The Eastern men’s soccer team announced the signing of three additional recruits, last week, but this week is the women’s turn.

Panther head coach Steve Ballard signed seven recruits to National Letters of Intent: six high school seniors and one junior college transfer.

Lindsey Holcomb (Collinsville/Collinsville), Jillian Nowak (Orland Park/Sandburg), Kim Garkie (Quincy/Quincy), Morgan Frericks (Quincy/Notre Dame), Megan Tischhauser (Normal/University), and Sharyne Connell (Schaumburg/ Schaumburg) round out the list of high school seniors while Toni Perry (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc/Schoolcraft) is a junior college transfer.

The group will help replace the seven seniors that helped take the Panthers to their first ever NCAA tournament appearance. Ballard describes the recruits as looking good on paper, but he will not know what they are capable of until next fall.

Holcomb was named all-conference and first team all-area twice and to the all-sectional team last season. She also helped lead Collinsville the last three regional championships and sectional title last season.

Nowak, an all-conference and all-sectional player for Sandburg, was also named to The Daily Southtown all-area team.

Garkie received all-conference honors last spring and has been named to the all-sectional team twice. She was also a member of the Wolfpack Soccer Club, the 1998 Missouri State Championship team.

Frericks joins her older sister Audra who was a First Team All-Ohio Valley Conference defender for the Panthers last fall. Morgan is a three year starter at Notre Dame and helped her team to a fourth place finish in the 2000 state tournament. “I think it will be easier for Morgan to adjust to a campus lifestyle with her sister being here,” Ballard said.

Tischhauser was named First Team All-Area last year for her efforts on the soccer field and also received all-confernce honors for the Normal University High basketball team last season.

Connell is one of the top players in the state. She was named as one of the top 60 returning players this season by the Chicago Sun Times. She has twice earned all-sectional honors and has also received recognition in basketball.

Perry, a two-time junior college All-American, will bring some college experience to the program. She helped lead Schoolcraft to two national appearances with a fifth place finish in 2000.

“(Perry) will be a little older and more mature,” Ballard said. “Hopefully her experience will be a good addition to our program.”

Ballard said he expected each of the recruits to have some sort of role next fall.

“I think every one of the recruits can play for us,” Ballard said.

“I expect all of them to contribute whether it is as a starter or coming off the bench.”

New Recruits

Position H.S./JUCO

Sharyne Connell F Schaumburg

Morgan Frericks M Quincy ND

Kim Garkie M Quincy

Lindsey Holcomb F/M Collinsville

Jillian Nowak D/M Orland Park

Toni Perry D/F G.Blanc, Mich. Megan Tischauser F Normal U-High

Departing seniors

Position Key Stat

Devon Bissell M/D 16 assists

Katy Meyer M .250 shot %

Brooke O’Connell D/M 7 shots

Katie Quiter D/M 2 shots

Melissa Rhines M/F 5 shots

McKenzie Smith M 7 points

Kristin Zabrosky F 3 points

2001 record: 14-6*

*Qualified for NCAA Tournament