July 24, 2017
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State women's soccer head coach Mike Friesen has announced the addition of Esther Arnarsdottir, Chloe Frisch and Phoebe Leitch to the 2017 roster.
"We are extremely excited to add three top-quality players, all with National Team ties," Friesen said. "We have a quality team, and then to add a player to each line that can make an immediate impact is very exciting.
"Esther has an ability to score goals and be dangerous in several spots up top," Friesen said. "Chloe will add great quality to our midfield. She is technical and has the ability to control the tempo of the game as well as go forward and create. Phoebe, meanwhile, will bring an attacking presence on our back line and is a gritty defender."
Arnarsdottir comes to Montezuma Mesa with youth national team experience in her native country of Iceland. The forward played with Iceland's U16, U17 and U19 teams, logging 15 goals in 31 games across each of the three squads. Prior to that, she joined Breidablik's first team in 2012 and then in 2014, she was the top scorer in Iceland's first division while playing for Fjölnir FC. In 69 games with Breidablik and Fjölnir FC, she found the back of the net 26 times vs. first division and Premier League competition.
Frisch hails from nearby Solana Beach and heads south to San Diego State after graduating from Santa Fe Christian this past spring. The midfielder was the Coastal League Player of the Year in 2015 and finished her career as a two-time first-team all-conference selection. At the club level, Frisch played for San Diego Surf and won an ECNL championship in 2015. Frisch, who is ranked as the No. 33 incoming freshman nationally by Top Drawer Soccer, also brings with her to The Mesa U.S. Youth national team experience.
Leitch arrives in San Diego from England where she was called up for duty with the country's U15 and U17 youth national teams, and made her international debut vs. Ireland in 2014. A defender, Leitch played with Brighton and Hove Albion FC and helped the first team earn a promotion. She also played for Sussex County at the junior and senior levels.
The trio joins an incoming group that features four high school standouts and a Division I transfer. All told, the eight newcomers join a program that finished 2016 with a 10-7-4 record and advanced to the title game of the Mountain West Championship for the fifth straight campaign. The 10-win season was SDSU's sixth straight and 2017 will provide the program the opportunity to match the school-record streak of seven.