By Jill Saftel, News Staff

After a postseason nailbiter against Hofstra University knocked the Northeastern women’s soccer team out of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament on penalty kicks, the Huskies are ready to kick off the 2013 season with a large group of incoming recruits, which the team hopes will lead to an increase in depth and athleticism on the pitch.

In addition to the 11-member recruiting class brought in by head coach Tracey Leone and her staff, the Huskies will be joined by transfer student Allie Coppenrath. With one year of eligibility left after playing for the University of New Hampshire, Leone said Coppenrath is a very versatile player with a lot of experience.

“It’s her last year, so she’s very hungry to end her college career with a bang,” Leone said. “She’s going to be a great addition.”

While Coppenrath brings years of collegiate soccer experience with her to Parsons Field, a group of 11 freshmen will put on a college uniform for the first time with Leone’s group.

“The whole theme of the class is adding a lot of depth to team and that’s what we’ve been trying to build since I’ve been here,” Leone said. “We’ll have more numbers playing since our schedule is so grueling.”

In the back, two goalkeepers will be in the net. Leone said Caton Beaulieu from North Yarmouth, Me. and Jill Quinn of Toronto, Ontario are both very hardworking netminders with a lot of potential and a desire to improve.

With starting goaltender Paige Burnett entering her junior year, Leone said she’ll act as a mentor for Beaulieu and Quinn while in turn, the younger players will push Burnett to become better as well.

The Huskies are adding four players to their defensive core in Jenny Sinclair of Glen Allen, Va., Skylar LeBlanc of East Greenwich, RI, Mackenzie Dowd of Gig Harbor, Wash. and Kimberly Slade from nearby Bolton.

“They’re going to add a good lot of athleticism and leadership to back line,” Leone said. “Dowd is an elite level student and was a great leader for her team. Skylar [LeBlanc] and Jenny [Sinclair] are just tremendous athletes and really fit.

“She’s a committed athlete with a tremendous left foot, great server,” Leone added of Slade. “She can play left back, left midfield, she’s going to be dangerous on free kicks.”

Leone is also returning some starting backs for one of the first times in her career as coach at Northeastern, and she said she’s looking forward to having a more experienced back line.

At midfield, joining Northeastern is Carina Deanderis of Bethesda, Md., Krista Meaglia from Sierra Madre, Calif. and Nicole Wilkins of Natick. Slade and LeBlanc are able to play both on the back line and in the midfield.

“Carina [Deanderis] is more of a defensive midfielder, giving us some good balance in our midfield,” Leone said. “It’s the position we’ve had the least amount of depth in, she’s great ball winner and will fill a need that we’ve had since we’ve been here.

“Krista [Meaglia] and Nikki [Wilkins] are quick players, attacking flank midfielders,” she added.

Up front, Leone brought in Taylor Caparo of Ambler, Pa., and Hayley Sinclair, Jenny’s twin also from Glen Falls, Va. Some of the midfielders can also play the forward position, Leone said.

She said she’s expecting gritty goals from feisty Hayley Sinclair and thought Caparo’s hardworking nature was a great fit for her team.

“I’ve been staying in touch with our whole team this summer and I’m really encouraged by their level of commitment to prepare for season,” Leone said. “Two weeks after coming in for preseason, we have our first game, so there isn’t a lot of time to have offseason and train. The success of our season is very dependent upon how they prepare in the summer with conditioning, strength training and playing.”

It’s that work ethic Leone feels her newest recruits will match, and with a large group of incoming freshmen, she said it will only improve everyone’s play.

“It will create competitive practices, and the hope is that everyday in training they’re pushing each other – a great byproduct of this competitive depth.”

The Huskies open up their preseason with three exhibition games against the Boston Breakers, Boston University and Colgate University before heading to the west coast to begin their season against the University of California at Los Angeles Aug. 23.