Recruiting: Brooke Ahern commits to the University of Arizona

Brook Ahern fights for free space against St. Mark's. (Jonathan Gotlib/Lawrence Academy)

As November flipped to December, the Class of 2022 forward group from New England already had a strong list of verbal commitments to Division I programs.

Consider it further strengthened, with Lawrence Academy and FC Stars forward Brooke Ahern (Chelmsford, Mass.) pledging her college soccer future to the University of Arizona earlier this week.

Ahern, 16, takes the rare step of heading to the Pac-12, a conference that’s home to USC junior midfielder Madeline Vergura (Concord, Mass.) and soon-to-be UCLA freshman defender Lilly Reale (Hingham, Mass.). Local standouts tend to otherwise stay, well, local.