NEWARK, NJ – NJIT women's soccer head coach Mandi Risden announced eight newcomers who will join the Highlanders for the upcoming 2015 season.
 
The incoming group includes: Brooke McGee (Shrewsbury, PA); Melanie Zrno (Burlington, Ontario, Canada); Nicole Baldassini (Pinecrest, FL); Noelle Batista (Hicksville, NY); Arianna Gerber (Medford, NJ); Alexandra Gilgorri (Denville, NJ); Neema Liverpool (Plainfield, NJ);, and Kiara Goode (Ajax, Ontario, Canada).
 
The new members will step onto the roster for the five seniors who graduated from the 2014 Highlanders, as NJIT women's soccer plays its first season a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference this fall.
 
Here's a closer look at the incoming freshmen:
 
Pennsylvania native Brooke McGee hails from Susquehannock High School, which is about 115 miles west of Philadelphia and not far from the border with Maryland.
 
McGee was a four-year member of the Susquehannock girls' soccer team. After leading the team in goals her freshman and sophomore years, she was sidelined her junior season by an ACL tear.
 
McGee came back strong her senior year, helping Susquehannock win the York Division II title and scoring the game-winning goal in the 2014 District III Tournament in the first sudden death overtime.
 
Finishing her senior season with a team-leading 24 goals McGee was named a York County All-Star. She also earned a spot on the York County Girls Soccer All-Star team, where she led the East team with two goals and an assist in their 6-1 victory.
 
McGee graduated from Susquehannock summa cum laude and plans to study chemical engineering in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on McGee: "Brooke is strong, athletic forward with a great work ethic and nose for the goal. She will contribute to our attack and make us more dangerous with her bold mentality."
 
Melanie Zrno is one of two Canadians joining the Highlanders this season. Zrno who has had success with her Dixie Club Soccer team (2011 Ontario Cup Finalists, 2014 OYSL Champions) was part of the Croatian U17 selection from 2011-2013 before joining the Croatian U19 team for the 2014 season.
 
Zrno, who also participated in cross country at Corpus Christi High School, plans on majoring in business in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on Zrno: "Melanie is an extremely passionate, technical and creative central midfielder who has a strong understanding of the game. Her passion and tenacity allow her to be both an attacking and defensive presence and she will have a strong impact in our midfield. "
 
Floridian Nicole Baldassini played for her Immaculata La Salle High School in Miami, FL. as well as for her club team the Sunrise Sting 96/97.
 
Baldassini earned All-Dade County 1st team in her freshman and senior years. Her older sister Sol Baldassini was a member of Argentina's U20 National Team. Baldassini, who also ran track and field at Immaculata La Salle, plans to study biology in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on Baldassini: "Nicole is a strong, technical forward who possess a great work ethic. She has a very good understanding of the game and combines well with the players around her. Nicole will make us stronger and deeper in our attack."
 
Long Island native Noelle Batista played on her Hicksville High School soccer team since she was a freshman. In her senior year she received all-state and all-Nassau County honors and helped Hicksville become county finalists. Batista was also selected to the Senior All-Star Game.
 
A Senior Scholar Athlete, she was also four-year letter winner in varsity lacrosse at Hicksville. She will major in biology and pre-med in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on Batista: "Noelle brings a tenacity, fire and work ethic that will surely add to the mentality of the team. She is a versatile and intelligent player that will make us stronger in the midfield as well as other areas of the field."

Arianna Gerber, from Medford in South Jersey, was a four-year member of the Shawnee High School girls' soccer team. Gerber scored seven goals and added three assists in her senior season, receiving all-state and second team all-conference honors. Gerber also participated in track and field at Shawnee and intends to study biology at NJIT beginning this fall.
 
Coach Risden on Gerber: "Arianna has tremendous drive, technical ability, athleticism and versatility. She works equally hard on both sides of the ball and will make a strong impact both in the midfield and up top."
 
Another New Jersey native, Alexandra Gilgorri comes to NJIT after lettering for four years at Parsippany Hills High School. Gilgorri played for Regional and State ODP teams and was voted "Best 11" of Topdrawersoccer.com combine. She is currently a member of the North Jersey Valkyries.
 
Gilgorri, who was a member of the National Honor Society at Parsippany Hills, will be an undecided science and liberal arts major to begin her academic career at NJIT.
 
Coach Risden on Gilgorri: "Alex is a very technically and tactically sound central midfielder with a great physical presence. She will make a significant impact with her physicality as well as her knowledge of and passion for the game."

Neema Liverpool, also from New Jersey, comes from Wardlaw-Hartridge School.
 
Liverpool scored in every game of her senior season, tallying 25 goals and eight assists and led her team to the Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division title. The Wardlaw-Hartridge captain earned first-team all-conference, all-county and all-area. Liverpool also played four years for club team Vittoria (Parma). Liverpool, who was a part of the National Spanish Honor Society as well as the Honor Roll with Distinction at Wardlaw-Hartridge, will major in biomedical engineering in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on Liverpool: "Neema is athletic, hardworking forward with a strong attacking instinct and 1v1 ability. She will always bring 100% and will add to the depth as well as strength of our attack."
 
Canadian Kiara Goode comes from the Ontario Youth Soccer league's Darlington Fusion U17, the top-ranked team in the OYSL East. With Darlington, Goode has traveled to Denmark to win the Dana Cup (2010) and to Finland to win the Helsinki Cup (2012). Goode who attended Ajax High School, will major in science, technology and society in the fall.
 
Coach Risden on Goode: "Kiara is a technically clean and intelligent player with a great defensive presence. Given her versatility she will make a strong contribution in the back line as well as the midfield."