Indiana women's soccer head coach Erwin van Bennekom announced Tuesday five new players will join the Cream and Crimson ahead of the 2023 fall season.
The additions are freshmen Paige Droner, Piper Coffield, Kennedy Neighbors, Parker Scheele and junior San Diego State University transfer Hope Paredes.
"We can't wait to welcome this group of student-athletes to campus," van Bennekom said. "We look forward to integrating them within our team."
Droner, a midfielder, was tabbed team captain, team MVP and Morris County MVP at Chatham High School in Chatham, New Jersey. Droner earned First Team All-Conference, All-County and All-State awards. Droner was also nominated to the US Coaches All-American team and competed in the High School All-American game.
Coffield is listed as a defender but is no stranger to scoring, as she recorded 46 goals and 38 assists in her career at Mars High School in Pennsylvania. Coffield was a finalist for the Moe Rosensteel Most Outstanding Player in 2022 and is a former All-Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League selection.
Neighbors had a memorable career at Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville, Indiana. Neighbors tallied 57 goals and 69 assists in her four-year career, capping it off with back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022, including an undefeated campaign in 2022. Neighbors is a three-time First Team All-Conference and First Team All-District selection.
Scheele, a goalie, accumulated 12 shutouts, 132 saves and a .921 save percentage while keeping her goals-against average under one in 2022 at Mary Institute Country Day School. The St. Louis, Missouri native helped win her school’s first state championship in 2022, achieving Class 2 Goalkeeper of the Year and Region 2 Player of the Year. Scheele is a four-time Elite Clubs National League National Playoff qualifier.
Paredes made 38 appearances with one assist in two seasons at San Diego State. Before college, Paredes graduated from Portola High School, winning the team’s Offensive Player of the Year in the one season she played.
Paredes moved on to play club soccer with the San Diego Surf, where she competed in the 2019 US Soccer Development Academy National Championship finals. The Irvine, California native was a member of the Manchester City U19 Gold Division championship team in 2017.
