U.S. U-17 WNT begins training camp as qualifying prep continues
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team, under head coach B.J. Snow, will hold a training camp from Sept. 13-20 at the U.S. Soccer National Team Training Center in Carson, California. Snow has called up 26 players for the event, with 15 born in 1999, which is the age cut-off year for the 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup. The other 11 players were born in 2000.
The U.S. U-17s are still six months away from qualifying for the next Women’s World Cup. The 2016 CONCACAF Under-17 Women’s Championship will be held on the Caribbean island of Grenada next March. The tournament will send three teams to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup to be played in Jordan in September of 2016.
The Under-17 Women’s Championship will feature eight teams, three from the Caribbean Football Union (CFU), two from the Central American Football Union (UNCAF) and three from North America.
Canada, Mexico and the United States are automatically qualified from North America, while the qualifying processes in CFU and UNCAF will take place in the coming months. As host country, Grenada is automatically qualified as one of the three representatives of CFU.
The eight teams will be drawn into two groups of four teams and after the group stage, the winner and second-place team from each group will cross-over for the semifinals. The winner of each semifinal match qualifies directly to the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup while the winner of the third-place match also advances to the World Cup.
U.S. U-17 WNT Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (4): Hensley Hancuff (Oklahoma FC; Edmond Okla.), Laurel Ivory (Sunrise; Surfside, Fla.) Savannah Madden (San Diego Surf; San Diego, Calif.), Katie Meyer (Eagles SC; Newbury Park, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (10): Kerry Abello (Team Chicago; Aurora, Ill.), Claire Constant (McLean; Alexandria, Va.), Chyanne Dennis (Lauderhill Lions; Sunrise, Fla.), Rachael Dorwart (Penn Fusion; Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Paige Franks (Richmond United; Henrico Valley, Va.), Naomi Girma (Central Valley Crossfire; San Jose, Calif.), Shae Holmes (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Karlie Paschall (Tennessee SC; Brentwood, Tenn.), Sydney Zandi (Penn Fusion; West Chester, Pa.)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Coriana Dyke (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), Samantha Fisher (Real So Cal; Simi Valley, Calif.), Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Alexis Loera (Colorado Storm; Thornton, Colo.), Brianna Martinez (New Mexico Rush; Albuquerque, N.M.), Olivia Wade (LaRoca FC; Kaysville, Utah), Summer Yates (Pac NW; Pasco, Wash.)
FORWARDS (5): Rachel Jones (Tophat SC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), Sophie Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Francesca Tagliaferri (PDA; Colts Neck, N.J.), Jordan Taylor (Ohio Premier Eagles; Wadsworth, Ohio)
