CARSON - Cal State Dominguez Hills women's soccer head coach Marine Cano has announced 13 additions to his upcoming 2019 roster. In total, there are five junior college transfers, seven freshmen and one Division I transfer. Jessica Neighbors, Haley McDevitt, Renee Escobar, Akeila Oribello, Kailyn Genie, Karina Banda, Kekoa Nelson, Maylena Medina, Sofia Velazquez, Ivette Felix, Yannelli Sanchez, Savannah Boone and Sara Kattainen will don the cardinal and gold next season. 
 
Jessica Neighbors
Position: Goalkeeper
Hometown: Huntington Beach
Previous School: Santiago Canyon College
• Two-time All-Orange Empire Conference Second Team (2017-18)
• Helped team to the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship title
Cano on Neighbors: "Jessica is a very good student who will be graduating in two years and on time.  She brings a high level of talent to our goalkeeping position. Jessica will be knocking on the door to start, back up, or anything that is asked of her to help our team win. Her dedication to the position and hard work ethic was proven by leading SCC to winning the state championship with an impressive 10 shutouts. We are very fortunate to have her for the next two years at The Hills."
 
Haley McDevitt
Position: Defender
Hometown: Irvine
Previous School: Santiago Canyon College
• 2018 United Soccer Coaches Junior College Women's Division III All-America First Team
• 2018 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship Most Valuable Player
• Helped team to the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship title
• Two-time All-Orange Empire Conference First Team (2017-18)
Cano on McDevitt: "Haley excels in the classroom as well as on the field. She will be coming to The Hills to solidify our defensive back four. Haley brings a lot of talent to the table in her tackling, reading of the game, and can mark anyone out of the game. She has the ability to score goals with her head off set pieces which she demonstrated in her last four games at SCC, scoring one goal each game including the game-winner in the final."
 
Renee Escobar
Position: Defender
Hometown: Upland
Previous School: Santa Monica College
• Two-time All-Western State Conference South Division First Team (2016, 2018)
Cano on Escobar: "Renee's mental and physical toughness will be a great addition to our team as a ball winner. She has the knack of taking it personal when playing one-on-one defense. She has speed and can read the game. Renee is a very dedicated student and will be a great role model to our younger players."
 
Akeila Oribello
Position: Defender
Previous School: Escondido HS
Hometown: Escondido
• Three-time All-Valley League First Team (2015-17)
Cano on Oribello: "Akeila is a very versatile player, but we are looking to bring her in to play one of the outside back positions. I recruited her for her hard work and determination to be a very good college student and great college player.  If needed, she can also play at the wing position. She is a player that can come in and make an impact right away."
 
Kailyn Genie
Position: Defender
Previous School: Chino Hills HS
Hometown: Eastvale
Cano on Genie: "Kailyn is a very technical player that can connect passes under pressure. She can speed the game up or slow it down when needed. Kailyn has great vision and is a greater teammate. She is hardworking in the classroom and is very driven to always succeed."
 
Karina Banda
Position: Defender
Previous School: Rio Hondo College
Hometown: Whittier
• 2018 South Coast Conference North Division Second Team
Cano on Banda: "Karina is a hard-working, tough player. She plays very physical at the outside back position and was recruited to make sure that no one gets behind our defense from the flanks. She is very determined to do her job to win balls for her team. She will be fighting for a starting spot on this team. Karina's focus is not only in soccer. She is also excited to get a great education here at CSUDH and is motivated to find a great job once she graduates."
 
Kekoa Nelson
Position: Midfielder
Previous School: Huntington Beach HS
Hometown: Huntington Beach
Cano on Nelson: "Kekoa is a great student who excels in the classroom and has determination and motivation to be a top student-athlete here at The Hills. I can expect her to play two positions for us, center back or holding center mid. Kekoa is extremely fast, strong, and a very dedicated player in everything she does. She will be asked to do a variety of things on the field like marking the opponent's best midfielder out of the game and is winning balls in the air, both of which she is phenomenal at. We are so excited that she is going to play for us at The Hills.
 
Maylena Medina
Position: Midfielder
Previous School: Cerritos College
Hometown: Carson
• Two-time All-South Coast Conference South Division Second Team (2017-18)
• Compiled eight goals and eight assists in two seasons (44 games) at Cerritos College
Cano on Medina: "Mayela is my type of player. She can run all day and will do all of the tough jobs defensively for her team. I believe she wanted to play for me and The Hills because I'm going to ask her to attack and score goals. Mayela is an exceptional student-athlete and will do very well here."
 
Sofia Velazquez
Position: Midfielder
Previous School: Newport Harbor HS
Hometown: Midway City
Cano on Velazquez: "Sofia is one of my top recruits and can do it all. Academically, Sofia is very well rounded and disciplined in her studies with a focus of being one of the top scholars on our team. On the attacking side of the ball she can dribble, cut players and hit a ball 40 to 50 yards on the money. On the defensive side, she is a great tackler of the ball, can read the game and takes one-on-one defending personal. I am looking to play her at center mid position."
 
Ivette Felix
Position: Midfielder
Previous School: Serrano HS
Hometown: Victorville
• Helped team to three Mojave River League titles
Cano on Felix: "I recruited Ivette because she is a fantastic dribbler. I love players that dribble, take players on and pass when they can't. Ivette will be coached in a way that she will be one of the leading goal scorers on our team. She is a very disciplined and fit player that has a chance to be a starter here. She is a hard worker in the classroom who is determined to get great grades and succeed in her academic career.  We are excited to have her!"
 
Yannelli Chavez
Position: Midfielder
Previous School: La Sierra HS
Hometown: Riverside
• Two-time All-River Valley League honoree (2016-17 First Team, 2017-18 Second Team)
Cano on Chavez: "One of the big factors in Yannelli's recruitment is that she is extremely dedicated in the classroom which is a huge factor in her success. Yannelli is a player that can hold the ball, read the game and can determine what is going to happen before it happens. She is a player that I want on my team, especially in the attacking third of the field. I believe that Yanelli can help us create a lot of scoring chances."
 
Savannah Boone
Position: Forward
Previous School: Liberty HS
Hometown: Discovery Bay
• Helped team to CIF North Coast Section Semifinals
Cano on Boone: "Savannah is a player we are counting on to score goals. Her presence on the field is remarkable, scaring opponents with her ability to score goals, even on half chances. Her vision is exceptional to know where she is and where she is going to go with the ball to get her shot on target. The speed of play in the CCAA will determine her role. If Savannah comes in strong physically, she could be playing a lot for minutes for The Hills in 2019. Along with all that Savannah can bring for us on the field, she is a great scholar who is in all honors classes. We are excited for the impact she is going to on this team both on and off the field."
 
Sara Kattainen
Position: Forward
Previous School: Ohio University
Hometown: Hameenlinna, Finland
• Played in 18 games with three assists and one goal in 2017 at Ohio University
Cano on Kattianen: "Sara is a player we need as someone with experience of playing at a high level of collegiate soccer. She has great speed, knowledge of the game, can set up scoring chances, and put goals away. Sara is a player that can be a leader by example because of her work ethic and positive attitude on and off the field. We are so excited she chose Dominguez Hills to finish her college career."