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Feb. 7, 2005

The Indiana "Player of the Year," Indiana "All-State" selections, players who won both high school and club state championships last season, NCAA Sweet 16 experience, a school-record 126 career goals, and the younger sister of a Butler men's soccer standout are just a few of the highlights that the Butler women's soccer 2005 recruiting class boasts. Coach Woody Sherwood announced the six players who have signed to bring their athletic and academic talents to Butler at the conclusion of the national signing period Monday (Feb. 7).

The recruiting class includes local players Lauren Haffner, Angie Muir and Jenny Southard, former North Central standout and University of Tennessee goalkeeper Kirby Zwickel, Ohio native Tierney Lanich, and Illinois product Lyndsey Olsen. All signed national letters of intent last week and will begin their respective Butler careers in the fall of 2005.

"This year's recruiting class may be one of the best classes Butler has had," said Sherwood. "There is a wealth of athleticism, talent, academic success, and winning tradition. Our entire class will compete for minutes right away. The majority of our incoming student-athletes are attacking players. We have defended well the past few seasons, but have struggled to score goals. With the talented players we have returning, and the addition of this class, we are optimistic about creating more dangerous opportunities in 2005."

Haffner, a midfielder/forward, was a three-time captain at Heritage Christian High School in Indianapolis. The Noblesville, Ind., native set the school record with 126 goals scored during her prep career. Haffner also holds school single-season records in both goals and assists. In addition to county honors, Haffner was named to the Indianapolis Star All-City Team in each of her four varsity seasons. Her club team, F.C. Pride, placed first in the USYSA National League Midwest regional and finished the 2004 season ranked fifth in the state of Indiana.

In addition to her soccer accomplishments, Haffner earned three varsity letters in basketball, playing with current Butler women's basketball Cassie Freeman to lead the Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 2004 IHSAA state championship. She has also placed as high as fourth in the state in the 400-meter dash, earning second team "All-State" track honors in 2003. She is an honor roll student.

Lanich, a midfielder/forward from Medina, Ohio, was a part of two state championship teams at Walsh Jesuit High School. The team made the state semifinals in 2002 and 2003 as well. Lanich served as the team's co-captain in 2004 after earning Team MVP honors as a junior. She scored the game-winning goal in the 2004 state semifinals to earn Walsh a spot in the state's championship game. Lanich was awarded the Scholar-Athlete Award following her senior campaign.

Her club team, the Internationals, captured the Ohio state championship in 2004, qualifying for Regionals. A five-time state team participant in Ohio's Olympic Development Program (ODP), Lanich advanced to the ODP regional pool in both 2001 and 2003. Her 2003 ODP team was a national finalist.

Muir led her Carmel High School team to the 2004 state championship, picking up Indiana Soccer Coaches Association (ISCA) "Player of the Year" and first team "All-State" honors along the way. The midfielder also garnered NSCAA All-American and Academic All-American accolades. Muir was a large part of Carmel squads that won state championships in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Muir teamed with current Bulldog Annalise Larkin on three of those teams.

As a member of the Carmel United club team, Muir helped the squad capture four state championships, while the team advanced to the regional semifinals in both 2001 and 2002 and to the regional finals in 2004. Her 2001 ODP team placed third nationally.

Olsen hopes to enjoy some of the same success that her older brother, Scott, a two-time All-Horizon League selection and current junior, has had as a Butler soccer player. Olsen, a midfielder/forward from Algonquin, Ill., was a four-year letterwinner and senior captain at Jacobs High School. She led the team in scoring three straight years and was both an All-Area and All-Conference selection, helping Jacobs to three regional titles and a sectional championship.

Olsen also holds three indoor track school records and is a high honor roll student. She played for the Soccer's FC club team in Illinois.

Southard, a forward from Noblesville, Ind., earned first team ISCA "All-State" honors as both a sophomore and a senior, and earned second team accolades as a junior despite a knee injury that prematurely ended her season. A two-time Team MVP and four-time letterwinner, Southard was named "Athlete of the Year" by both the Noblesville Daily Times and Noblesville Ledger as a senior.

Southard joined Muir on the Carmel United club team and participated in the state's ODP program since the age of 11, making the state team each year. The 2001 and 2002 teams were regional champions with the 2002 squad making the national finals.

Zwickel comes to Butler from the University of Tennessee, where she served as the back-up goalkeeper for the Lady Vols' NCAA Sweet 16 team last season. She appeared in two games for Tennessee. A former prep stand-out at North Central High School in Indianapolis, Zwickel was a two-time All-State selection and earned recognitions on postseason teams from the conference through state levels.

Zwickel, who will have three years of eligibility remaining, led North Central to the 1999 state championship as a freshman, starting in goal as the Panthers won the title in a shootout. As a member of the Carmel United club team, Zwickel was part of seven state title-winners and spent six years in the ODP program on the state level. She was named to the second annual Southeastern Conference (SEC) Soccer "Good Works Team" for her volunteer work while at Tennessee.

Sherwood recently completed his sixth season on the Butler sidelines, where he has amassed a record of 55-54-8, including an impressive 24-11-1 mark in Horizon League play. Butler returns 19 letterwinners from the 2004 season, including three first-team "All Horizon League" selections in Julie Backscheider, Meredith Buemi and Kate Lord. Butler's six signees will be joined by Crystal Wright, who signed with the Bulldogs prior to the 2004 season, but will begin her Butler career this fall.