PULLMAN, Wash. – Washington State Soccer Head Coach Todd Shulenberger announced the first two additions to his 2017 recruiting class, Wednesday, with the additions of Elyse Bennett (De Pere, Wis.) and Jamie Rita (Burien, Wash.). The two freshmen joined the Cougars as early enrollees as they begin at WSU at the beginning of the spring semester.
By enrolling in the spring, Bennett and Rita are eligible to begin training with the team immediately and play in spring soccer. The two newest Cougs join a young core of 15 underclassmen, including 10 freshmen, that made up the 2016 roster.
A graduate of De Pere High School, Bennett played one season for the Redbirds before focusing on club soccer. A member of the FC Wisconsin Eclipse out of Milwaukee, Bennett proved to be one of the top scorers in the Elite Club National League (ECNL) in 2015-16. At the front, she led the way to the North American Cup in Seattle two seasons ago advancing all the way to the tournament finals. Bennett has also been a part of the Olympic Development Program.
Bennett comes from an athletic background as her father, Edgar, won the 1996 Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Green Bay Packers, He is currently the offensive coordinator for the Packers.
Coming to the east side of the state, Rita, graduated early from Highline High School in fall 2016. An attacking midfielder, Rita honed her skills on the field for Crossfield Premier in the ECNL in which they secured a spot in the Champions Division playoffs in each of the last three seasons. Additionally, Rita played in the Olympic Development Program as well as the Eastern Development Program that was the Region Y Champions.
Also coming from a football family, Rita's grandfather, Bill, played football at Central Washington.
The Cougars begin their training regimen for the spring January 10.