ROCHESTER, Mich. – Oakland women's soccer Head Coach JuanPa Favero announced Thursday the addition of seven student-athletes during the fall signing period. Myia Danek, Karabo Dhlamini, Brooke Honeycutt, Isabelle Karkaba, Emily Penney, Jacqueline Reilly and Milena Schlüter will join the Golden Grizzlies next season.
 
FAVERO ON THE RECRUITING CLASS
"We are really excited about this, our third recruiting class at Oakland. The last two classes have been excellent and have made a really big impact for our program and we expect this class to do the same.
 
We are adding players in every line, but we have addressed the two most important areas of need as we have significantly strengthened our midfield and especially our forward lines.
 
This class has it all:  Athleticism with speed and size; Great technical ability with creativity and goal-scoring fire power; Intelligence with very savvy and smart soccer players and students; and most of all the right mentality as our new players understand how close we are to a championship level and they are coming in hungry and ready to make an immediate impact for our program.
 
In addition, they are a great fit with our culture as they are great in the classroom and have high character off the field.  We could not be more excited for this group of new Golden Grizzlies and can't wait for Fall 2020 to get here!"
 
Myia Danek
Laingsburg, Mich.
Laingsburg High School
5'6 | Goalkeeper
 
Highlights

• Named All State in 2019
• Earned team MVP honors as a junior
• Made 106 saves junior season
• All District honoree during sophomore campaign, tallying a record 16 shutouts
• All Area goalkeeper freshman season
• Member of the National Honors Society

Why Danek Chose Oakland
1. School, class and campus size
2. Location
3. Family atmosphere, seemed like the best fit from the beginning 
 
Favero on Danek
"Myia is an excellent goalkeeper who will bring even more depth to one of the strongest positions on our team. She is athletic, a great communicator, and takes control of her box. We are so excited to see her protecting our goal."
 
Karabo Dhlamini 
Johannesburg, South Africa
TuksSport High School
5'4 | Midfield

Highlights

• Represented South Africa at the 2018 FIFA U17 Women's World Cup
• Made her senior debut on Jan. 19, 2019 in a match against the Netherlands
• Played for the Mamelodi Sundowns FC and the South Africa women's national team
• Scored more than five goals in one match

Why Dhlamini Chose Oakland
1. Received a scholarship 
2. I want to bring change to the team
3. Opportunity to play abroad

Favero on Dhlamini
"Karabo is another extremely versatile player. She can play anywhere down the spine; as a center-back, a central midfielder, or even as a center forward. With her vast international experience, athletic and technical ability, as well as her exceptional soccer IQ, she will bring a unique set of skills to our program."

Brooke Honeycutt
Trenton, Mich.
Trenton High School
5'4 | Defender
 
Highlights

• DII All State honorable mention sophomore year
• DII All State third team junior year
• First team All News Herald as a sophomore and junior 
• Two time All District selection
• All Region as a sophomore and junior 
• Earned four varsity letters in soccer
• All-Academic team sophomore, junior and senior years  

Why Honeycutt Chose Oakland
1. Division I University
2. Felt very welcomed by soccer staff
3. Close to home
 
Favero on Honeycutt
"Brooke is an extremely fast and versatile player. While we expect her to play as an outside back, she can play in any of the three wide positions, and she brings the added bonus of being left-footed and she can also score her share of goals. We are extremely excited about what she will bring to our team."
 
Isabelle Karkaba
Dearborn, Mich.
Dearborn High School
5'4 | Midfielder
 
Highlights

• 2019 Division I MIHSSCA all state second team selection, MIHSSCA
• Back-to-back Most Valuable Player honors (2018, 2019) 
• All District and All Conference team (2017, 2018, 2019) 
• MHSAA Scholar Award, Exceptional Academic Achievement (2019)
• Earned four varsity letters in soccer
• Served as team captain during senior campaign
• Scored 77 goals and added 43 assists in three seasons

Why Karkaba Chose Oakland
1. Exceptional Academic programs
2. Renowned Division I soccer program that is close to home
3. A safe a beautiful campus environment 
 
Favero on Karkaba
"Izzy is a very skillful and technical midfield player who can play both as an attacking midfielder or an outside midfielder. We really like her craftiness on the ball and her work rate on both sides of the ball and are qualities that will make our midfield play even better."
 
Emily Penney
Cambridge, Ont. Canada
Galt Collegiate Institute, Cambridge
5'7 | Midfielder
 
Highlights

• Played to a bronze medal at the U14 Canadian National Championships
• Competed in four years of basketball and four years in soccer
• Ontario Futsal Cup U18 Champion (2019) 
• Member of the honor roll  

Why Penney Chose Oakland
1. Opportunity to play NCAA soccer
2. Amazing coaching staff
3.Academic Program

Favero on Penney
"Emily is a strong and athletic midfield player who will add much-needed depth to our central midfield. She is a ball winner and will be able to cover a lot of ground and will give us the flexibility of playing in different midfield shapes. We are super excited to see her in our uniform."
 
Jacqueline Reilly 
Okemos, Mich. 
Okemos, High School
5'7 | Forward
 
Highlights

• Named All Conference, All District, All Region, and All State honorable mention as a sophomore
• Two time league champion for Okemos High School
• Member of the 2018 district champion team
• All Conference, and All District honorable mention during freshman campaign
• Named Lansing State Journal's Mid-Michigan High School Girls' Soccer Dream Team as a sophomore
• Played varsity soccer as a freshman and sophomore before playing strictly with Michigan Hawks ECNL club team

Why Reilly Chose Oakland
1. The soccer coaching staff
2. Size and location of the university 
3.The wide variety of majors offered

Favero on Reilly
"Jackie is exactly the kind of center forward we need to help us become an even more dangerous team up top. She is strong and athletic, but most of all she has a nose for goal and we love her assertive mentality both going to and in front of the net. We can't wait to watch her score goals for Oakland."
 
Milena Schlüter 
Beckum, Germany 
Albertus-Magnus Gymnasium
5'7 | Forward
 
Highlights

• Won the Gütersloher Hall Masters, the biggest indoor tournament in Germany
• Gütersloh U16 Westphalia League runner-up (2016-17)
• Named MVP of the Bielefeld tournament in 2017

Why Schlüter Chose Oakland
1. Amazing coaching staff
2. Great academic programs/ beautiful campus
3.Opportunity to play NCAA soccer
 
Favero on Schlüter
"Milena is a very skillful and creative attacking player who can play anywhere in the midfield, as an attacking outside back, or as a winger so we are very excited to see her at Oakland. She is very technical and has great vision and is another player who will fit right in with our style of play."