Photo provided by Michigan Tech Athletics Future Michigan Tech forward Haley Ruiter battles for a loose ball during a game for Muskegon Community College this past fall.

HOUGHTON — The Michigan Tech soccer program has announced that Haley Ruiter has joined the team for the upcoming 2020 season. Ruiter is an incoming transfer from Muskegon Community College, where she was a member of the Jayhawks women’s soccer team during the 2019-20 JUCO season.

A native of Muskegon, Michigan, Ruiter comes to Michigan Tech after posting 25 goals and 15 assists for 65 points as a forward for Muskegon Community College, ranking her ninth in the country in points and 11th in goals scored. She was twice named to the NJCAA Region XII Tournament as a freshman and a sophomore, and she helped the Jayhawks to a Regional title in 2019. Her excellent 2019 season, where she set the school record for goals in a season and a career, earned her NJCAA Region XII Player of the Year honors.

“Haley has the work ethic and soccer intelligence to fit in with our style of play and will make a difference for the Huskies. Her continuous movement off the ball to help per teammates will produce additional opportunities for her and the entire team,” says assistant coach Charles Coan. “The skills she has demonstrated, in concert with her academic background, gives her a great opportunity to elevate her game to the next level in the GLIAC.”

A graduate of Reeths-Puffer High School, Ruiter finished her varsity career with 42 goals and 16 assists for the Rockets. She was named All-Conference, All-District, and the Most Valuable Offensive Player as a freshman, a sophomore, and as a senior during her time at Reeths-Puffer High School, winning conference titles in 2015 as a freshman and again in 2016 as a sophomore.

“Michigan Tech allows me to follow my career dreams, while fulfilling my passion for soccer,” says Ruiter, who plans to major in Biological Sciences at Michigan Tech. “I will not only be able to continue my education, which has always been very important to me, but I will also have the opportunity to continue playing soccer.”

Ruiter becomes the seventh future Huskies player to commit to playing her college soccer at Michigan Tech, joining Molly Bolang (Pinckney, Mich.), Kiersen Korienek (Grandville, Mich.), Mikayla Marshalek (Rochester, Mich.), Reagan Olli (Gaylord, Mich.), Vayda Voss (Gaylord, Mich.), and Hadley Wells (Saginaw, Mich.) as the incoming student-athletes for the upcoming 2020 season.