WALESKA, Ga. -- Four standout women's soccer players have each signed a letter of intent to attend Reinhardt University this fall and compete in 2010 for the Lady Eagles under head coach Andy Kaplan. The recent signees include Katlynn Knier, Catelin Kirkland, Ashley Yarger and Krista Barikos.  

"The group as a whole I'd say is one of the strongest classes we've ever had at Reinhardt," said Kaplan, now in his ninth year at the helm of the Lady Eagles' program. "I expect them to make an immediate impact by starting right away and being as good as anyone in the Appalachian Athletic Conference."

Knier, a forward from North Richland Hills, Texas, comes to Reinhardt as a transfer from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, N.Y., an NCAA Division II member that went 24-1 overall last season, advancing to the national semifinals under head coach Laurie Darling Gutheil. The daughter of Dave and Diana Knier, she served a redshirt season at Saint Rose in 2009 and has four years of eligibility remaining with the Lady Eagles. For head coach Edmundo Echeverria at Larry A. Ryle High School in Union, Ky., Knier was a four-year varsity starter and prolific scorer who earned several individual honors.

"Katlynn transferred from a very successful Division II program and is a natural center forward," Kaplan said. "She's a great goal scorer with the ability to win the ball and distribute. We expect her to score a lot of goals for us this year."

A defender out of Cass High School in Cartersville, Ga., Kirkland is the daughter of Randall and Dawn Kirkland. Under head coach Phil Phillips, she earned all-county recognition from the (Cartersville) Daily Tribune-News this spring. A fine all-around student-athlete, Kirkland also played softball in the fall at Cass.

"Catelin is a great natural athlete who is very fast and very strong," Kaplan stated. "We expect her to turn into one of the strongest marking backs we've ever had at Reinhardt."

Yarger, a midfielder from Acworth, Ga., and Etowah High School in Woodstock, comes to Reinhardt from a very successful local program. The daughter of Dan and Danette Yarger, she was a four-year varsity starter at Etowah for head coach John Murnan. As a senior, she received all-county accolades from the Cherokee Tribune and helped lead her team to a 13-4 overall record, the Region 5-AAAAA championship, a second-round state playoff appearance and a final ranking of 10th in the state.

"Ashley is one of the most versatile players we've ever recruited," Kaplan said. "She could start at midfield, defense or forward for us."

A midfielder out of Lawrenceville, Ga., and Brookwood High School in Snellville, Barikos is the daughter of Bill and Julie Barikos. She was a three-year varsity starter at Brookwood with her squad posting a 28-8 overall record during her final two seasons, including a 15-3 mark in 2010 under head coach Sarah Crawford. BHS qualified for the Class AAAAA state playoffs in each of Barikos' three varsity campaigns, advancing to the second round in both 2009 and 2008.

"Krista was probably one of the most talented midfielders in all of Georgia this year," Kaplan concluded. "She has great skill, great vision and we really expect her to run the team the next four years."