COEUR d'ALENE - After watching as the North Idaho College women's basketball team won a NJCAA championship by recruiting local players, Cardinal women's soccer coach Dan Hogan will try to keep that local momentum going.

Post Falls High graduates Hannah Slinkard (goalkeeper) and Aubree Mercier (forward), as well as Kellee Tilson (midfield), Hailey Spivey (defender) and Tori Cozad (defender) of Lake City, have signed to play at NIC this fall.

"I got a chance to watch all of them play in club quite a bit," said Hogan, who also coaches in the Coeur d'Alene Sting club soccer program. "Hannah has a good body size and nice soft hands for a goalkeeper. She can really develop into a good keeper. Aubree has a ton of natural ability and can score from anywhere on the field. Kelly is all energy and goes 100 miles per hour all game. She's a real workaholic. Tori's a quick defender. She may not be the quickest, but does a great job of getting in front of the ball. Hailey’s willing to move anywhere in the attack and will be valuable to our team.”

Hogan has one more scholarship to give, and hopes to add the remaining player later this month when he travels to the Far West Regionals in Boise.

“We’re trying to add another good goal scorer to go along with Demi (Wignot),” Hogan said. “Hopefully they’ll be the one that got missed by a four-year school and is still looking.”

Megan Powell, a team captain last fall at NIC, has signed with Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Hogan said. Quincy Moore has moved on to Eastern Oregon University in La Grande and Samantha Kirkendall will play at the College of Idaho in Caldwell.

NIC had 14 freshmen last season, when the Cardinals finished 10-5-3, and Hogan expects all to return this fall.

“I’m really looking forward to the season,” Hogan said. “All the girls returning are excited. I think we’ll have a good season this year.”