U.S. U-18 Women’s National Team kicks off new cycle in England
CHICAGO (Via U.S. Soccer) – The U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Teams will kick off its 2019 programming and a new cycle with a trip to England from Feb. 18-27.
Tracey Kevins will coach the 20-player squad, which is made up of 14 players born in 2002, five players born in 2003 and one in 2004 in forward Allyson Sentnor, who saw quite a bit of action with the U.S. U-15 and U-16 GNTs over the past two years and will once again be playing up. The birth year for players in this U-18 cycle is 2002, while the age cut-off for the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup is players born on or after Jan. 1, 2003.
The USA will face England twice during the camp with the games to be held at the Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre outside of London on Feb. 23 and 26. England’s players will mostly be born in 2002, the age group for this year’s UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship in Bulgaria.
Fourteen players on the roster currently play in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Midfielder Alexis Missimo is currently the nation’s leading scorer in the U-16/17 age group, netting 26 goals in 13 games played this season.
Three players – defender Smith Hunter and forwards Trinity Byars and Trinity Rodman – were on the USA’s 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team.
U.S. U-18 WNT Roster by Position (Club; Hometown)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (IMG Academy; North Brunswick, N.J.), Neeku Purcell (Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (6): Abby Allen (Lonestar SC Academy; Austin, Texas), Baleigh Bruster (Tophat; Smyrna, Ga.), Smith Hunter (Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.), Sally Menti (Crossfire Premier; Seattle, Wash.), Ayooluwa Oke (Tophat; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Madison Perez (Legends FC; West Covina, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Aislynn Crowder (Hawaii Rush; Mililani, Hawaii), Samantha Kroeger (World Class FC; West Milford, N.J.), Emily Matthews (Nationals; Macomb, Mich.), Alexis Missimo (Solar Soccer Club; Southlake Texas), Amber Nguyen (Tophat; Snellville, Ga.), Alexis Theoret (FC Virginia; Oak Hill, Va.)
FORWARDS (6): Trinity Byars (Solar Soccer Club; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Michigan Hawks; Clarkston Mich.), Dilary Heredia-Beltran (SPORTING Blue Valley; Overland Park, Kans.), Trinity Rodman (So Cal Blues Soccer Club; Newport, Calif.), Allyson Sentnor (South Shore Select; Hanson, Mass.), Reilyn Turner (So Cal Blues Soccer Club; Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
