After going 8-11 last season and graduating five seniors, Oregon soccer added five incoming freshmen to its 2018 roster on national signing day on Wednesday.
The Ducks signed goalkeeper Charlotte Brisley, forward Jordan Wormdahl, defender Claire Watkins, forward Zoe Hasenauer and defender Chai Cortez.
Brisley, from Excelsior, Minnesotta, played her club soccer for Shattuck St. Mary’s Academy in Minnessota.
“I chose Oregon because it offers me the unique combination of high level athletics as well as great academics,” Brisley said in a press release. “The opportunity to play in the Pac-12 Conference against some of the best players in the country really appealed to me because I love competition, and at Oregon I feel like I can really be competitive.”

Wormdahl played at North Eugene High School under her mother and head coach Brandy Wormdahl, who played for Oregon State. Wormdahl was the 5A State Player of the Year in 2017 as the team came runners-up in the state championship. Wormdahl also played for Crossfire United in the ECNL.
Wormdahl joins fellow Eugene native Emma Eddy on the team.
“I really like the trust the players have in the coaches,” Wormdahl said in the release. “And for me, being close to home and family, with the amazing academic and athletic support and facilities that Oregon has was important. Plus the team is an underdog in the Pac-12 and I want to help build the program into a winner.”
Watkins played for Albion and San Diego Surf and was on the 2015-16 Olympic Development Program (ODP) national championship team.

Hasenauer played for Real So Cal in Simi Valley, California. She and Wormdahl could provide that needed edge that Oregon has looked for in forwards in recent years.
“What I really admire about the soccer team is their hunger to learn and improve,” Hasneauer said. “There’s also a never-give-up attitude which goes a long way in attaining team goals.”

Cortez joins fellow Hawaiians Chardonnay Curran and True Dydasco, who will both be sophomores next year. She is from Hawaii, just as Oregon’s greatest scorer (34 goals in 76 games) Nicole Garbin, who was recently added to the UO Hall of Fame.
Cortez has received call ups to the U.S. women’s national team, most recently at the U-18 level.
“From all the schools I visited and researched, nothing came close to the facilities of Oregon,” Cortez said. “The overall support of UO was also a key for me and the area felt like home.”
Oregon’s 2018 schedule has yet to be announced, but the Ducks’ season will kick off in August as head coach Kat Mertz looks to take her team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program’s history.
Follow Shawn Medow on Twitter @ShawnMedow