WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – University of Hartford women's soccer head coach John Natale has announced the signing of four players to National Letters of Intent. Taylor Brown (Natick, Mass.), Taylor Hennig (Farmington, Conn.), Izzy Lachcik (Vernon, Conn.), Emma Ober (Hagerstown, Md.) will join the Hawks' roster for the 2018 season.
 
"We are excited that this group of players will be joining our team," Natale said. "They are quality student-athletes that will add intensity, character and a competitive dynamic to our current group. Our staff is really looking forward to their arrival."

Brown comes to Hartford after a standout career at Natick High School. A midfielder who captained the team as a senior in 2017, she helped lead Natick to four-straight MIAA Division I State Tournament appearances and a pair of Bay State Conference Championships in 2016 and 2017 under head coach James Blackwell. Brown comes from a soccer-rich family, as her sister, Casey, was an All-American at Boston University. She also played club soccer for FC Boston.
 
A midfielder, Hennig was a four-year starter, a four-time Central Connecticut Conference All-Conference Team selection and a three-time Hartford Courant All-Courant Team pick at Farmington High School. Playing under head coach Jeff Mararesi, she compiled 156 career points (54 goals, 48 assists), including 15 goals and 14 assists as a senior captain in 2017. Hennig, whose father, Art, was a standout player at Hartford from 1988-91, capped off her career by earning All-State honors. Her mother was also a collegiate soccer player at UConn. Hennig played club soccer for Farmington Soccer Academy.

Lachcik is a defender from The Loomis Chaffee School, where she was a four-year defender who made 77 career starts under head coach Carey O'Brien. A three-time Connecticut High School All-State honoree and team captain in 2017, she helped lead the team to shutouts in 70 percent of its outings last season, conceding just 10 goals. During her career, Lachcik helped lead Loomis Chaffee to a 58-7-12 record, two NEPSAC Founders League Championships in 2015 and 2016 and a pair of NEPSAC Class A Championships in 2016 and 2017. In addition to high school soccer, she played club soccer for the Oakwood Soccer Club.
 
Ober completed her fourth season as Saint Maria Goretti High School's starting goalkeeper in 2017, where she played under head coach Terry Mutchler. During her career, she was a three-time First Team All-Conference member and a three-time All-County Team pick. Most impressively, Ober is coming off a senior campaign that saw her post shutouts in nine of 10 matches. She played club soccer for Loudoun Soccer Club.

Hartford closed out the 2017 regular season with an 8-8-2 record before falling to eventual America East Champion Stony Brook in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. The Hawks will return all of their scoring from that squad, in addition to all five America East All-Conference honorees: midfielder Sierra Stone (Midfielder of the Year, First Team); defender Hayley Nolan (First Team), forward Kaila Lozada (Second Team), defender Anna Cronin (All-Rookie Team) and goalkeeper Maia Perez (All-Rookie Team).