National Signing Day (NSD) is known for the fervor it creates and the hullabaloo surrounding the top gridiron players who sign their national Letters of Intent (LOIs), but all was quiet in Wesley Chapel on Feb. 3 when it came to football.
“Futbol,” however, was another story.
At Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), four players from the Bulls’ successful girls soccer team — Striker Vanessa Jordan, midfielder Chloe Lipovetsky, defender Camille King and sweeper Hanna Erdman — signed college LOIs.
The four have been teammates all four seasons at WRH, and helped lead the Bulls to a 16-6-1 record this past season. WRH advanced to the Class 5A, District semifinals, where it was eliminated 2-0 by Wharton.
The quartet of soccer stars helped WRH compile a 68-18-4 record in four seasons, with two playoff appearances, including a District title in 2013.
Jordan signed with Division II Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL. The Panthers compete in the Sunshine State Conference, along with nearby Saint Leo University in San Antonio.
She scored nine goals this past season for the Bulls, after leading the team with 26 the previous season.
In four seasons at WRH, Jordan scored 58 goals and added 20 assists.
Lipovetsky will play her college soccer at Division II Lander University in Greenwood, SC. She was the Bulls’ team MVP this season, scoring 18 goals and assisting on 12 others, both team highs.
Lipovetsky scored 12 goals as a junior, but did not play her sophomore year. For her career, she scored 32 times, and added 23 assists.
King signed with the University of West Florida in Pensacola. She will join a team that went 15-5-1 last season and qualified for the NCAA Division II Regionals.
King was an offensive-minded defender for the Bulls last season, picking up 33 steals in the back but also scoring seven goals and picking up 11 assists. She scored 22 times in her WRH career.
Erdman is headed to Division III Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. Erdman was the Bulls top defensive player all four seasons at WRH, and was credited with 36 steals this past season, after notching 71 in 2014-15. In her four seasons, Erdman was credited with 168 steals.
WRH football coach Mark Kantor said he still expects to have some of his football players sign in the coming months. Wesley Chapel High did not hold a NSD ceremony this year.
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