U-17 USWYNT kicking off first training camp of 2024

CHICAGO – The U.S. U-17 Women’s Youth National Team will come together for a training camp running from Jan. 3-10 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center located south of San Diego.

U.S. head coach Katie Schoepfer has called up 36 players for the event, which will be the final camp before she chooses the 21-player roster to compete in the 2024 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship, a tournament that will send the top three teams to the 2024 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be held in the Dominican Republic next fall. The eight-team World Cup qualifying tournament will be staged in Mexico from Feb. 1-11 and the USA is in Group B with Canada, Puerto Rico and Panama.

Thirty-five of the players in this camp were born in 2007, which is the age cutoff year to play in the 2024 FIFA U-17 WWC, with the lone exception being midfielder Kimmi Ascanio, who is a 2008.

For the second time – the first being a training camp last September – a roster for the U.S. U-17 WYNT includes professional players, as San Diego Wave FC midfielder Melanie Barcenas and Kansas City Current forward Alexandra Pfeiffer, who signed with the club in October, were named to the roster. Midfielder Ashlyn Puerta plays on a boys’ team in MLS NEXT with ALBION SC out of San Diego.

During that U-17 WYNT training camp last September, the USA faced its counterparts from Japan twice, winning 2-0 and drawing 3-3. In that second match, Pfeiffer scored a hat trick in a wild back-and-forth match.

Eleven players on the roster won’t have to travel far as they hail from Southern California, including four from San Diego. The 36 players on the roster come from 17 different states and 28 different clubs.

U.S. U-17 WOMEN’S YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM (CLUB; HOMETOWN)
DOMESTIC TRAINING CAMP – CHULA VISTA, CALIF.

Goalkeepers (4): Franky Dunlap (North Carolina Courage; Raleigh, N.C.), Morgan Farnham (Beach FC; Los Angeles, Calif.), Molly Vapensky (Chicago FC United; Evanston, Ill.), Kennedy Zorn (SC del Sol; Peoria, Ariz.)

Defenders (10): Trinity Armstrong (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas), Edra Bello (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Mya Brandon (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), Lexi Coughlin (Legends FC; Corona, Calif.), Cassidy Doogan (Slammers FC HB Koge; Carlsbad, Calif.), Kiara Gilmore (FC Dallas; Allen, Texas), Jordyn Hardeman (Solar SC; Midlothian, Texas), Daya King (Legends FC; Moreno Valley, Calif.), Katie Scott (Internationals SC; Fairview, Penn.), Jocelyn Travers (FC Bay Area Surf; Santa Cruz, Calif.)

Midfielders (10): Kimmi Ascanio (Florida United SC; Doral, Fla.), Melanie Barcenas (San Diego Wave FC – NWSL; San Diego, Calif.), Aubree Ciampa (Nationals; Warren, Mich.), Riley Cross (PDA; Chatham, N.J.), Bella Devey (Utah Avalanche; Draper, Utah), Kennedy Fuller (Solar SC; Southlake, Texas), Ainsley McCammon (Solar SC; Bedford, Texas), Y-Lan Nguyen (VDA; Fairfax, Va.), Karina Peat (Wilmington Hammerheads Youth FC; Wilmington, N.C.), Ashlyn Puerta (ALBION SC – MLS NEXT; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)

Forwards (12): Ryder Ajeto (Pateadores SC; Henderson, Nev.), Chloe Burst (Challenge SC; New Orleans, La.), Ava Harrison (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Carrie Helfrich (Virginia Union FC; McLean, Va.), Ayva Jordan (Slammers FC HB Koge; Las Vegas, Nev.), Tessa Knapp (Internationals SC; Bay Village, Ohio), Rylee McLanahan (FC Dallas; Edmond, Oklahoma), Jaida McGrew (Charlotte SA; Charlotte, N.C.), Maddie Padelski (Tennessee SC; Nolensville, Tenn.), Alexandra Pfeiffer (Kansas City Current – NWSL; St. Louis, Mo.), Leena Powell (Tudela FC; Culver City, Calif.), Mya Townes (TSJ FC Virginia; Aldie, Va.)