With the 2021 college soccer season in the rearview mirror, we're shining the spotlight on first-years who made the most of their opportunity.
We've opted for a Best XI format and arranged the group in a 3-4-3 formation, with nine different programs represented. Three of the players have New England hometowns.
Now, we should note how challenging it was to select only 11 players. It meant tough omissions like Yale attacker Ellie Rappole (Winchester, Mass.) and Brown forward Miya Grant-Clavijo, while an injury derailed Harvard forward Ainsley Ahmadian.
We also limited ourselves to true first-years, which meant those like Central Connecticut State forward Kelly Brady (redshirt freshman) and Hartford forward Chloe Layne (Wrentham, Mass.) missed the cut.
