IRVINE, Calif. --- On the heels of the seven freshman signees last month, the Anteater coaching staff brings in two more as transfers to the signing class in Hannah Roberts and Emiley Benner.
  

Student-Athlete	Year	Height	Position	Hometown	School(s)	Clubs	Country
Emiley Benner	Junior	5-4	Midfielder	Laguna Niguel, Calif.	Air Force Academy	So Cal Blues / Mustang ECNL	United States
Hannah Roberts	Sophomore	5-5	Goalkeeper	Kent, Washington	University of Nevada / Highline College	PACNW	United States

Emiley Benner | Junior, M - "Emiley has strong family connections to UC Irvine so she already understands the quality of the University she is now a part of. Having watched Emiley over the years, I am thrilled to she has decided to become an Anteater. We want our student-athletes to embrace the idea of being strong women in whatever they do, and Emiley's experience at the Air Force Academy will be an asset to our young squad from a "team first" mentality and a solid grounding in effective leadership as we grow over the next few years.The Anteater fans will love her commitment to the game, the competition, and her teammates." - Head Coach Scott Juniper


Emiley returns to Southern California after growing up in Laguna Niguel, Calif. The midfielder headed north to Danville and later Monte Vista High School where she secured all-conference honors three times and two NorCal State Championships. In addition to her on-field performance, she was a four-time Scholar Athlete and National Honor Society member helping her earn a spot with Air Force Academy. As a Falcon and member of cadet squadron 33, she flourished in her freshman year playing in all 18 matches, starting five times, and getting her first point in her very first match. She finished her 2019 freshman season with six points from four assists and a goal coming as a game-winner in a 1-0 win over Utah State.

Hannah Roberts | Sophomore, GK - "Hannah Roberts is a transfer from the University of Nevada, Reno. She comes to us with a season at the Division 1 level under her belt. She has a blue-collar work ethic and is driven on an off the field. Her explosiveness, experience, and distribution are qualities we are excited to add to our program." - Assistant Coach Danielle de Seriere

Hannah joins the crew as a second goalkeeper in the Anteater arsenal, and like Emiley comes from the Division I route. A native of Kent in the state of Washington, Hannah crushed it in high on the soccer pitch and with the track team. She earned all-league honors twice, and on her club team, Pacific NW Soccer Club, was named team captain. She earned a spot with the University of Nevada playing in one match in her freshman year of 2019 subbing on for 64 minutes in a loss to San Jose State, but recording four saves in the process. Hannah has spent the last year at Highline Community College back in Washington.