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May 9, 2008

MILWAUKEE - Freshman Danielle Martens (Lee's Summit, Mo.), who graduated a semester early from high school to enroll at Marquette University, was named a Top-75 recruit in the nation by SoccerBuzz. The magazine recently announced the nation's top 150 recruits in its annual ranking of elite players.

Martens, a forward, made an immediate impact throughout the spring season. She capitalized through the use of her aggressive attack and tallied seven goals in MU's Indoor Tournament of Friends in early March. She followed up that performance with a total of four goals and several assists for the remainder of the spring season as Marquette finished 5-2-3 overall. She scored two goals in a 5-0 shutout of Green Bay, and the game winners against 2007 NCAA Tournament participants Loyola (Ill.) and Duke.

"Danielle and our team have benefited greatly from her being with us this spring," said head coach Markus Roeders. "Graduating from high school a semester early is not for every student and the transition to college isn't easy. She had a full semester of taking college classes, spending time with her new team, playing collegiate teams and being in our environment. She has shown her tremendous potential and she has a strong desire to improve. Danielle is a goal scorer and we are excited about her and our team's future."

Prior to coming to Marquette, Martens had a stellar three-year prep soccer career at national powerhouse St. Teresa's Academy. She was the state of Missouri's leading scorer all three seasons and helped St. Teresa's Academy to back-to-back Missouri State Championships in 2005 and 2006.

She was arguably one of the most decorated prep players from Missouri as she was a National Soccer Coaches Association of America High School All-American, the 2006 Missouri High School State Player of the Year, the Western Missouri Region Player of the Year (2006), and a three-time Missouri All-State selection (2005-07). Martens has been a member of the Region II ODP Regional Team that has played in numerous national events.

When signing with the Golden Eagles Martens stated she chose MU because, "When I walked on campus, it felt like home. Marquette was the place I could see myself for the next four years. The coaches drew me in because they made me feel like family. Out of all the schools I considered, Markus, Franky, and Dano recruited me the hardest and showed me how dedicated they were to help me accomplish my goals and dreams as a soccer player and as a person. The soccer program reveals a sense of unity and determination. We all come from different backgrounds, but all share the same passion for soccer which brings us together as one big happy family."