GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota's head soccer coach Henrik Sohn announced the signing of eight incoming student-athletes ahead of the 2027 season throughout Wednesday and Thursday.

Class Breakdown
By State/Country: Austria (1), Canada (1), Colorado (1), Japan (1), Kansas (1), Michigan (1), Nevada (1), North Dakota (1),
By Position: Forward (3), Defender (1), Goalkeeper (1), Midfielder (1), Outside Back (1)

Names are listed in alphabetical order.

Sophia Cocumelli | 5-7 | Forward | Overland Park, Kansas | Blue Valley West HS
Arrives in Grand Forks as a four-year letterwinner at Blue Valley West HS … Rated a three star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer … Listed on and steadily rose on the Prep Soccer National Rankings List … She helped guide the Jaguars to a trio of regional championships, including a 6A state championship in 2024 … She contributed to her team's 6A Regional title this past season … Played club soccer with Sporting Blue Valley ECNL … Earned Kansas All-State and All-EKL nods as a senior.

Coach Sohn on Cocumelli: "Sophia is an exciting attacking player who brings tremendous athleticism and a natural ability to find the back of the net. Her attacking qualities and finishing ability will be a great addition to our offensive group. We cannot wait to welcome her to Grand Forks!"

Kynsli Gillmore | Goalkeeper | Minot, North Dakota | Minot HS
Makes the 200-mile trek east to Grand Forks after a successful career at Minot High School … Was the Majettes starting goalie since she was in eighth grade, where she helped the team win a state title … Had 10 shutouts as a sophomore holding a 91.5 save percentage, both of which led the WDA … Had nine shutouts on a .888 save percentage as a junior, posting a 12-2-1 record … Has earned Multiple All-State honors … Is the second Division I soccer player to come out of Minot.

Coach Sohn on Gillmore: "Kynsli is a talented goalkeeper from Minot, North Dakota. She brings tremendous athleticism and a genuine eagerness to develop her craft. We are confident she will be a fantastic addition to our program, and we cannot wait to see her grow as a Fighting Hawk!"

Paige Jasinowski | 5-4 | Outside Back | Centennial, Colorado | Grandview HS
Will join the Fighting Hawks after competing with Grandview High School and Real Colorado National ECNL … Was a First Team All-Leaguer as a sophomore after scoring 12 points on the season off five goals and two assists … As a freshman, dished five assists and added a goal … Enters her senior high school season with 31 high school matches played … Was an Academic All-State First Team member as a freshman, sophomore and junior thus far.

Coach Sohn on Jasinowski: "Paige will be a great addition to our outside back group. Coming from a strong club background, she brings quality and depth to our defensive unit. We cannot wait to see what she will accomplish in Kelly Green!"

Audrey McQueen | 5-7 | Defender | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | Holy Cross HS
Joining the Fighting Hawks from Canada … Two-time provincial champion … Named a member of the 2024 Saskatoon Girls Combine First Team in 2024 … Part of the U18 NDC Selects in 2025 … Competed with Team Saskatchewan in the 2025 St. Paul Canada Games … Played club soccer for Saskatchewan Excel.

Sohn on McQueen: "Audrey is an athletic defender who brings a great ability to read the game, break up plays, and disrupt opposing attacks. Her defensive qualities will be a valuable addition to our backline. We cannot wait to welcome her to our program and see her develop as a Fighting Hawk!"

Ayaka Nagano | 5-0 | Forward | Tokyo, Japan | Barton CC
Comes to Grand Forks after two seasons at Barton Community College … Scored five goals for the Cougars with three assists in 38 matches played … Named the KJCCC Freshman of the Year in 2025, scoring four of her five career goals with an assist … Was named the KJCCC Division I Women's Soccer Player of the Week as a freshman after scoring twice in her collegiate debut … Named a First Team All-KJCCC member in both seasons at Barton CC.

Coach Sohn on Nagano: "Ayaka joins us from Barton Community College. She is an exceptionally technical player with the creativity and ability to unlock opposing defenses. We are excited to add her qualities to our attacking group and believe she can make an immediate impact on our program!"

Riley Priestap | 5-5 | Midfielder | Brighton, Michigan | Mercy HS
Arrives at North Dakota after a high school career at Mercy HS … Three star recruit according to Top Drawer Soccer … Helped lead her school to the Girls Academy National Semifinals in 2026, after a runner-up finish in 2025 … Led Mercy to the Girls Academy Conference title in the 2024-25 and 2026-27 season … Played club soccer for the Michigan Jaguars 2009 GA … As strong in the classroom as the pitch, landing a spot in the honor roll in each semester in high school.

Sohn on Priestap: "Riley is a midfielder from Michigan who brings a relentless work rate and an outstanding range of passing. Her ability to cover ground, compete, and dictate play will help elevate our midfield group. We are excited about the impact she will make in our program!"

Sophie Sachs | 5-6 | Forward/Midfielder | Las Vegas, Nevada | Arbor View HS
Joins North Dakota after a standout high school career at Arbor View … Rated a three star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer … Scored 136 points in 43 high school games … Recorded 54 goals and 28 assists … Averaged 3.2 points, 1.3 goals and 0.7 assists per contest … Led the Aggies to an 18-3-3 overall record with a 10-2-2 league record as a senior, guiding them to the 5A State Finals … Had an outstanding 2026 campaign, stringing together 26 goals and 14 assists, both single-season career highs, for 66 points … Her goal total led her league … All-State and All-League in each season of high school … Played club soccer with LVSA 09 GA.

Coach Sohn on Sachs: "Sophie joins us with a strong club background and the versatility to make an impact in multiple attacking positions. She is a dangerous player in the final third, and her offensive quality and effectiveness will be a great addition to our attacking group. We are excited to welcome her to Grand Forks!"

Alissa Zimmermann | 5-6 | Midfielder | Hausmannstätten, Austria | BORG Monsberger Graz
Makes the transition to collegiate soccer after spending the last two seasons competing with SPG Südburgenland and TSV Harberg in Austria … Contributed to the clubs promotion to the First Division of the ÖFB-Frauenliga of the Austrian Women's Bundesliga … Has 18 goals in 283 games played across her lifetime … Competed for SK Sturm Graz Fauen, a top three teams in the Bundesliga … Played at the U17 European Championship with her native Austria … Helped lead the country to victory in Portugal with U17 squad, leading to her earning a spot on the U19 Women's Austria National Team.

Coach Sohn on Zimmermann: "Alissa joins us with a background in the Austrian National Team system, bringing a high level of quality and understanding of the game to our program. We believe she will be a fantastic addition to our midfield group and cannot wait to see what she will accomplish as a Fighting Hawk!"

For more information on North Dakota soccer, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDsoccer.