Earlier this month, WNPR introduced you to three high school football players that made a binding commitment to play at the NCAA level on National Signing Day. This is also the month when soccer players make their decisions known.
Lauren Segalla told the University of West Virginia that she would play soccer there two years ago. It wasn’t official though until Lauren signed on the dotted line on February 1.
“I chose West Virginia because I love the pride from the school, and since they don’t have any professional sports there, everybody from West Virginia comes to support the school,” Segalla said.
Segalla goes to Housatonic Valley Regional High School, located in Falls Village. No other player is remotely close to her school record 120 goals. In 2014, her team went to the state finals for the first time in any sport in the school’s 80-year history. She had her signing day earlier this month at her school.
“The people that love you are there to support you and the decisions that you have made," Segalla said. "You should be recognized for that.”
Glastonbury High also has a great player moving on to the next level. Danielle Brinckman anchors the defense for the only team in Connecticut history to ever win at least 60 straight games. Last November, Brinckman and her teammates won their third straight state championship. She’ll play at Seton Hall next year.
“So after I narrowed down my search to my major, I started looking around and I loved Seton Hall’s athletics because it was also very focused on soccer and the Big East because there is no football to compete with or lacrosse,” Brinckman said.
Segalla and Brinckman both said in their interviews that their colleges took signing day for girls soccer pretty seriously so it pushed them to publicize their decision. At least 19 girls that are graduating in 2017 from CIAC schools will play NCAA Division I Soccer.
