MONROE, La. – ULM head soccer coach Antony Blackburn has announced his first signing class at ULM, with 13 student-athletes to begin their playing career at ULM this fall.
 
The class consists of nine freshmen and four transfers. With three from Spain, the country leads all others outside of the U.S., as six different countries and six different U.S. states are represented.
 
The 13 newcomers will join 10 returners, including multiple starters from the 2025 season. Goalkeeper Jen Handy makes a return for her third season, along with All-Sun Belt Third Team member Beth Strutton. Seniors Ines de Lope Casanova, Lucia Gomez, Stacey Qosja and Bernadett Stefan also make the return. To round out the returners from the Sun Belt regular season champions, Anna Roldaan, Rylee Methvin and Amy Sharkey all return for sophomore seasons.
 

Name	Pos.	Hometown
Sophie Alderman	D	Buffalo, Minn.
Jade Bowé	F	Mazamet, France
Luena Ferreira	D	Lisbon, Portugal
Charli Harris	F	Frisco, Texas
Maria Heuman	GK	Greenridge, Mo.
Jenni Huttunen	M	Tuusula, Finland
Teresa Jacobsen	D	Hoyvík, The Faroe Islands
Georgie Knott	M	Plymouth, England
Angela Moreno	F	Madrid, Spain
Taylor O'Rear	D	Tupelo, Miss.
Kelly Rodman	D	Roswell, Ga.
Maria Torres	D	Barcelona, Spain
Victoria Vinals	M	Parsippany, N.J.

 
"This class represents exactly the type of player we want ULM Soccer to be known for," said head coach Antony Blackburn. "We have been intentional about recruiting proven winners and individuals who fit the culture, standards and ambitions of what we are creating here. This group possesses the talent to make an immediate impact on the field, but more importantly, they have the character and mindset to help drive our program forward every day."
 
The signing class opens with freshman Sophie Alderman, arriving on the bayou from Buffalo High School in Minnesota. Alderman was named All-State for Buffalo, also competing for Tonka Fusion-Elite. A Sun Belt transfer follows in Jade Bowé, a familiar face to the Warhawks as she arrives from Texas State. Bowé appeared in 20 matches in her freshman season with the Bobcats, claiming two shots on goal, including one at the NCAA Tournament. The forward claimed the 2025 Sun Belt Tournament title with the Bobcats.
 
Luena Ferreira comes to Monroe from Lisbon, Portugal, having competed for S.L. Benfica and the Portugal U17 women. In the 2025-26 season, Ferreira has competed in 10 matches for Benfica, assisting the team to nine wins in that span. Charli Harris is another freshman, arriving from Frisco, Texas, where she played for Independence High School. Harris was recognized on the All-District team in 2024 and earned Offensive Player of the Year and the Golden Boot in 2023. Harris also saw action in the ECNL, competing with the Dallas Sting.
 
Maria Heuman joins the keeper room in the fall for ULM, arriving from Alcorn State. In 2025, Heuman saw 741 minutes in goal across 10 appearances, collecting 31 saves and posting a 1.94 goals-against average. Jenni Huttunen also transfers in, from Franklin Pierce after three seasons with the Ravens. In 2025, the midfielder was named All-NE10 First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region, netting eight goals and four assists in her 22 starts.
 
Teresa Jacobsen becomes the first Warhawk to compete from The Faroe Islands, having competed in all of the youth national teams there. Jacobsen now plays for the Women's National Team, earning a spot on the Team of the Year as the right back, playing for HB Tórshavn. Georgie Knott is the lone newcomer from England, the midfielder arriving after winning the treble (league title, league cup and county cup) with Torquay United and previously played with Plymouth Argyle. Knott has also represented England on the Independent Schools U18 national squad.
 
Madrid, Spain native Angela Moreno arrives on the bayou from Nebraska. Moreno competed for the Real Madrid youth team and helped the team to the Queen's Junior Cup Championships title, scoring 20 goals in 2024. Taylor O'Rear is the closest to home at ULM, arriving from Tupelo, Mississippi. In her senior season, the defender was named 7A All-District, leading her team to a 7A state championship as team captain.
 
Kelly Rodman will be welcomed for her freshman season from the state of Georgia, competing for Fellowship Christian School and in the ECNL for the Atlanta Fire United SA. Another representative of Spain is Maria Torres, arriving from Barcelona. The defender has notably competed with FC Barcelona, having developed in La Masia. To round out the newcomers, Victoria Vinals becomes the first-ever Warhawk from New Jersey. Internationally, Vinals competed with the Hungary U19 team in 2026, snagging three caps in the UEFA U19 European Stage.
 
"We are excited to see this class integrate with a returning group that has worked incredibly hard to establish the foundation and standards of our program throughout the spring season," said Blackburn. "Our returners have already demonstrated that they know how to compete and find ways to win, and we believe this class will strengthen our environment and help push our program to new levels. We are excited about the impact they will have on our team, our university and the Monroe community, and we are proud to welcome them to the Warhawk family."

The Warhawks will open the season on the road against Little Rock on August 13, before returning to Brown Stadium to face Alcorn on August 16.
 
For more information about ULM Soccer, visit ULMWarhawks.com or follow the soccer team on Instagram, X or Facebook by searching ULM Socc