Cal Poly Signs 6 Future Mustangs to National Letters of Intent
11/14/2020 12:43:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly women's soccer program added to its future this week, as the Mustangs announced the signings of six incoming recruits to National Letters of Intent.
"This group represents an outstanding incoming class. They are all currently playing in top club programs and will help us in all areas of the field," Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier said. "We are looking forward to helping them reach their potential."
Each of the six student-athletes welcomed to the program are detailed below:
Emma Brown • Clovis, CA
Clovis North HS / Central California Soccer Alliance
Def. • 5' 6"
Brown, the 2019 and 2020 Tri-River Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, helped lead the Broncos to a 22-2-2 showing last season, winning their second consecutive league title in 9-1-0 fashion.
Clovis North also won the 2020 Division 1 Central Section crown, en route to the quarterfinals of the NorCal State Tournament. The squad also claimed the TRAC championship her sophomore season, culminating a 22-4-3 run.
As a team captain this year, Brown is also Clovis North's valedictorian and belongs to the California Scholarship Federation while participating in the school's Athletic Leadership Council.
She'll major in Kinesiology at Cal Poly, with a concentration in exercise science.
Samara Golan • Costa Mesa, CA
Newport Harbor HS / Slammers FC
Def. • 5' 5"
After starting for the Slammers' Southwest ECNL championship squad out of Huntington Beach, Golan was selected as a back-to-back Winter High School State Star by TopDrawerSoccer in both 2019 & 2020.
She helped lead the Sailors to a 16-7-4 overall mark a year ago, advancing to the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs out of the Sunset Wave League. As a team captain for NHHS, Golan not only earned all-division along with All-Orange County accolades, but was also chosen as Defensive MVP two times in a row.
Her squad also won the league title her sophomore year, compiling a 5-0-1 run and finishing 18-3-6 altogether on the way to the quarterfinals.
Golan, an honors student also participating in Youth Government along with the BlazeItForward Club (as president) and Link Crew, plans to major in Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly.
Mackenzie Samuel • San Diego, CA
Valhalla HS / San Diego Surf SC
GK • 5' 9"
With her club out of Del Mar, Samuel helped the Surf go 20-0-0 in 2019-20, conceding only two goals while she was at keeper.
She also helped lead the Surf to second place nationally in 2018 at the ECNL level after a Surf Cup championship. Prior to becoming a team captain for 2017-20, Samuel also helped the club finish as National Cup champions in 2016.
In El Cajon, Samuel is a California Scholarship Federation student set to graduate in the top 10 percent of her class, while also participating in SRITES (mother-daughter volunteering association) and FAV (female athlete volunteers) while coaching youth soccer.
Samuel will major in Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly, concentrating in the aeronautical field.
Emma Schafer • Granite Bay, CA
Granite Bay HS / Placer United SC
Mid. / Fwd. • 5' 2"
During her club career, in addition to starring for Placer, Schafer also played for the Davis Legacy, scoring eight goals in 11 games in 2019.
She also played in the Surf Cup finals in 2017, a year which also included an NPL championship and Vegas Players Showcase title. Prior to that, Schafer played at the 2016 ODP Region IV Championships, making the all-tournament Top 18.
Meanwhile, Schafer also competes in track & field for the Grizzlies.
Additionally, Schafer is an Academic Merit Award Gold Plus recipient, as well as an AP Scholar Award student, while participating in Top Soccer, Link Crew and Dos Lenguas Una Voz. She plans to major in Materials Engineering at Cal Poly, along with pursuing a minor in industrial technology.
Maille Smith • Pleasanton, CA
Amador Valley HS / Pleasanton Rage SC
Fwd. • 5' 8"
Smith has played for the Dons' varsity squad since her freshman year, and helped AVHS advance to the semifinals of the Division 1 North Coast Section Tournament in 2019-20. Amador Valley went 15-3-1 last year, including 9-2-1 in the East Bay Athletic League.
In club season, Smith also captained the Rage to first place in the Northwest ECNL League in 2018 and 2020, including a nationals appearance.
She also plays lacrosse for the Dons. Smith, an eight-time NCS Athletic Scholar honoree between both her sports, is also a RAGE Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.
Meanwhile, she also served as a Girls Soccer Worldwide Ambassador and traveled to Paraguay with the organization AV Link Crew, while participating in the AAMP mentor program. Smith will major in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly, concentrating in the anatomy & physiology discipline, while minoring in psychology.
Audrey Talmi • Granite Bay, CA
Granite Bay HS / Placer United SC
Def. • 5' 4"
Talmi helped lead the Grizzlies to the Sierra Foothill League championship, headed toward the Sac-Joaquin Section finals and the round of eight in the NorCal Regional Tournament.
She has also excelled in club season, scoring six goals and ranking among the squad's assists leaders since joining Placer (for whom she has started four consecutive years). Twice she has played on the team's Academy League roster.
Additionally, Talmi is also a California Scholarship Federation Lifetime Achievement student and a Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, who participated in the Sacramento Blankets for Kids and Project Linus programs. She also volunteered for Top Soccer, a community-based training and team placement program for athletes with disabilities.
Her older sister Emily is also a defender for the Mustangs. Talmi will major in Graphic Communications at Cal Poly, while minoring in psychology and business.
"This group represents an outstanding incoming class. They are all currently playing in top club programs and will help us in all areas of the field," Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier said. "We are looking forward to helping them reach their potential."
Each of the six student-athletes welcomed to the program are detailed below:
Emma Brown • Clovis, CAClovis North HS / Central California Soccer Alliance
Def. • 5' 6"
Brown, the 2019 and 2020 Tri-River Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, helped lead the Broncos to a 22-2-2 showing last season, winning their second consecutive league title in 9-1-0 fashion.
Clovis North also won the 2020 Division 1 Central Section crown, en route to the quarterfinals of the NorCal State Tournament. The squad also claimed the TRAC championship her sophomore season, culminating a 22-4-3 run.
As a team captain this year, Brown is also Clovis North's valedictorian and belongs to the California Scholarship Federation while participating in the school's Athletic Leadership Council.
She'll major in Kinesiology at Cal Poly, with a concentration in exercise science.
Samara Golan • Costa Mesa, CANewport Harbor HS / Slammers FC
Def. • 5' 5"
After starting for the Slammers' Southwest ECNL championship squad out of Huntington Beach, Golan was selected as a back-to-back Winter High School State Star by TopDrawerSoccer in both 2019 & 2020.
She helped lead the Sailors to a 16-7-4 overall mark a year ago, advancing to the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs out of the Sunset Wave League. As a team captain for NHHS, Golan not only earned all-division along with All-Orange County accolades, but was also chosen as Defensive MVP two times in a row.
Her squad also won the league title her sophomore year, compiling a 5-0-1 run and finishing 18-3-6 altogether on the way to the quarterfinals.
Golan, an honors student also participating in Youth Government along with the BlazeItForward Club (as president) and Link Crew, plans to major in Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly.
Mackenzie Samuel • San Diego, CAValhalla HS / San Diego Surf SC
GK • 5' 9"
With her club out of Del Mar, Samuel helped the Surf go 20-0-0 in 2019-20, conceding only two goals while she was at keeper.
She also helped lead the Surf to second place nationally in 2018 at the ECNL level after a Surf Cup championship. Prior to becoming a team captain for 2017-20, Samuel also helped the club finish as National Cup champions in 2016.
In El Cajon, Samuel is a California Scholarship Federation student set to graduate in the top 10 percent of her class, while also participating in SRITES (mother-daughter volunteering association) and FAV (female athlete volunteers) while coaching youth soccer.
Samuel will major in Aerospace Engineering at Cal Poly, concentrating in the aeronautical field.
Emma Schafer • Granite Bay, CAGranite Bay HS / Placer United SC
Mid. / Fwd. • 5' 2"
During her club career, in addition to starring for Placer, Schafer also played for the Davis Legacy, scoring eight goals in 11 games in 2019.
She also played in the Surf Cup finals in 2017, a year which also included an NPL championship and Vegas Players Showcase title. Prior to that, Schafer played at the 2016 ODP Region IV Championships, making the all-tournament Top 18.
Meanwhile, Schafer also competes in track & field for the Grizzlies.
Additionally, Schafer is an Academic Merit Award Gold Plus recipient, as well as an AP Scholar Award student, while participating in Top Soccer, Link Crew and Dos Lenguas Una Voz. She plans to major in Materials Engineering at Cal Poly, along with pursuing a minor in industrial technology.
Maille Smith • Pleasanton, CAAmador Valley HS / Pleasanton Rage SC
Fwd. • 5' 8"
Smith has played for the Dons' varsity squad since her freshman year, and helped AVHS advance to the semifinals of the Division 1 North Coast Section Tournament in 2019-20. Amador Valley went 15-3-1 last year, including 9-2-1 in the East Bay Athletic League.
In club season, Smith also captained the Rage to first place in the Northwest ECNL League in 2018 and 2020, including a nationals appearance.
She also plays lacrosse for the Dons. Smith, an eight-time NCS Athletic Scholar honoree between both her sports, is also a RAGE Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.
Meanwhile, she also served as a Girls Soccer Worldwide Ambassador and traveled to Paraguay with the organization AV Link Crew, while participating in the AAMP mentor program. Smith will major in Biological Sciences at Cal Poly, concentrating in the anatomy & physiology discipline, while minoring in psychology.
Audrey Talmi • Granite Bay, CAGranite Bay HS / Placer United SC
Def. • 5' 4"
Talmi helped lead the Grizzlies to the Sierra Foothill League championship, headed toward the Sac-Joaquin Section finals and the round of eight in the NorCal Regional Tournament.
She has also excelled in club season, scoring six goals and ranking among the squad's assists leaders since joining Placer (for whom she has started four consecutive years). Twice she has played on the team's Academy League roster.
Additionally, Talmi is also a California Scholarship Federation Lifetime Achievement student and a Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, who participated in the Sacramento Blankets for Kids and Project Linus programs. She also volunteered for Top Soccer, a community-based training and team placement program for athletes with disabilities.
Her older sister Emily is also a defender for the Mustangs. Talmi will major in Graphic Communications at Cal Poly, while minoring in psychology and business.
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
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