Women’s Soccer Adds Five Players for Fall 2023
Drew Gwerder
ARCATA, Calif. – Five incoming student-athletes have committed to play for the Cal Poly Humboldt women's soccer team in 2023, announced head coach Grant Landy today.
The Jacks' recruiting class includes Emma Hardy, Mari Ige, Adea Nunes, Sisi Tafoya and Tori Westgate.
Emma Hardy | 5'4" | D | Rocklin, Calif. | Whitney HS | Placer United Soccer Club
Hardy will join the program this fall intending to major in Business. She helped Whitney High School win the Sectional Title in Division II during her junior season and also served as team captain. She competes at the club level with Placer United, where she has played for her entire club career spanning 12 years. At Placer, Hardy won a state cup championship and also competed in the NorCal Player Development Program. Emma is the daughter of Chad and Nancy Hardy.
Head Coach Grant Landy says: "Emma is a very talented backline player who will add depth for us at the center back position or out wide. She is a strong communicator and leader who likes to compete. Emma's distribution over distance is one of her biggest strengths. She will be dangerous on free kicks and in the run of play with her service. Emma is a high-level student athlete and I am excited about her joining our program next fall."
Mari Ige | 5'3" | MF | Aiea, Hawaii | Mililani HS | Hawaii Rush Soccer Club
Ige comes to Humboldt with a list of accomplishments including being named to the 2021-22 All-State First Team for Mililani High School. At Mililani, she helped lead her team to two OIA Division I championships. For her club team, Ige was part of two state cup championships in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, she received an ODP West Region Top-25 ranking. Ige intends to major in Accounting. She plays club soccer with Hawaii Rush. Mari is the daughter of Randy and Darilyn Tonaki-Ige.
Coach Landy says: "Mari will bring a huge competitive spirit to our team in the fall. She can play multiple positions for us but I see her impacting our team in the midfield. Mari is technically very strong, a great distributor and a good one vs one defender. She also likes to get forward so I think we can utilize her in several roles. I am very excited about what Mari will bring to our program next year."
Adea Nunes | 5'4" | GK | San Jose, Calif. | Archbishop Mitty HS | Pleasanton Rage ECNL
Nunes will bring her athletic and academic talents to Humboldt in the fall. At Archbishop Mitty, where they have won four out of the last five CIF Central Coast Section championships, Nunes was honored as the Mercury News player of the week. She was named to the Honor Roll both her freshman and junior years, as well as the Principal Honor Roll during her sophomore year. Nunes is also a decorated field hockey player, being a Top-25 player in California during her junior year. She plans to major in Kinesiology with a teaching concentration in Physical Education. Nunes plays club soccer with the Pleasanton Rage. Adea is the daughter of John and Kathy Nunes.
Coach Landy states: "Adea is a very athletic goalkeeper who will be joining our team in the fall. She is an excellent shot-stopper and adept on breakaways. Adea will give us some solid depth in our goalkeeping ranks. She is a great fit for our program both on and off the field. I am pleased that Adea chose Humboldt and look forward to coaching her next season."
Sisi Tafoya | 5'6" | MF/F | Clovis, Calif. | Clovis East HS | California Odyssey Soccer Club
Tafoya begins her fourth year as a varsity soccer player this winter at Clovis East. She earned Second Team All-Conference honors for the 2021-22 season. She also was named team captain each of the last two seasons. Academically, Tafoya made the Principal Honor Roll in 2019-20 as well as the High Honor Roll from 2020-22. She intends to major in Kinesiology at Cal Poly Humboldt. She plays club soccer for California Odyssey. Sisi is the daughter of Simon and Nicole Tafoya.
Coach Landy says: "Sisi is a very athletic attacking player who can play up front or in the midfield. She is comfortable on the ball and has a great change of pace which will make her effective going forward. Sisi has the ability to both score goals and to set others up. She sees the field well and can penetrate into dangerous areas on the dribble. Sisi is a great fit for our program and I can't wait to get a chance to coach her in the fall."
Tori Westgate | 5'8" | MF | Minneapolis, Minn. | Minneapolis Southwest HS | Tonka Fusion Elite
Westgate comes to Humboldt as a midfielder after being named to the All-City Team in both 2020 and 2021 at Southwest High School in Minneapolis. During her sophomore campaign, she helped lead the Lakers to the Section 6AA Championship game. Westgate was a team captain this past fall. In club with Tonka Fusion Elite, she helped lead her team to a State Cup Championship last summer. She intends to major in Environmental Science. Tori is the daughter of Craig and Karin Westgate.
Coach Landy states: "Tori is a solid defensive midfielder who gives us added depth at that position. She is a very good distributor over short and long distances. Tori reads the game well and is a good ball-winner. I think she will grow tremendously in our program and has a lot of potential at the collegiate level. I look forward to seeing Tori in the green and gold next year."
For more information on Cal Poly Humboldt women's soccer, please visit humboldtathletics.com and follow us on all social media platforms.
