HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky University women's soccer head coach Bob Sheehan has announced that six student-athletes will join the program for the 2018 season.
 
Ashleigh Cronin, Ella Holland, Madelyn Koewler, Morgan Jewell, Lily Menssen and Chloe Mills are the newest members of the Norse program after signing National Letters of Intent this week.
 
"We would like to congratulate and welcome these six talented young ladies to our program," said NKU head coach Bob Sheehan.
 
"Our fans will enjoy watching them play over these next four years as they join us in our pursuit of athletic and academic excellence. All six of these players provide versatility and have played at a high level on both their club teams and on their high school teams. They have all made a positive impact on every team that they have played for. They have all competed for championships and all bring with them a winning background," Sheehan stated.
 
"I would also like to thank and congratulate Steve Bornhoffer for all of his efforts in helping to evaluate and recruit this outstanding group of young ladies," Sheehan added.
 
 
Ashleigh Cronin played club soccer with Ohio Elite for head coach Tim Lesiak. In her most recent club season, she played in 22 matches, helping the team to a 12-9-1 record. Cronin scored three goals and recorded five assists. She attends nearby Oak Hills High School, where she was also a member of the track and field team. Cronin plans to major in Nursing at NKU.
 
Sheehan's comments on Ashleigh Cronin: "Ashleigh is a high-level midfielder, who is a fierce competitor.  She completes an extremely high percentage of passes due to her technical proficiency and overall awareness."
 
 
Ella Holland comes to NKU from Sycamore High School Sycamore, Illinois. She is a midfielder, who will begin her senior season on Feb. 26. In her sophomore campaign, she was named Athlete of the Year, Chicago Land All-Area State Team, and helped her team place third at state. Holland also plays club soccer with Campton United for head coach Tim McClements. In her most recent club season, Holland played in 51 matches, helping her team to a 41-9-1 record. She scored 41 goals and recorded 38 assists in those contests. Holland plans to major in Environmental Science at NKU.
 
Sheehan's comments on Ella Holland: "Ella is extremely athletic and is a dynamic playmaker.  She is quick on and off the ball and has the ability to score goals and create for others."
 
 
Madelyn Koewler is a center back out of Colerain High School, where she played for head coach Gus Schroeder. She has played 17 matches in each of the past three seasons. In her senior campaign, she also recorded two goals and two assists. Koewler was a three-time captain for her varsity team, and she was also named the team's Defensive Player of the Year in each of the past three seasons. Koewler also earned First Team All-GMC honors three times, and she was named All-Southwest Ohio in 2016 and 2017. She also plays club soccer for Ohio Elite. Koewler plans to major in Business at NKU.
 
Sheehan's comments on Madelyn Koewler: "Madelyn possesses terrific individual defending techniques.  She has an excellent understanding of small group and team defending."
 
 
Morgan Jewell is a defender out of Grand Blanc High School in Grand Blanc, Michigan, where she played for head coach Greg Kehler. In her junior season, she played in 12 matches, helping the team to a 7-1-4 record. She has earned the Athletic Award, Team All-Academic Award, Honorable Mention All-KLAA, All-District Team, KLAA All-Conference and State of Michigan All-Regional Player honors. Jewell was also part of state runner-up teams in 2015 and 2017. She will begin her senior season this spring. Jewell also plays club soccer with Vardar ECNL under coach Demir Muftari. In her most recent club season, she helped the team to a 7-5-1 record, and recorded four assists. She plans to major in Business Management at NKU.
 
Sheehan's comments on Morgan Jewell: "Morgan is a powerful player who will bring toughness to the game.  Morgan also does exceptionally well in getting forward into the attack."
 
 
Lily Menssen comes to NKU from Medina High School in Medina, Ohio, where she played as a defender for head coach Doug Coreno. During her senior season, she played in 21 matches, helping the team to a 15-1-5 record. She also recorded three goals and five assists. She was named All-Conference First Team, All-District First Team, and All-State First Team. She also earned MVP honors during her senior year and was the MVP for the Medina Gazette. Menssen also plays club soccer for Cleveland Futbol Club for head coach Ross Nicols. With her club team, she has served as a captain. She helped lead her team to seven state cup championships, two regional championships, and two third-place finishes at nationals. Menssen plans to major in Nursing at NKU.
 
Sheehan's comments on Lily Menssen: "Lily is an outstanding player with excellent one vs. one defending skills.  Lily is a lock-down defender who consistently plays at the highest level." 
 
 
Chloe Mills is a defender out of Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, where she played for head coach Doug Diedrich. In her senior season, she played in 20 matches, helping the team to a 16-3-1 record. She scored 10 goals and recorded three assists. She was named Academic All-State, Second Team All-State, All-District, All-Conference, and All-Metro during her career. She started in all 80 matches for Castle High School, helping her team to two Final Four appearances. Mills was also a member of the basketball team. She played club soccer with Sporting Southern Indiana for head coach Eric Schoenstein. In 25 matches played, she helped the team to a 15-5-5 record. She also recorded nine goals and five assists. Her team won the 2017 Indiana State Cup and also placed first in the MRL.
 
Sheehan's comments on Chloe Mills: "Chloe brings a presence to the field and possesses a high skill set.  She is outstanding in the air which serves her well both in defense and on the attack."