Erica Dambach is on the hunt to fill out her 2023 roster.

Boston College center back Michela Agresti announced her commitment to Penn State women’s soccer Thursday, after four years in Chestnut Hill. Agresti will arrive in Happy Valley with one year of eligibility remaining.

ANOTHER ONE

Happy Valley, join us in welcoming one of the most experienced defenders in AMERICA, Michela Agresti?#WeAre pic.twitter.com/PQutQYDsCu

— Penn State Women’s Soccer (@PennStateWSOC) June 22, 2023

Before and throughout her time at Boston College, Agresti rostered with the U-17, U-20, and U-23 United States Women’s National Teams (USWNT). Most recently, Agresti participated with the U-23 USWNT in the 2022 Thorns Spring Invitational alongside Nittany Lions Kate Wiesner, Payton Linnehan, and alum Ally Schlegel.

“Michela brings a wealth of experience to our extremely talented back line,” Dambach said in a release. “She was a standout performer and game changer at Boston College for the past few years, and she also developed an excellent track record as a competitor on the international level. Her technical ability and vision will be an immediate asset to our team. Her skillset will help us play the style of soccer that we want to play. She is effective on both sides of the ball and truly epitomizes what it means to be a modern-day center back.”

As an Eagle, the 5’8″ defender registered all 18 starts as a freshman and never slowed down. Agresti started 66 games of 66 appearances and served as a team captain during her junior and senior years.

Overall, Agresti recorded 5,933 minutes on the pitch in Chesnut Hill.

“I chose Penn State because of the program’s consistent success and collective commitment to excellence,” Agresti said. “Both the coaching staff and support staff made me feel right at home as soon as I stepped on campus. With the guidance of our coaches, I am certain that I will be able to grow exponentially as a soccer player and person while in Happy Valley. I can’t say enough about how welcomed I felt by all of the players and am looking forward to competing alongside them. Penn State was a no-brainer for me and I can’t wait to get started.”

The center back will arrive at Jeffrey Field and likely make an immediate impact on the pitch following the graduations of defensive anchors Cassie Hiatt and Jillian Jennings. Agresti will likely join junior Mieke Schiemann and senior Ellie Wheeler in the starting lineup on the back line, while the remaining outside back position has yet to be made clear.

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