High Point University women's soccer coach Marty Beall announced the addition of 10 players for the Panthers' upcoming 2012 season on Wednesday. The class includes players from eight states including one All-American and five All-State honorees.

Amy Burch (Boiling Springs, N.C.), Ivy Cocklereece (Winston-Salem, N.C.), Sammy Dean (Annapolis, Md.), Colleen Deardoff (Wilton, Conn.), Jillian Graff (Candia, N.H.), Rebecca Lisson (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.), Rachel Lovely (Aurora, Ill.), Kelsey Perrell (King, N.C.), Jo Platt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Katie Roman (Fairfax, Va.) will join HPU as the Panthers' 2012 recruiting class.

“We are very excited about this 2012 class,” Beall said. “They will provide a tremendous amount of depth at every position and make us much more athletic. This class possesses an abundance of speed and size. We were trying to become a much more athletic team with this class and I believe we accomplished that goal with the players we have added.”

Burch, a defender from Crest High School, is a two-time All-Region selection and a three-time All-Conference selection. She was her team's MVP as a sophomore, junior and senior. Burch plays her club soccer with the Charlotte Soccer Academy. She has helped her team to three-straight North Carolina State Championships.

“Amy Burch is a very good ball winner,” Beall said. “She has great size and will challenge for time as a centerback. She could also see time at outside back. She does a good job at both positions and with her size she will bring a great ball-winning presence in the air.”

Cocklereece, a goalkeeper from Forsyth Country Day School, was named to the NCISAA 3A All-State team in 2011. She is a three-time All-Conference honoree and was named to the All-County team in 2011. She plays club soccer with the Triad Elite Soccer Club and has helped lead the team to three-straight State Cup finals.

“Ivy is an excellent goalkeeper that we got out of Triad Elite in Winston-Salem,” Beall said. “She has great footwork and is very quick. Her work rate and competitiveness are second to none. I am very excited that she is coming here and she will challenge for playing time as a freshman.”

Dean, a forward from Broadneck High School, was named 2011 second-team All-State by the Maryland Association of Coaches of Soccer. She was an All-County selection in 2011 after helping to guide her team to nine wins. Dean plays her club soccer with Laurel Dynasty Premier. She is a National Merit Scholar and was named to the 2011 NSCAA Scholar All-American team.

“Sammy is a forward from Maryland that is very athletic,” Beall said. “She has great speed and size. She will provide some quality depth and will see time as a forward for us.”

Colleen Deardoff, a defender from Wilton High School, is a two-time all-Area selection. She was named second-team All-FCIAC in both 2009 and 2011.In 2008, She helped guide her team to the state championship as a freshman defender. Deardoff plays her club soccer with the Connecticut Football Club and helped guide her team to the State Cup Championship in 2008, 2010 and 2011.

“Colleen is an excellent outside back and a very quick player,” Beall said. “She has very good technique. She is someone that we are very excited about.”

Graff, a forward from Manchester Central High School, was named honorable mention All-State by the New Hampshire Soccer Coaches Association. She helped lead her prep team to the state championship as a freshman letter winner in 2008. Graff plays her club soccer with Seacoast United. She has helped Seacoast win five-consecutive state championships.

“Jillian possesses excellent movement off the ball,” Beall said. “She is a very athletic player and we are excited to see her development as a forward for us.”

Lisson, a midfielder from Wando High School, was named to the ESPN Rise All-American team in 2011. She was named 2011 4A Girl's Soccer Player of the Year and a member of the All-State team by High School Sports Report. Shewas also named to the South Carolina High School All-State team and a member of the 7AAAA All-Region Team. She has guided her squad to back-to-back state championships in 2010 and 2011. Lisson plays club soccer with Carolina Elite Soccer Academy. She has been a member of the South Carolina ODP team for four years. Lisson is the younger sister of current HPU midfielder Brooke Lisson.

“Rebecca Lisson is the type of player that is willing to do anything on the field,” Beall said. “She plays so simple and clean. She has great competitiveness and we are very excited to have her join our midfield.”

Lovely, an outside back from Benet Academy, led all defenders with three goals and five assists as a junior in 2011. She helped lead her team to an 18-4-3 mark, heading a defense that sported a 0.61 goals-against average and had 14 shutouts. She was a unanimous selection to the 2011 East Suburban All-Conference team and was named honorable mention All-Area. In three seasons at Benet, Lovely has helped her team win 48 games and post 24 shutouts. She has been named a co-captain for her upcoming senior season in 2012. Lovely plays club soccer with Chicago Fire Juniors. She helped her team to a runner-up finish in the State Cup in 2011.

“Rachel is a very athletic outside back,” Beall said. “She loves to get forward and can serve a good ball.”

Perrell, a forward from West Stokes High School, holds her school's record for most goals in a season with 47 during her junior campaign. She is a two-time All-State selection and is the first player from West Stokes to earn All-State honors. She is a three-time All-Region selection and a four-time All-Conference selection. Perrell was the first freshman in team history to be named MVP and Player of the Year. She helped guide her prep team to four-straight conference championships from 2008-11. Perrell plays her club soccer with the Triad Elite Soccer Club. She led her team to three-straight runner-up finishes in the State Cup and was named Player of the Year in 2010.

“Kelsey is a great raw talent,” Beall said. “She possesses a lot of speed and is very creative on the ball.”

Platt, a defender from Mt. Lebanon Senior High School, led her prep team in assists for three-straight seasons and was the leading scorer among defenders in both her sophomore and junior seasons. She was named to the All-Section and All-WPIAL teams as a senior. Platt was a three-time Top Five Player to Watch in the WPIAL and an Almanac All-Star in 2011. In three seasons, Platt served as part of a defense that posted 38 shutouts. She helped guide her team to the three-straight Section Championships (2008-10) and the WPIAL Championship in 2008. Platt plays her club soccer with Beadling United. She helped lead her team to five PA-West State Championships. Platt is a three-time member of the PA West ODP team and participated in the ODP Region I identification camp.

“Jo has excellent strength on the ball,” Beall said. “She has a very strong leg and can really drive the ball. She will be a dangerous weapon for us with her ability to drive a ball and to win balls out of the air.”

Roman, a defender from Robinson Secondary School, was a four-year letter winner. She plays her club soccer with the Chantilly Burn and the Bethesda Freedom. Roman played on both the Region and Virginia State ODP teams from 2008-11. She was part of the ODP Region Pool in both 2008 and 2010 and participated in the ODP National Camp in 2011.

“Katie will see time as an outside back for us this season,” Beall said. “She is a versatile player who could also play anywhere in our midfield. She is a very technical player and is very competitive.”

"We are very excited to have these young ladies join our women's soccer family this fall,” Beall said. “Not only will they help us tremendously on the field, they will also be great ambassadors for High Point University. We are very proud they've chosen to play here."

High Point returns seven starters from a team which finished fourth in the Big South last season with a 6-2-2 record. HPU returns four of its top five scorers from last season and four All-Conference selections in defender Janay Whittaker, midfielder Kelli Joline, midfielder Becca Hemby and defender Sammy Vercellino.