WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Coming off back-to-back America East Regular Season championships, University of Hartford women's soccer head coach John Natale is pleased to announce the addition of six student-athletes who will join the roster for the upcoming 2016 season. Arriving on campus for preseason training in August as true freshmen, the group will look to help the program continue its dominant run in the region and the America East Conference.

Coming to Hartford by way of the Nutmeg State are Kaila Lozada (Newington, Conn.), Madison Stabile (Rocky Hill, Conn.) and Sierra Stone (Hebron, Conn.). Natale also continues to highlight his regional reach by landing Bridgette Alexander (Huntingdon Valley, Pa.), Sara Pedroza (Levittown, N.Y.) and Skylar Vitiello (Massapequa Park, N.Y.).

"We have monitored this recruiting class very closely, and are extremely excited to have them on our roster for the upcoming 2016 season," exclaimed Natale, who, alongside his assistant coaches Ciara Crinion, Kevin Bacher and Chanel Johnson, was named the America East Coaching Staff of the Year in 2015 for the fourth time in five seasons. "They will provide an immediate impact for our program and I look forward to seeing them grow as student-athletes during their career."

Alexander will provide additional attacking offense in a front line that returns its two of its top scorers, in America East All-Conference honorees Aaliyah Ingram (8g/4a) and Julia Carr (6g/5a). A four-year member of the soccer team at Lower Moreland High School, she amassed 292 points, including a school-record 112 goals, despite seeing her senior season abruptly come to an end with an injury. A two-time team captain, Alexander's career was highlighted by a slew of accolades, including all-state, all-region and four first team all-league awards.

Lozada, Pedroza and Stone will add depth to a solid midfield that contributed nine goals while helping the Hawks shut out nine opponents a year ago. Lozada played four years of varsity soccer at Newington High School, where she recorded 80 goals during her career, including 28 as a senior in 2015. That season, she helped pilot the team to the CCC South Blue Division title and capped off her career by earning All-New England honors. Lozada also earned a trio of all-state nods throughout her career.

A technical player with a strong soccer IQ, Pedroza comes to Hartford from Division Avenue High School. Spending two years on her high school soccer team, she also played in the ECNL for East Meadow, N.Y., where she was a five-year team captain. Pedroza was also a three-year member of the New York State Olympic Development Program soccer team.

Stone collected four All-CCC and two all-state honors as a four-year member of the soccer team at RHAM High School. As a midfielder, she tallied 47 career goals while helping her high school team to four-straight CCC East Conference championships and a Connecticut Class L semifinal appearance as a junior in 2014. Tabbed the team's MVP as a senior, Stone was also a two-time All-Courant Soccer Team member in 2014 and 2015.

Stone and future Hawk Stabile were teammates prior to landing at Hartford, as the duo played together for the Oakwood Soccer Club. Oakwood was a two-time State Cup champion, a two-time semifinalist in the NPL National Tournament and a New England Girls NPL Spring Champion behind the play of Stone and Stable.

In addition to her career at Oakwood, Stabile, a defender, was a four-year standout at Rocky Hill. She will be joining a Hawks back line that posted nine shutouts and finished the 2015 campaign ranked 11th in the nation in goals-against average (0.55). Stablie was a C.G.S.C.A. All-State selection in 2015 and a three-time CCC All-Conference Team member at Rocky Hill, while captaining the squad as a senior.

Rounding out the newcomers is Vitiello, a versatile player from Massapequa High School where she led the squad to three-straight New York titles in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In addition to being named the Player of the Playoffs in 2015, she capped off her career by earning All-County laurels. Vitiello scored five goals and had seven assists as a senior to finish her career with 63 points. She also enjoyed a successful stint with the Massapequa Soccer Club. As a team captain, she led the squad to a NY NPL State title in 2013 and a pair of NPL National Tournament semifinal appearances in 2013 and 2015.

Hartford, which loses six players to graduation, closed out the 2015 campaign with an 11-4-4 overall record. Earning the conference's regular-season title for the second time in as many years, the Hawks advanced to the America East Championship title match for the second-straight season, but fell to Albany by a 2-1 final.

In addition to Ingram and Carr, the team's top leading scorers from last year, the squad also returns America East Goalkeeper of the Year Jessica Jurg, America East All-Conference First Team defender Caitlin Smallfield, and midfielders Tori Tripp and Hayley Nolan, who are also coming off All-Conference recognition in 2015.