MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho soccer team is thrilled to announce the addition of eight signees to the 2023 prep signing class. The group includes one from Idaho, four from Washington, and three from the southwest. The signing class will bring depth to all areas of the field, especially the midfield.

Victoria (Tori) Peters • Midfield • Washington Premier FC ECNL • Klahowya Secondary School • Bremerton, Wash.

Tori Peters will join her older sister, Alyssa Peters as a member of the Vandal soccer team. Peters spent her high school years chasing titles as she led Klahowya to win the 2022 1A Washington State Championships this past November. Peters captained the squad for three seasons, scoring 37 goals and recording 24 assists. Her efforts earned honors such as All-League First Team (2019-2022), Kitsap Sun Regional Women's Soccer Player of the Year (2021-22), Washington State 1A All-State Second Team (2021), and Washington State 1A All-State First Team (2022).

Peters also excelled in the club scene for the Washington Premier Football Club. She captained a squad that reached the ECNL National Playoffs twice in 2019 and 2022. In the 2021 season, she was named to the ECNL All-Conference Second Team.

Off the field, Peters was a member of the National Honor Society (2021-23) and made the academic honor roll every year. She was also honored as a Klahowya Eagle Scholar this past year. Peters aims to study exercise, sport, and health sciences at Idaho.

"Tori is a very talented two-way player. She is great in the attack but also can be a lockdown defender. Tori has a great first touch with a versatile passing game. Tori will be very impactful in our possession and creating our attack." – Clevenger

Payton Oelkers • Midfield • Idaho Rush Premier • Mountain View HS • Meridian, Idaho

Payton Oelkers will travel north to the panhandle to join the Vandals in the fall. Oelkers was a force for Mountain View, earning the MVP title this past season. She finished her senior season with six goals and six assists on the year. Oelkers earned Idaho 5A All-State Honorable Mention in her final season in addition to 5A Southern Idaho All-Conference nominations from the final three seasons (2020-22).

 Off the field, Oelkers has been part of the National Honor Society with a GPA above 3.5. She plans on earning a business degree at Idaho.

"Payton will be a fun attacking player to watch. She brings a lot of flare and creativity onto the soccer field. I think you can put Payton in multiple attacking positions, and she will be a threat in our attack. One of my favorite things about Payton is that she can be a very physical attacking player. She is not afraid to make contact when she has the ball." – Clevenger 

Izzy Thoma • Defense • Crossfire Premier ECNL • Glacier Peak HS • Snohomish, Wash.

Izzy Thoma joins the Vandals' back line with plenty of experience. Thoma was a four-year starter for Glacier Peak HS and earned the captain's band in her senior season. She helped lead the team to four straight conference championships and two post-season appearances (2019, 2021). Thoma earned 4A All-Conference Honors during her sophomore season and 4A All-State honors in her final season.

In 2021, Thoma joined the Crossfire Premier team and helped them reach the Elite 8 game at the ECNL National Tournament in 2022. The defender led the team to the Surf-College Cup semifinal in 2022 and another ECNL National Playoff appearance in 2021. Before Crossfire, Thoma competed with Snohomish United. The team made an appearance at the USYS Nationals in 2019 where Thoma earned a spot on the USYS Best XI for the '05 age group. The team won the USYS West Region 4 and Washington State Cup in the 2019 season. From 2015-2018, Thoma competed on the Washington State EPD travel team.

Academically, Thoma is as good as it gets. She was Glacier Peak's Valedictorian, boasting a perfect 4.0 GPA. She was a four-year honor roll honoree and a member of the National Honor Society. During her senior year, she was named Snohomish's Top Scholar. Thoma plans on pursuing civil engineering at Idaho.

"Izzy is exactly what we look for in our outside backs. She is very athletic, great on the ball, and will get forward into the attack. We see Izzy making a huge impact on both sides of the ball. Izzy is a lockdown defender and fearless in 1v1 tackles. I love it when Izzy gets forward into the attack. She also has a lethal left foot and will put great services in for the forwards."- Clevenger

Leslie Duarte • Attacking Midfield • Phoenix Rising ECNL • Centennial HS • Youngtown, Ariz.

Leslie Duarte heads north to Idaho from the deserts of Arizona. Duarte is a decorated player, earning many honors during her high school tenure. At Centennial, Duarte was named the 5A NW Region HS Offensive Player of the Year (2021) and upgraded to Player of the Year during her senior season (2023). Duarte was also honored with 5A NW Region First Team in her final season. The attacking midfielder earned a national nod when named the United Soccer Play of the Week during the 2020-21 season.

On the club level, Duarte competed for Phoenix Rising in the ECNL. Duarte helped lead the team to the GA National Finals in 2020-21 and won the AZ State Cup in 2019. Individually, she earned ECNL All-Conference Second Team during the 2021-22 season and was invited to the GA Southwest Conference Talent ID camp in 2021.

Off the field, Duarte earned honor roll from 2019 through 2022. She plans on pursuing a pre-PT degree at Idaho.

"Leslie is a very special attacking player that we think is going to have a great career at Idaho. Leslie has the ability to be a key focal point in our attack. She is very clean on the ball, can beat opponents 1v1, and has an amazing range of passing. Leslie is one of those players that can create goals for herself, but also can create for her teammates."- Clevenger

Sara Rodgers • Defensive Midfield • Crossfire Premier ECNL • Snohomish HS • Snohomish, Wash.

Sara Rodgers is our second signee that reigns from Snohomish. Rodgers competed at the high school level for Snohomish HS, scoring 34 goals. In her freshman season, she was named to the All-Wesco Second Team (2019). During her junior campaign, Rodgers earned All-Wesco First Team and All-State Second Team (2021). Rodgers went out with a bang in her senior season, earning All-Wesco First Team, and All-State First Team, and was honored as the Everett Harold Player of the Year.

Rodgers competed alongside Thoma for the Crossfire Premier club. She was part of the team that reached the Elite 8 round in the ECNL National Playoffs and the semifinal round Surf-College Cup in 2022. Rodgers also helped lead the team to another ECNL National Playoff appearance in the 2021 season.

Rodgers boasts a 3.98 GPA and plans to study criminology at Idaho.

"Sara is a true holding midfielder that does it all. Sara is very clean and simple on the ball. I rarely see her turn the ball over. Sara will make a big impact on our possession and build-out, but she is also a great defender. Sara is also very dangerous in the air and has the ability to score goals on set pieces."- Clevenger

Emma James • Forward • Slammers FC HB Køge ECNL • Aliso Niguel HS • Aliso Viejo, Calif.

Emma James comes to Idaho from the SoCal region as the only forward in the signee class. James was a four-year varsity member at Aliso Niguel HS and a two-year captain. James helped lead the team to the South Coast League Championship Title in 2019-20. She was named the Best Attacking Player in back-to-back seasons (2022-23) and earned South Coast All-League Second Team honors. She was also a four-time Scholar Athlete honoree.

James' club experience is deep, with many championship titles. Slammers FC was dubbed State Cup Champions in the 2015 season and earned three Surf Cup tiles in 2016, 2021, and 2022. James helped lead the team to the SoCal Blues Cup final in 2016 and won it in 2017. In 2019, she was a participant in the ICC Futures Tournament hosted by IMG, comprising the top players in the nation. To top off her titles, James was part of the squad that won the South West Conference in 2020-21 and the ECNL National Tournament in 2021.

Off the field, James earned a spot on the honor roll. Her major is undecided, but she has an interest in pursuing something in the College of Science.

"Emma is a great addition to our program. Emma is a versatile attacking player that loves to get up and down the line. Emma is left-footed and has a beautiful cross into the box. I think Emma can be a dangerous weapon in our attack." - Clevenger

Paula Flores • Goalkeeper • Albion San Diego GA • Cathedral Catholic HS • Tijuana, Mexico

Paula Flores grew up in Tijuana and competed in San Diego during her high school seasons. At Cathedral Catholic HS, Flores was a member of the varsity squad all four years.

On the club level, Flores competed for Albion San Diego in the Girls Academy League.

Flores earned a 4.0 GPA in high school and intends to study Sports Medicine at Idaho.

"Paula is a fantastic addition to our goalkeeping unit. Paula is an excellent shot-stopper. She is very athletic and covers the goal well. Paula is a good communicator and will help solve problems before they get to her."- Clevenger

Kahvayli (KV) Miller • Defense • Crossfire Premier ECNL • Curtis Senior HS • University Place, Wash.

KV Miller is the Vandals' fourth Washington signee in the 2023 class. Miller also competed with Rodgers and Thoma for the Crossfire Premier team. Miller helped lead the team that reached the Elite 8 round in the ECNL National Playoffs and the semifinal round Surf-College Cup in 2022. Miller also was a part of the team that made another ECNL National Playoff appearance in the 2021 season. Miller earned a First Team honor as well.

In high school, Miller was dubbed a two-time defensive MVP for Curtis Senior HS. Miller intends to pursue psychology at Idaho.

"We are very excited about the addition of KV to our program. KV is flat-out a baller in the backline. She is a defender that can do it all. She is great on the ball and makes excellent decisions under pressure. She is fearless in defending and rarely gets beat 1v1. KV is willing to put her body on the line to save a goal." - Clevenger