Three Western Nebraska Community College women's soccer players are taking their talents to the next level after signing papers recently.

                North Platte's Hannah Wilke will continue her soccer playing days at York College. Corrie McDonald, who played for the Cougars two years ago, will also be playing at York College.

                The third player headed to the next level is Isabel Hunter, who will be playing for Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Point Park has made the NAIA tournament three straight years.

                Wilke and McDonald will be teammates once again when they head to York. Wilke said that will help at the new school.

                "I think it is awesome [to have Corrie there with me]," she said. "There are also a couple players there at York College as well that played here last year."

                Wilke's decision to attend York was made because of the cost and the fact she is just three hours from home in the central time zone.

                "They [York] kind of came out of the blue," she said. "I visited a lot of other schools in many other states and a few in Nebraska. This is the greatest offer I got so I decided to take it. Also, with my sister going to college, this will help my parents out. It is cheaper for them."

                And knowing that she can still head home to see family was a big reason for York.

                "I will be about three hours from home but I will be in the central time zone which will be easier going home and not losing an hour," Wilke said. "I have younger siblings growing up that I don't want to miss out on their activities."

                Family means a lot to Wilke and she definitely will miss her WNCC families.

                "I will miss all my teammates and all the friends I made. It will definitely be hard leaving everyone," she said. "I will know they will do good things in life. I will also miss my dorm family who has taken really good care of me as well as my church family."

                And, for McDonald, she too was looking at cost as a factor to playing in college. That is why York turned out to be a good fit.

                "This is my third year here and I knew I had to get out," McDonald said with a laugh. "I have been looking at schools all over the place. I even visited schools in Florida and there were some schools I liked the look of and they liked me, but since I have to pay for everything myself I had to go to the more affordable option. I went to visit York and honestly, it was a really nice atmosphere there. The team felt really encouraging and welcoming and it seems like the right fit for me."

                McDonald played for the Cougars in 2013 and 2014. She was just a student at WNCC this past year. McDonald, one of the team's best defenders when she played, said there was a time that she would have to give up playing soccer and her schooling and go back home to England.

                "It is really exciting to be going on to play soccer since I have been here at WNCC doing an extra year," she said. "It has been a bit different not playing and so to continue to play soccer and finish my career is exciting. At one point I was thinking just to go home so actually now that I will continue playing it is really exciting."
                McDonald has really fine-tuned her game during her time in the states. Besides playing, McDonald also has refereed high school games in the area along with Wilke and Hunter.

                "I have improved a lot here and I am sure coach could tell you that, too," McDonald said. "I came here a little on the overweight side and I personally got a lot fitter and I feel like my tactical side of the game has improved."

                While Wilke and McDonald are staying together, Hunter is going to the east coast to play. She said the school in Pittsburgh has everything she is looking for.

                "I decided to go there [Point Park University] because they have a good program for soccer and academics," she said. "They have a good business school and they have been to the national tournament three years in a row."

                Like McDonald, Hunter thought her schooling in the United States was over, but instead of going back home to England, she gets to continue her studies and playing in the United States.

                "I am really excited to continue to play soccer," she said. "I felt like I was going home but I am glad I get to stay here and play for another two years and finish my degree."

                Just like the other two, Hunter said it was hard at first to come to Scottsbluff, but after two years here, it is harder to leave.

                "It was definitely hard at first coming here, especially coming from a big city to Scottsbluff," she said. "It took a while to adjust but once I adjusted it was fine. It has been good. It will be hard leaving after you get to meet different people for two years."