WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - William and Mary head women's soccer coach John Daly signed eight student-athletes to national letters of intent on Wednesday.  The eight player recruiting class joins a stout W&M squad, fresh off of a CAA championship, and a NCAA tournament birth last season.  In the national polls, last year the Tribe climbed to as high as No. 14th last season.  When it was all said and done in 2011, the College posted an overall record of 17-3-2 and a CAA ledger of 10-1.

The eight signees joining the Green and Gold in the fall of 2012 include: Nicole Baxter (Pennington, N.J.), Ashley Booth (Burke, Va.), Caroline Casey (Chesapeake, Va.), Samantha Cordum (Boise, Idaho), Regan Houston (Marshall, Va.), Leci Irvin (Charlottesville, Va.), Meghan Musgrove (Midlothian, Va.), and Barbra Platenberg (Fairfax Station, Va.)

Nicole Baxter
Central Midfielder - Pennington, N.J. (Pennington H.S.)
Coach Daly on Baxter: " Nicole plays her club soccer for the FC Bucks Extreme, one of the strongest club teams in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Nicole is a constructive, creative midfield player who has the ability to spot openings and play teammates into scoring situations."

Ashley Booth -
Outside Back - Burke, Va. - (Robinson H.S.)
Coach Daly on Booth: "Ashley is an accomplished outside back with the ability to serve tremendous crosses from wide positions.  She plays her club soccer for the Vista Omni, another very strong regional team."

Caroline Casey
Goalkeeper - Chesapeake, Va. - (Grassfield H.S.)
Coach Daly on Casey: "Caroline is one of the top goalkeepers in the nation.  Highly recruited, she has the potential to be a top collegiate goalkeeper.  A member of the U.S. U17 and U18 teams, she has also represented both Virginia and Region One in the Olympic Development Program.  Caroline plays her club soccer for the Virginia Rush Nike Soccer Club."

Samantha Cordum
Forward - Boise, Idaho - (Boise Senior H.S.)
Coach Daly on Cordum: "A versatile forward, Samantha has the kind of physical qualities needed at the division-one level.  She is strong, fast and fearless in her pursuit to score goals.  She plays her club soccer for Supernova Elite."

Regan Houston
Midfielder/Forward - Marshall, Va. - (Bishop O'Connell H.S.)
Coach Daly on Houston: "Regan has the ability to score goals and create chances. Her club team, McLean Soccer Club, won the Super Y National Championship in 2012."

Leci Irvin
Forward/Midfielder - Charlottesville, Va. - (Tandem Friends H.S.)
Coach Daly on Irvin: "Leci has outstanding pace and the ability to score goals and create chances.  She was named VISAA Player of the Year in 2010 and has played on the Virginia state team since 2009.    She plays her club soccer for SOCA Elite Storm."

Meghan Musgrove
Central Defender - Midlothian, Va. - (Clover Hill H.S.)
Coach Daly on Musgrove: "Meghan is a strong center back with composure and the ability to play accurately out of the back.  She plays her club soccer for the Richmond Kickers Club."

Barbra Platenberg
Forward/Midfielder - Fairfax Station, Va. - (Robinson H.S.)
Coach Daly on Platenberg: "Barbra is a tricky forward who can take on and beat defenders.  She has fully recovered from a knee injury, which kept her out for most of last year.  Formerly a teammate of Emily Fredrikson and Anna Madden with the Braddock Road Azul, Barbra has represented Region One in the Olympic Development Program, and she currently plays soccer for McLean."