Building off of last season's CCAC Tournament Championship, interim head coach Diego Cevallos has brought in a talented recruiting class to combine with the returners.

"I feel positive we have a great group of girls who not only are strong athletically but spiritually as well," says Cevallos. "We have brought in some great players who will help the program grow even more this year."

Other players from the area include Angie Kosar (Geneva, IL/Geneva HS), Betsy Barthel (Des Plaines, IL/Maine West HS), and Brienne Bohman (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove HS). Kosar was a part of two Illinois Regional Championships and three Conference Championships in three years of varsity play. Barthel was an All-Conference and All-Sectional selection and guided her team to a school record 15 wins as a freshman. Bohman lettered three-years for Buffalo Grove HS.

Coming from out of state to be an Eagle are players Mackenzie Fowler (Crosby, TX/Crosby HS) and Season Gilliam (South Haven, MI/South Haven HS). Fowler was a four-year letterman in goal and won two District Championships with Crosby. Gilliam, in only one year of lettering, guided South Haven to a District Championship.

Also helping out Judson will be junior Megan Riveria (Elgin, IL/Elgin Larkin HS) and Lil Condit (Spring Grove, IL/Richmond Burton HS). Riveria was the team captain in high school and Condit was a two-time All-Conference selection.

Three players transfer into Judson with collegiate experience that will only make the Eagles a tougher opponent. Megan Satalino (Harwood Heights, IL/Christian Liberty Academy), Kathryn Pansino (Elgin, IL/Elgin Larkin HS), and Kristin Rukhaberlen (Hoffman Estates, IL/Hoffman HS) all played for junior colleges last season.

Satalino comes in as a junior from Triton College where she helped start the program. The 2006 season was the inaugural team for Triton College. Coming from Elgin Community College are Pansino and Rukhaberlen. Both players helped Elgin CC to the Illinois Skyway Conference Championship and a second place finish in the National Junior College Region IV Tournament. Pansino was named All-Conference while Rukhaberlen was the Illinois Skyway and Region IV "Player of the Year." Rukhaberlen also gained NJCAA All-American honorable mention status.

Returning from the CCAC Tournament Championship team are nine players led by All-American Christina Thornton (Algonquin, IL/Dundee-Crown HS). Thornton, who is a two-time All-American, led the CCAC in goals per game (0.84) with 16 goals in 19 games and was fourth in points (37). Holding the midfield and defense accountable is NAIA All-American Emma Mugg (Shawnee, KS/St. Thomas Aquinas HS). Mugg was an All-American in the 2006 season and last season was an All-CCAC honorable mention selection. She gathered one goal and four assists.

"Christina Thornton is more ready this year than I have seen her before," says Cevallos. "She is one of our captains along with Rebecca O'Donnell. O'Donnell just loves to compete and contribute in every way. She is a phenomenal player as well."

Also helping the midfield and defense is Rebecca O'Donnell (Wheeling, IL/Buffalo Grove HS). O'Donnell played in goal half the season and recorded 40 saves. She then moved back to midfield and was a dominate leader as she helped with four shutouts in the final nine matches.

Finishing third on the team is scoring was Lysney McFarland (Livingston, Scotland/St. Margarets Academy) with six goals, seven assists, for 19 points. Also helping in the scoring column is Baerbel Hartner (Ettringen, Germany/Joseph Bernhardt HS) who had four goals and three assists in only 13 matches.

Another midfielder, Amber Bocquin (Shawnee, KS/Shawnee Mission NW HS), scored one goal and started 16 of the 20 matches. Also helping in the midfield will be Monique Blanco (Glendale Heights, IL/Glenbard West HS) and Andrea Pflaum (Chingola, Zambia/Rift Valley Academy).

"The CCAC is one of the toughest conferences in the nation," says Cevallos. "We have very strong teams that get stronger every year. It won't be easy but we will be ready for the challenge and hop to repeat last year's successful run."

Judson, who was the fourth seeded team in the CCAC Tournament, made a run to the championship by knocking off #4 St. Xavier in a double overtime shootout and regionally ranked Robert Morris.

This season will prove to be just as hard as Judson will play non-conference teams that have been ranked or receiving votes in McKendree University, Mt Vernon Nazarene, and Graceland University. Along with that, Trinity Christian, Trinity International, and St. Xavier were all nationally ranked last season.

"My expectations are to continue with the tradition that coach King built. It may be a challenging year for us, but we will continue to grow," says Cevallos. "We will continue to bring in players like the ones we have this year in order to progress. We will also have to play one game at a time. We can only train hard and work to be successful or even more successful than the past years but we cannot assume we will win it all because nothing is given to us for free."

The 2007 CCAC Tournament Championship was the first for Judson and they were also named the #1 team in NAIA Region VII. This year, due to the revamping of the rules, a team has to win the conference tournament to move onto the NAIA National Tournament first-round.

Judson has the players and experience to make more noise this season and continue to build on the foundation that was set from Freddie King.

"It's a brand new year and we have to be ready for the challenge and that will determine the level of our success. If we are ready for such a challenge, we will go far," says Cevallos.