Mars’ Jade Breese commits to Youngstown State women’s soccer, where she feels at home
Jade Breese didn’t sweat the rush of early commitments for the Class of 2028 that’s happened so far this season.
Instead, she “tried to take my time” as girls soccer players in her grade made announcements in the first few months they were allowed to go through the college recruiting process.
But Breese, a junior Mars midfielder, settled on her decision in only a few months nonetheless, picking Youngstown State women’s soccer. She made the verbal commitment Wednesday and announced her decision Thursday on social media.
I’m excited to announce my commitment to Youngstown State University to continue my academic and athletic career and play Division I soccer! 🐧⚽️
— Jade Breese | 2028 | MF (@JadeBreese13) September 17, 2026
I’m extremely grateful to my family, friends, coaches, and teammates who have supported me throughout this journey. I couldn’t have… pic.twitter.com/IFAL4Q8miD
“I really like (second year head) Coach Rich (Wall). He handled the recruiting process really well,” Breese said Friday. “He made me feel like he really wanted me.
“I’m super excited. It was definitely stressful, I didn’t know where I was gonna end up. … Rich has made me feel at home.”
Breese said she also seriously considered Robert Morris, Duquesne and Bowling Green, and she had interest from several other NCAA Division I programs. She wanted to stay on the East Coast but was OK with some distance from home, and looked for a team that played a similar possession style to the one she plays with her club team at Century United, in Pittsburgh. She also wants to study physical therapy.
She found all of that at YSU.
“They’re a really competitive team in a good conference,” Breese said, adding she liked the “team atmosphere” and got to sit in on a pregame meeting. “How it was set up, it was super organized.”
Breese has nine goals and three assists this season as of Friday. She had 15 goals and 10 assists last year as a sophomore, helping the Planets make the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals. She was named a first-team Butler Eagle All-Star and earned WPIAL all-section honors.
She’ll join a YSU roster that includes Butler’s Leah Weiland, a junior midfielder for the Penguins, and several other WPIAL products. Breese said she doesn’t know any players personally, but a few of them played for her club program.
The Penguins are 0-7-2 entering the weekend, coming off an 8-10-2 campaign in 2025 that saw them make the Horizon League playoffs. YSU last made the conference final in 2022.
Breese on social media thanked her support system for helping during the recruiting process.
“I couldn’t have done it without all of you!” she posted on X. “I can’t wait to test myself at the next level and begin this next chapter at YSU!”
