As LSU soccer closed out its 2023 season on Nov. 11, it looked ahead by signing nine new players on Nov. 9 as part of the 2023 National Signing Day.
With talent from across the nation, head coach Sian Hudson and her staff is building the program with two four-star and seven three-star recruits.
The Tigers acquired three forwards, three midfielders, two defenders and one goalkeeper.
Here’s a snapshot of LSU Soccer’s nine new members and what they will bring to the bayou next fall.
Amy Smith
Rated as a four-star player by Top Drawer Soccer, Smith is a forward from Fort Collins, Colorado. At Fossil Ridge High School and Colorado Rapids ECNL, she was named to the Northwest Conference First Team, Colorado State MVP and three-time varsity MVP.
Smith will add crucial skill to the Tigers front line and can make scoring opportunities from set pieces or by driving the ball up the field and beating out defenders. She has 45 goals and 124 shots so far in her high school career.
Aurora Gaines
This four-star forward is from Milton, Georgia, and attends Cambridge High School. She plays for the Concorde Fire ECNL and is aggressive in the attacking third. Her footwork and aggression when matched one on one against defenders allows her to get into the box and score.
Gaines recently competed with the U18 San Diego Wave team in 2023 as well as the U17 and U20 Puerto Rican National Team and the U.S. Youth National Team from 2017-2021.
Ava Amsden
With 50 goals and 39 assists at Pine Creek High School, Amsden is a skillful midfielder from Colorado Springs, Colorado. She also plays for Colorado Rapids ECNL and is the team’s co-captain.
Amsden was an ECNL Northwest First Team All-Conference and attained first team all-conference honors for three consecutive years. Amsden will be an important addition to the Tigers’ midfield.
Annaleigh Bruser
Bruser attended Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge from 2019 to 2020, but now plays for IMG Academy in Florida.
At IMG U19 Girls Elite, Bruser was a competitive defender and will add physicality to the back line or be a full-back who can attack forward. Bruser will be coming back home to join LSU.
Senai Rogers
This left winger from Elk Grove, California, plays for Franklin High School and Blackhawks Soccer Club. Rogers was named the Delta League Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year.
With crosses from the outside, she can create offensive opportunities and beat out defenders on the side to get into the box and score.
Katelyn Holt
This goalkeeper is from Waterford, Virginia, and competes for Northern Virginia Alliance ECNL and attends St. Paul VI Catholic High School. She earned Girls Mid-Atlantic All-Conference honors, making the U17 second team.
Holt will add to the Tigers gifted line of keepers. Whether diving or jumping high for saves, she can make key plays between the posts.
Sarah Stadler
Stadler plays for SC Wave Girls Academy in Wisconsin and attends New Berlin Eisenhower High School where she became a state champion in 2020 and 2023. In 2022, Stadler played for the Wisconsin International Team.
In high school, she earned All-State Second Team honors and All-Conference First Team honors. At Wave, Stadler was captain for four years and team representative. At LSU, she will be a versatile addition and can play the field.
Emerson DeLuca
Another Colorado native, DeLuca plays with Smith and Amsden on Colorado Rapids. She’s an outside back and wingback who is fast and can stop opponents from getting scoring opportunities.
DeLuca attends Broomfield High School. At Colorado Rapids, she was an ECNL National Championship Finalist in 2022.
Riley MacDonald
From Littleton, Colorado, MacDonald is a midfielder who plays for Colorado Rush Girls Academy and attends Mountain Vista High School.
She was Mountain Vista’s Offensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. MacDonald will be a technical midfielder for LSU who can score and assist goals.