and a couple of our freshme

ASU soccer signs six in

Forward Natalie Stephens (26) of Anthem Boulder Creek is among six Arizonans signing with ASU soccer on Wednesday.(Photo: Diana Stull)Six of the seven players signing with Arizona State soccer Wednesday are from metro Phoenix including midfielder Kylie Minifield, whose father Kevin played football at ASU and works for the Sun Devil Club.

Minifield and forward Jaime Salas are from Chandler Hamilton High School, forward Natalie Stephens from Anthem Boulder Creek, forward/defender Melinda Gutierrez from Gilbert, defender Maddie Wolf from Tempe Corona del Sol and midfielder Adriana Orozco from Buckeye Verrado. The incoming class also includes goalkeeper Sydney Day of Monroe, Wash.

They will join a team that returns leading scorers Cali Farquharson and Aly Moon, went 12 6 4 and reached the NCAA Tournament second round.

"We've wanted to have the base of our team to be Arizona players," ASU coach Kevin Boyd said. "That hasn't been the case so far. We needed to get the Leather Bloody Mary 120mm very top players and there just needed to be more of them. This is a very good year for Arizona soccer, and our focus was foremost on those players. That's who we wanted. They are as good or better than anybody in the country. A couple of them are absolutely special and a couple of others are flying way under the radar and are a lot better than White Leather Beverly 100mm people know. We've been aware of them for awhile and watch them plenty and knew they were gong to be a good fit for us."

Boyd coached Minifield, Salas, Gutierrez and Wolf for four years with the San Tan Legacy club team. Stephens played on a Sereno U16 team that won an Elite Clubs national title in 2013.

Stephens and Minifield were Arizona Republic All Arizona Division I first team players as juniors (2013 Black Suede Big Dorcet 120mm 14) with Gutierrez on the second team. Stephens, Minifield and Gutierrez made the 2013 14 AIA All Division first team.

Boyd, going into his ninth season at ASU, said this class will add more Black Suede Balota 140mm depth on the front line and strengthen the midfield.

"I would say our midfield would be at least as good and should be better," Boyd said. "Our front line will absolutely be better because we didn't graduate any starters and we add some people we think are really good and a couple of our freshmen are going to evolve up in their performance. Then our back line we don't lose anybody so we're going to get nowhere but better."

Three year starting goalkeeper Chandler Morris could end up returning if she is accepted in graduate school. ASU also returns Lexi Bounds and Ashley March in goal and adds Day.

Boyd said he is planning on playing Sara Tosti exclusively on defense in her senior season. She also has played forward at ASU and is capable of scoring out of the back.