strength to lock down her side of the field.” - Norman on Kaylie