Feb. 5, 2004

Second-year Head Coach James Walker has announced today this 2004-05 recruiting class. In all, eight student-athletes will wear the Red & Blue next season. Inked during the initial signing date are Cynthia Kaylor (Clifton, Va./Centreville), Audra Mathews (Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Ursula Academy), Nicole Nanchoff (North Royalton, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Faye Rasmussen (Westlake, Ohio/Magnificat), Kelly Reed (South Park, Pa./South Park) and Emily Sedgwick (Fayetteville, N.Y./The Loomis Chaffer School).

Kaylor, a defender, was a two-time all-district pick and aided her team in capturing the Concord District Championship in 2000. Her club team, BRYC Electra, reigned as the U18 Virginia state champions in 2002 and 2003 and her U18 ODP team advanced to the VA Northern District pool twice. She intends to major in nursing. "Cynthia is a very athletic defender with good high school, club and ODP experience who will add stability and depth to our defense," adds Coach Walker. "She was solid in the back with her club team leading them to a state championship."

Mathews has helped her Saint Ursula squad advance to the state semi-finals each season and they were the state runners-up in 2002. The midfielder/forward was a first team All-Girls Greater Cincinnati League (GGCL), and All-City selection as a senior and led the team in assists and was second in scoring. Mathews was a second team All-GGCL honoree in 2002 and was tabbed a 2003 Academic All-Star. She is considering forensic science/law as her major. Added Walker, "One of the most talented players I've seen this year. Audra had an excellent club, high school and ODP career and was the leading scorer on her high school team which was ranked No. 1 in the Country this past season. She will add great experience to the squad in the midfield or forward position."

Nanchoff, a midfielder, guided her team to the 2000 and 2001 state championship crown and the team was voted National Champions in 2000. Over her four-year career, Walsh Jesuit posted an 80-5-2 record and went undefeated at home. She was a second team All-Ohio selection and twice voted team MVP. Nanchoff plans to major in education. "Nicole is an extremely talented young lady, who is expected to play in a central position. She is a very technical player who helped her club team to four state championships and her high school team to the national championship in 2000," says Walker.

Rasmussen, a forward, was named an All-Greater Cleveland and All-Ohio pick as a senior. The team captain was a member of the Ohio Premier Soccer Club, which advanced to the state semi-finals this past season. Coach Walker adds, "Faye is a very talented all-state forward who has a great future ahead of her. She has a good eye for goal and a fantastic work ethic and, in my opinion, is one of the best players in Ohio this year."

Reed, a forward/midfielder, led her South Park team to four consecutive WPIAL AA Section 4 titles and to a 76-21-2 overall record. The team captured the 2001 WPIAL AA championship and they advanced to at least the WPIAL semifinals each season. Reed was lauded as the Pittsburgh Tribune Review Player of the Year and is a three-time All-WPIAL selection. As a prep, she recorded 120 goals and 89 assists and was named a 2002 and 2003 Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association All-State honoree. Reed would like to major in elementary education. "Kelly is a very exciting forward and one of the best players to come out of Pittsburgh in the last few years. She has scored goals at every level and should continue to do so in college." adds Walker.

Sedgwick is a 2003 first team All-WWNEPSSA (Women's Western New England Prep School Soccer Association) pick as a defender and helped lead her team to the gold medal at the 2002 New York Empire State Games. Her Loomis team shared the league champions in 2002 with a 10-1-1 record and participated in the 2002 New England Championship Tournament. She played for the Christian Brothers Academy from 1998 to 2000 where she was twice named a first team all-league pick and a 2000 first team all-state pick. Christian Brothers won the 2000 NY title and reigned as league champions all three years. A five-year ODP participant, Sedgwick participated on the New York West State Team and competed each year in the Region I camp and Region I tournament. Her intended major is theatre arts. "Emily is a talented young defender that is used to playing at a high level. She was solid at the back for her club team that won states and went to regionals," says Walker.

Also joining them is goalkeeper Catherine Hellmuth (Darnestown, Md./Good Counsel) who has made a commitment to join coach Walker's squad. Hellmuth's Good Counsel squad was ranked in the Top 25 by the NSCAA the past seasons and to a 20-1-0 mark, which included 14 shutouts in 2003. An all-conference and all-county performer, she recorded 37 shutouts over her prep career. She plans to major in athletic training. Walker adds, "Catherine has had a successful high school and club career over the past four years. She captained her high school team to a top 10 ranking in the nation with 14 shutouts this past season and she has a great future ahead of her."

Also committing to the Dukes is Lindy Bechke (Strongsville, Ohio/Magnificat) who will add depth to the midfield play. A three-year varsity letterwinner, she was named a 2003 All-Greater Cleveland selection and has competed for the Ohio Premier Soccer Club the past seven seasons. Bechke was also a member of the Ohio Storth State team from 1998-2002.

Coach Walker brought immediate success to the program in just his first year making a vast improvement in the team's overall performance. The Dukes went 5-13-1 overall, 1-9-1 in the A-10 before his arrival and posted an 8-10-2 overall record and 4-6-1 showing in the Atlantic 10 in just his first season. Duquesne finished eighth in the Atlantic 10.