Northwestern College head women's soccer coach Ben Karnish has announced the addition of his first three recruits for the 2018 season. Karnish also signed his first recruit for the fall of 2019 season.

Audrey Leyen (Reinbeck, Iowa) is a 5'7" midfielder and forward who has played three years for Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School heading into her senior season. Leyen accounted for 23 points during her junior season, second most on the team, with seven goals and nine assists and helped lead her team to the regional finals. Leyen plans to major in Nursing at Northwestern and is the daughter of Kevin and Carla.

"Audrey is someone who can make any team culture better due to her work ethic and her kind personality," commented Karnish. "She will be someone that people latch on to the moment she comes to campus."

Jaedyn Mauck (Council Bluffs, Iowa) is a 5'1" forward and midfielder who has played two years for Lewis Central High School heading into her final season this spring. Mauck netted five goals and totaled one assist in leading her team to the class 2A state championship with a 19-3 overall record. She has played club soccer for seven years and is a member of the Gretna Prima White 99 team. Mauck plans to major in biology at Northwestern and is the daughter of John and Bridget.

"We are really excited for Jaedyn to be at Northwestern College," said Karnish. "She is a wonderful young lady who has a lot to bring to our program on and off the field. It will be fun to see Jaedyn grow as a player and as a person during the next four years."

Anna Boyles (Lawrenceburg, Ky.) is a 5'1" goalkeeper who played four years for Anderson County High School. Boyles posted four shutouts and a 1.6 goals against average in leading her team to a 15-7-1 record and trip to the regional semifinals. She was a member of three district championship teams and also played on a club team that won the President's Cup State Championship. Boyles was named to the I65 Corridor All-Tournament team and was four-time academic all-state selection. A member of the National Honor Society, Boyles plans to major in music therapy at Northwestern. She is the daughter of Jeff and Cherry.

"Anna is a fun goalkeeper to watch," stated Karnish. "She is fearless and is someone that instantly gains the trust and confidence of her teammates due to her ability to do anything necessary to make a save. Anna will be a player that is exciting to watch and work with over the next four years."

Madeline Avery (Rapid City, S.D.) is a 5'6" forward who just completed her junior season this fall for Central High School. Avery earned all-state honors after totaling 27 points, 11 goals and five assists, in leading her team to the state quarterfinals in the fall. As a sophomore, Avery set a championship game record by scoring three goals and was named the championship game most valuable player on offense in winning the AA state title. She played a key role, registering five goals and three assists, for a state runner-up team as a freshman. Heading into her final season next fall, Avery has scored 27 goals to go with 14 assists. Also a member of the Black Hills Rapids Club team, Avery plans to study elementary education at Northwestern and is the daughter of Steve and Heather.

"Maddi is a player that we have been recruiting for a long time and it will be hard to wait until 2019 for her time at NWC to actually happen," commented Karnish.  "She is a very talented player who has a knack for scoring goals in big moments. Madeline will be a fun player to watch during her senior year at Central High School and even more fun while at Northwestern College."