Vikings Sign Five to National Letters of Intent

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland State women's soccer team has added five student-athletes who will join the program in the fall of 2017, head coach Dallas Boyer announced on Thursday.

Joining the women's soccer program beginning in the fall of 2017 will be Essence Canady (North Huntingdon, Pa.), Kendra Clarke (Silver Spring, Md.), Anna Hayes (Oconomowoc, Wis.), Stevie Holbrook (Huron, Ohio) and Jenna Prathapa (Loveland, Ohio).

"I'm very excited and grateful that each of these players chose to become a Viking as part of my first incoming class as head coach at Cleveland State University," Boyer said. "In addition to all five being excellent athletes, our 2017 recruiting class is a collection of very good students and high-character individuals that will continue to help us raise the standards of what our players are achieving in the classroom and the community. 

"As we look to reshape our team's personality and identity, these five players will not just be expected to find their way this upcoming year, but will have the opportunity to bring the qualities they've shown as leaders in their previous environments and share them at our level. Each player has had success at a high level of competition, including three players competing as starters in the ECNL, which is currently the best league in the country. 

"I'm looking forward to integrating this group of players into what we are growing with the current roster this spring and I expect each will make significant contributions early and continue to push us forward towards our lofty goals for 2017 and beyond."

Following are complete bios on each of the five newcomers.

Essence Canady
5-5 | Fr. | Defender
North Huntingdon, Pa. (Oakland Catholic)
Club Team: Allegheny Force FC

COACH BOYER COMMENTS
"Essence is probably the most athletic player we have ever had at Cleveland State. Her dynamic quickness, power, and change of speed and direction jumps off the field and grabs your attention immediately. The best part about her game is that every time we see her she keeps improving her technical skill level on the ball, which lets that athleticism come thru even more as a result.  She could end up having an immediate impact either in defense, where she plays the position with an impressive aggression not often seen in our game, or in the attack, where her ability to create and finish chances around the box comes from her drive to score goals.  With the learning curve she's shown over the last few years, it will be really fun to watch that continue and accelerate when she's here with us in this environment. "

HIGH SCHOOL
Helped squad to first section championship in her senior year… totaled 76 goals and 24 assists for her career… was team's leading scorer all four years… all-section selection in each of her four years… All WPIAL last two years… was named Team MVP and was voted Most Outstanding forward.

PERSONAL
Born Aug. 10, 1999, in Wilson, NC... daughter of Darryl and Taleeta Canady... her brother Major Canady is a senior guard on the Drexel basketball team... member of National Honor Society… criminology major.

Kendra Clarke
5-10 | Fr. | GK
Silver Spring, MD (Wheaton High School)
Club Team: Maryland United ECNL

COACH BOYER COMMENTS
"Kendra has the size, athleticism and personality it takes to be a dominant Division I goalkeeper. There isn't anything that is asked of the position at our level that she isn't able to do already, whether it be shot-stopping or collecting service out of the air in traffic. As we get the opportunity to work with her and help her continue to develop some of the technical aspects of her game it will enhance those athletic traits and the sky is the limit for her at that point.  She has the potential to be as good as she wants to make herself and with our coaching staff's history of developing the position, we are excited at the thought of the player we can help Kendra quickly become."

HIGH SCHOOL
Lettered in soccer, volleyball, swimming and diving, track and field and basketball at Wheaton HS.

PERSONAL
Born July 20, 1999… daughter of Broderick and Rhonda Clarke… has one brother and one sister… her cousin, Alexis Eyo, played basketball at RIT for 3 years… physical anthropology major.

Anna Hayes
5-7 | Fr. | M/D
Oconomowoc, WI (Arrowhead High School)
Club Team: Strike FC

COACH BOYER COMMENTS
"We have seen a lot of Anna over the last few years as she was a club and high school teammate of some of our current players. Her ability to play an age group or two up on older teams and still perform at a regional and national level has been impressive to watch and is a result of her very high level of soccer intelligence. She is extremely calm and composed on the ball and technically clean with excellent decision making, which will be a big boost for us in our style of play that fits her so well.  Whether it be in the midfield or along the back line, Anna should immediately be comfortable with the way we play and in having several familiar faces around her to adapt and contribute."

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned four letters at Arrowhead HS… helped team to sectional championship her freshman and junior years and regional title as a sophomore… earned first team all-conference and honorable mention all-state honors as a junior… named Team MVP on Offense as a junior… four-time academic all-state in cross country.

PERSONAL
Born on March 28, 1999 in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin… daughter of Jerry and Tricia Hayes… sport management major.

Stevie Holbrook
5'5 | Fr. | GK
Huron, OH (Huron High School)
Club Team: Internationals ECNL

COACH BOYER COMMENTS
"Stevie seems like she has been a Viking for years now as she's been a regular participant at our camps since junior high. To watch her go through that process and see her earn the opportunity to become a Cleveland State Viking goalkeeper is very cool. She is a polished technical goalkeeper that does most of her movements and skill sets straight from the textbook on how to play the position. She communicates to the defensive players in front of her very well.  Every time we watch her she makes all of the routine plays that you expect your goalkeeper to make and is good for one or two game-changing moments that ultimately help a team win. I'm very excited to watch her growth continue in a CSU jersey and compete in what is going to be a very fun group of goalkeepers to work with this season." 

HIGH SCHOOL
Helped team to a pair of district titles, a regional finalist appearance her freshman year and the state semifinals her sophomore season… totaled 14 goals and 14 assists in her career as a field player… also posted 161 career saves in goal… four-time all-conference honoree, including first team pick her final three seasons… recorded a school record 13 shutouts her sophomore season… named Division II Player of the Year as a junior.

Jenna Prathapa
5'9 | Fr. | F
Loveland, OH (Mount Notre Dame)
Club Team: Ohio Elite ECNL

COACH BOYER COMMENTS
"Jenna can essentially do anything she wants on a soccer field, having played every position over the last few years and done so at an elite level. Her athleticism, work rate, competitiveness, and soccer instincts have allowed her to continually rise to new challenges and immediately perform, which is why I expect her to be able to do the same at Cleveland State. She continues to get better and better every time I see her play and she's never satisfied along her path. The ability to add an All-Ohio caliber player like Jenna is very exciting. When we look forward to this fall, she will provide us with so many different options with the ability to impact the game at any position."

HIGH SCHOOL
Earned four letters… led team to back-to-back league titles her final two seasons… leading scorer and conference Player of the Year as a senior… second team all-state and first team all-conference as a senior.

PERSONAL
Born on Jan. 15, 1999 in Hamilton, Ohio… daughter of Jaya Prathapa and Pamela Furrell… communications major.