MANCHESTER, N.H. – Head Coach Joel Bancroft of the Saint Anselm College women's soccer program announced a group of eight incoming freshmen and one transfer who will be joining the Hawks next season.
Bancroft, entering his fourth campaign on the Hilltop, welcomes nine new student-athletes looking to fill the roster spots vacated by six senior student-athletes. Since taking over the program in 2017, the Hawks own a 22-18-10 overall record, recording a Northeast-10 Conference postseason appearance in 2018.
"This group brings many qualities with them onto the field," said Bancroft. "The first of which is mindset. This is an incredibly self-motivated, driven and competitive group of student-athletes. The second would be their athleticism or mobility. Their ability to not only cover ground but to do so for longer periods of time will serve them very well at the next level. Lastly, and most importantly, they all not only want to be on the ball but possess the technical quality to break opponents down with the ball at their feet. They are both attack-minded as well as possession oriented."
Saint Anselm finished with a 7-3-7 overall record in 2019, barely missing the NE10 postseason tournament.
"All nine of these student-athletes achieved enormous success both in the classroom as well as on the field of play throughout their youth careers," commented Bancroft. "For all of them to commit to continuing their careers on the Hilltop speaks volumes of the accomplishments of the current members of our program. We want to be a destination for the absolute best student-athletes. This class affirms we are well on our way."
Below is a look at each of the nine student-athletes joining the Hawks' roster.
Riley DiGilio – Forward – Danvers, Mass. (Danvers)
DiGilio played four years of soccer at Danvers High School, claiming the 2017 Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association State Championship and three Northeastern Conference (NEC) titles. During her junior year, she was named an All-Star by the Salem News, a NEC All-Conference First Team player, as well as a Second Team Eastern Massachusetts All-Star. As a senior, she was named captain of her high school team and finished second in points in the Northeast Conference. In her final campaign, she was once again named a Salem News All-Star and Eastern Massachusetts First Team All-Star. She was also voted as a Top Five Northeastern Conference selection and to the "Best XI Salem News Dream Team" in 2020.
DiGilio played soccer at the club level for the New England Futbol Club (NEFC). She helped her team win two state titles, including back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, her team was the national runner-up and then won the National Tournament the following year.
She received the President's Award for Education Excellence both during her sophomore and junior years for maintaining a grade-point average of over 96%. She was also a member of the National Honor Society.
Alyssa McColl – Midfielder – Stoughton, Mass. (Cardinal Spellman)
McColl was a four-year starter of the varsity women's soccer team for Cardinal Spellman High School. As a senior, she was named captain of the team. In McColl's sophomore and junior seasons, she earned a All-Scholastic honors from the Brockton Enterprise. She was also a two-time Catholic Central League (CCL) All-Star.
Following the 2020 season, she earned Catholic Central League (CCL) All-Star honors, was named to the Eastern Massachusetts First Team, and secured All-State selection.
McColl was an honors student all four years at Cardinal Spellman and was inducted to the National Honors Society as a junior. She played for the New England Futbol Club (NEFC) DPL team.
Ceirra Merritt – Forward – Beverly, Mass. (Beverly)
Merritt played four years of varsity soccer at Beverly High School. She was named an All-Star by the Northeast Conference and picked up Salem News Honorable Mention All-Star in the same year. Merritt helped her team win the 2019 conference title.
She also ran both indoor and outdoor track & field, earning the captainship as a senior. She also earned Northeast Conference All-Star, running on the relay team that qualified for Nationals. The Massachusetts native was a state finalist in the 55m dash.
She was a member of the National Honor Society. Merritt played her club soccer with the New England Futbol Club (NEFC).
Josie Pecor – Forward – Williston, Vt. (Champlain Valley Union)
A four-year varsity member of the Champlain Valley Union High School, Pecor helped the Redhawks win 61 straight games, three state championships, and record four undefeated regular seasons. She led the Redhawks in scoring over her sophomore, junior, and senior seasons, amassing 57 total goals and 23 assists. She also led the Division One Metro League in scoring in her final two seasons as well as being named Metro Offensive Player of the Year in both 2019 and 2020. As a senior captain, she scored 21 goals in a shortened 11-game season. After the 2020 season, she was named Burlington Free Press Player of the Year, a United Soccer Coaches All-New England selection, and a United Soccer Coaches All-America nominee.
Pecor was selected to the Vermont All-State team, Metro First Team, and Burlington Free Press All-State First Team three times. Pecor was just recently voted unanimously as one of two Vermont All-Americans nominees for Division I. She led several mental health and suicide prevention initiatives in her school, athletic department, and in the community to increase awareness and reduce stigma.
She also played for Far Post Soccer Club. As a top 2003 player in Vermont, she led her team in scoring over numerous regional tournaments, securing State Cup titles and five appearances at the Region 1 Championships.
Anna Rigby – Midfielder – Marblehead, Mass. (Marblehead)
As a four-year starting varsity member for Marblehead, Rigby held the role of team captain in her last two seasons. She was named to the NEC All-Star squad in her junior year and earned placement on the NEC All-Conference team. Rigby was selected as a Second Team NEC All-Star as a freshman.
As a senior, she earned Salem News All-Star plaudits, Lynn Item All-Star recognition, and Eastern Massachusetts Second Team All-Star placement.
She received the Coaches' Award during her sophomore and junior years. She played club soccer with the Aztec Soccer Club.
Erin Rutherford – Forward – Ashburnham, Mass. (Cushing Academy)
Rutherford was a four-year varsity soccer starter for Cushing Academy, holding the position of captain as a senior. She comes to the Hilltop as her team's "Best Offensive Soccer Player" all four years in high school. She led the team in goals and assists throughout her four years at Cushing. She was named the Boston Globe's Girls' Soccer All-Scholastic Athlete of the Year for her last three seasons. As a junior, Rutherford was selected as a New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Women's Soccer All-Star.
Rutherford was chosen to attend the 2019 Young Women in Sports Leadership Conference and played her club soccer with the New England Futbol Club (NEFC), competing since the third grade.
Allison Silverstein – Midfielder – Concord, N.H. (Concord)
As a four-year varsity member for Concord, Silverstein played a crucial role in the team's success. She was selected to the All-State First Team in 2019 and All-State Third Team in 2017. She also earned a selection to the Lions Cup, garnering the 2019 Coaches Award from her team.
She played club soccer with the FC Stars.
Kathryn White - Midfielder - Georgetown, Mass. (Governor's Academy / Sacred Heart University)
Bancroft gained a sophomore transfer, Kathryn White, from Sacred Heart University where she played in all 19 games, starting in 18. She earned her first collegiate point via assist in the 3-0 victory over Mount St. Mary on Oct. 20, 2019.
As a freshman, she tallied a pair of assists in the Pioneers' 2-1 victory over Merrimack on Sept. 19 and in the team's 3-1 win over Temple on Sept. 1. At Governor's Academy, she was an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection.
Sydney Wnek – Forward – Haverhill, Mass. (Central Catholic)
A four-year varsity member of the Central Catholic squad, Wnek was named an All-Star by the Eagle Tribune in 2018 and 2019. She was also selected for the Merrimack Valley All-Conference team in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, in 2019, she was named to the Eastern Massachusetts Division I All-Star Team and the Massachusetts All-State Soccer Team. She also earned Offensive Player of the Year for Central Catholic in 2019.
As a senior, she earned Boston Globe All-Scholastic honors alongside All-MVC, All-Eastern Massachusetts First Team, and All-State selections.
Wnek played for the Aztec Soccer Club and was a two-time team captain.
