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N E W C O M E R S O F I N F L U E N C E cisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury News. Ranked the No. 57 overall prospect na- tionally and No. 16 guard by ESPN.com, she was invited to the U18 Team Trials at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Col- orado Springs, Colo. The 12-member team will compete at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship. In her sophomore and junior seasons, Ortiz helped the Monarchs to a 51-7 overall record and an appearance in the California Interscholastic Federation State championship game in 2017. As a junior, she averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 re- bounds and 4.5 assists per game to earn All-Western Catholic Athletic League, All-Central Coast Section and All-State honors. Wallace also has USA Basketball expe- rience, having played for the 2015 U16 National Team, which finished 4-1 and claimed the bronze medal at the FIBA Americas U16 Championships in Puebla, Mexico. She averaged 4.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game in five ap- pearances at that tournament, including one start. As a prep player, the 6-3 Wallace helped Pickerington Central claim the Division I state championship this past season, its first since 1999. She averaged 4.8 points and 4.4 rebounds as a senior and received special mention All-Con- ference and honorable mention All-Dis- trict honors. A three-star prospect according to ESPN.com, Wallace is the 49th-ranked forward in the Class of 2018. The 6-4 Ebo spent her first two prep seasons at Paul VI Catholic High School before transferring to Riverdale Baptist School in 2017. As a senior on a Riverdale Baptist team that was loaded with Divi- sion I recruits, she averaged 9.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and blocked 28 shots. As a junior, she averaged 10.3 points per game over the final 13 games of the season for the Crusaders, adding 7.7 rebounds per game. During her two seasons at Paul VI, Ebo helped her squad compile a combined record of 65-3, two Washington Catholic Athletic Conference titles and a pair of Virginia Independent Schools Division I championships. Her time with the Pan- thers was also highlighted by a pair of top-10 finishes in the USA Today Super 25 rankings. Ebo is a three-star prospect and the No. 17 post player in the country according to ESPN.com. ■ P enn State signed two players during the fall early signing period, landing USHL defenseman Paul DeNaples and Finnish U-20 forward Aarne Talvitie. Both are expected to join the Nittany Lions this summer. A native of Moscow, Pa., DeNaples is a 6-foot-1, 184- pound prospect who recently completed his second season with the Sioux Falls Stampede. During his first season in Sioux Falls, he fin- ished second on the team in defenseman scoring with 17 points on seven goals and 10 assists. His point total trailed only Alex Stevens, with whom he will reteam at Penn State this coming season. DeNaples was named the Stam- pede's Rookie of the Year for his per- formance in the 55 games in which he played. This past season, he again played in 55 games, finishing with two goals and two assists. DeNaples, 19, said he was eager to re- turn to Pennsylvania after two seasons with the Stampede. "The opportunity to attend the Smeal College of Business, play for this coaching staff in the best facility and league in col- lege hockey, all while coming back to my home state, was something I could not pass up," he said. Coach Guy Gadowsky said DeNaples will be a strong addition to the Nittany Lions' defensive corps. "He is the captain in Sioux Falls, so he will provide a lot of leadership and he can play in all situa- tions," Gadowsky said. Talvitie, a 5-11, 202-pound forward, played for the Junior National Team of Finland the past three seasons and was chosen by New Jersey in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. He also spent five seasons with the Espoo Blues of Finland's Jr. A SM-liiga. In 2016-17, Talvitie played 25 games for the Finland U-18 national team and reg- istered 19 points on nine goals and 10 as- sists, while also appearing in 50 games for the Espoo Blues U-20 team, scoring 16 goals and adding 25 assists for 41 points. Talvitie is a close friend of recently graduated Penn State defenseman Erik Autio, a fellow Espoo native. That con- nection piqued Gadowsky's interest and ultimately led to Talvitie's signing. "He is a very hardnosed player who's offensively talented, but also tough to play against," Gadowsky said. "He plays a strong 200-foot game and will be effec- tive in all three zones." Talvitie said he chose Penn State be- cause "I've heard so many good things about it and it gives me an opportunity to combine high-quality education and ice hockey in a formidable team." ■ Nittany Lions set to add two prospects M E N ' S I C E H O C K E Y DeNAPLES

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