After another strong year defensively in 2018, the Washington Huskies bring back almost all of their defensive backbone. Every start in goal and in the back four return, including four players that started all 19 games. Siena Ruelas, Dani Hansen, and Anna Miller make up the keeper trio once again, combining for every minute of the 2018 season.
On defense, Taylor Sekyra, Kaylene Pang, and Lisa Jensen all started every game last year and are back for 2019. Laura Roberts, who started 16 games, is also back, as is 2017 All-Region honoree Jessica Udovich, who missed most of 2018 with injury. Shae Holmes and Tasia Kravitz (who will miss this year with injury) are back for their second years on Montlake, while KK Cornell and Helena Reischling enter their freshman season with Washington.
Ruelas returns to the Huskies with a full season as starter under her belt. Last year, Ruelas started every game for Washington, starting the season with a seven-save performance in her debut that earned her Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week. The California native recorded four shutouts in her 19 games, carrying a .745 save percentage.
In Pac-12 play, Ruelas recorded back-to-back shutouts, blanking Oregon State and Oregon on the same weekend as the Huskies picked up their first two Pac-12 wins. She would make seven saves at Colorado and six more against UCLA.
Hansen made her collegiate debut as a freshman in 2018, playing 21 minutes against Seattle U as part of Washington's 4-0 shutout of its crosstown rivals.
Before coming to Washington, Hansen was one of the top goalkeeper recruits in the country, twice making the ECNL finals and winning an NPL championship.
While Miller did not see any game action in her first year at UW, she was a vital part of the keeper group, working alongside Ruelas and Hansen. An All-American while at Concordia, Miller played high school soccer with Huskies Claudia Longo and Kaylene Pang before starting her collegiate career.
Sekyra served as the Husky captain in 2018 and is back again, providing leadership and experience on the back line. A three-time Pac-12 All-Academic selection, Sekyra has played in every game each of the last two years, playing all but 53 possible minutes in that time.
In 2018, Sekyra was named the Husky Invitational Defensive MVP. She has helped the Huskies record 16 shutouts over the last two seasons. Sekyra enters this season having started 52 games already, including the last 47 consecutive games. She is on pace to break the 5000-minute mark this year, having played over 1700 in each of the last two years.
A breakout 2018 portends a big 2019 for Pang. In her first year as a starter, Pang played every minute of every game for the Huskies, starring as a central defender. She scored her first career goal off a free kick against #20 Colorado, tying the game in regulation's dying minutes. Just a few weeks later, Pang scored Washington's only brace of the year, potting two goals against California.
Off the field, Pang was named to the Pac-12's All-Academic Second Team in her first year of eligibility for academic awards.
A state champion while in high school, Reischling will be in her first year as a Husky this season. She played high school soccer with Seattle Prep and was named an All-American, winning state in 2015 and taking third in 2016. In 2017, Reischling's club team, Crossfire ECNL, took second in the nation, after which she was named to the U-17 Best IX.
Jensen's strong play as a fullback continued as a junior, with the Washington native ready to keep that up in 2019. Jensen picked up two assists in 2018, against #7 Florida and Cal State Fullerton. Three times she played over 100 minutes in a single game and 12 times she played every minute in a game.
Jensen was a Pac-12 All-Academic selection once again in 2018, her second consecutive All-Academic honor. She chipped in with nine shots in 2018, three on goal, and now has 16 career shots despite playing mostly a defensive role.
Injury ended Holmes' Husky debut early, with the freshman playing just one game, at Seattle U. Now fully recovered, Holmes looks to be an important part of Washington's defense in 2019.
Before coming to Washington, Holmes was a three-time NCSA All-American and was ranked as one of the top recruits in the country. She was Colorado's Gatorade Player of the Year after the 2017 season and, while playing for Real Colorado, served as team captain for six years.
After earning All-Region honors in 2017, Udovich started 2018 just as impressively before injury cut her season short. Udovich is back in 2019, ready to reclaim her spot as a stalwart defender with dangerous offensively ability when the opportunity arises.
Udovich played in three games for the Huskies before her injury in 2018, two of which were shutouts. In 2018, Udovich finished second on the Huskies with 1829 minutes played, starting all 20 games.
The second of Washington's newcomers, Cornell joins the Huskies after an impressive club career with San Diego Surf. Cornell played in the U18 national championship while a part of Surf and was twice named team captain. A central defender, Cornell still scored four goals in 2018.
Roberts was pressed into heavy duty in her first year with the Huskies and was up to the task. The sophomore started 16 games and played in 17, all as a fullback. She earned her first career point when she assisted on Sianna Siemonsma's goal at Seattle U.
Roberts fired 11 shots in 2018, with six of those shots going on goal. In all, Roberts played almost 1400 minutes on defense for the Huskies.
© 2026 Washington Huskies
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