U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team heads to European training camp

CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-17 Women’s National Team will travel to Italy and Switzerland from May 23-June 3 for a training camp and two matches against the Switzerland U-19 WNT.

The USA will train in northern Italy and drive over the border to face Switzerland on May 31 and June 2. Switzerland is preparing for the UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship to be held in July in Slovakia.

U.S. head coach B.J. Snow has called up 22 players, 18 of whom were on the squad that in mid-March won the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship played in Grenada while earning a berth to the upcoming World Cup. Snow named his squad for the European trip after a week-long camp last week at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

+Read: U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team set for training camp May 21-28

The players on the roster come from three birth years, with 12 being born in 1999, which is the age-cut for participation in this fall’s World Cup. Seven players were born in 2000 and three were born in 2001, all of whom were on the qualifying squad: defenders Kennedy Wesley and Kate Wiesner and forward Jordan Canniff.

The U-17s are undefeated in eight international games this year after defeating Mexico, 2-1, in the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship Final on goals from Ashley Sanchez (who will be playing with the U.S. U-20 WNT in the coming months) and Civana Kuhlmann. The USA earned its berth to the U-17 Women’s World Cup by winning it’s CONCACAF qualifying semifinal 5-0 against Canada.

Nine players on the U.S. roster have 11 or more U-17 caps, led by Frankie Tagliaferri, who is in her second cycle with the U-17 WNT and has 18 caps to go along with her seven goals. Kuhlmann, who is also in her second U-17 cycle, scored the game-winner in the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s Championship Final and has eight goals in her 11 caps, including six scores this year, tied for most of the team with Sanchez, who be traveling to Papua New Guinea in late May with the U.S. U-20 WNT.

The USA will find out its group opponents at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup when the Final Draw is held at the end of May. The 16-team field is a strong one and includes host Jordan, Japan and North Korea from Asia, the USA, Canada and Mexico from CONCACAF, Venezuela, Brazil and Paraguay from South America, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon from Africa, England, Germany and Spain from Europe and New Zealand from Oceania. The tournament will be held from September 30-October 21.

+Read: NCAA Women’s Soccer Commitments – May 2016

U.S. U-17 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER BY POSITION

GOALKEEPERS (2): Hillary Beall (So Cal Blues; Laguna Beach, Calif.), Laurel Ivory (West Florida Flames; Surfside, Fla.)

DEFENDERS (9): Maycee Bell (Sporting KC; Wichita, Kan.), Sierra Enge (Carlsbad Elite; Cardiff, Calif.), Naomi Girma (Central Valley Crossfire; San Jose, Calif.), Kiara Pickett (Eagles; Santa Barbara, Calif.), Isabel Rodriguez (Michigan Hawks; Canton, Mich.), Karina Rodriguez (So Cal Blues; Torrance, Calif.), Emily Smith (De Anza Force; Los Gatos, Calif.), Kennedy Wesley (So Cal Blues; Rossmoor, Calif.), Kate Wiesner (Slammers FC; Monrovia, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (5): Ryanne Brown (Indiana Fire; Indianapolis, Ind.), Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Frankie Tagliaferri (PDA; Colts Neck, N.J.), Taryn Torres (FC Dallas; Frisco, Texas)

FORWARDS (6): Jordan Canniff (Richmond United; California, Md.), Joanna Harber (Eastside FC; Bellevue, Wash.), Rachel Jones (Tophat SC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Civana Kuhlmann (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Alexa Spaanstra (Michigan Hawks; Brighton, Mich.)