CARSON, California – Fatigue was a positive sign for the U.S. U20 Women’s National Team on Wednesday night as they passed the midway point of a joint camp that includes the U.S. U23 Women’s Team and the U.S. U17 team as well.

Fatigue meant they’d been aggressive; that they had taken to heart Technical Director April Heinrichs’ theme of the first few days of training camp at the Home Depot Center:
Attack. Especially from the flanks. And everyone get involved: the backs push the ball forward and the strikers are dynamic up front.

Heinrichs wanted it, and she got it. And then her talented group of 26 players from across the country, got tired.

“At one point I saw two forwards just walking back downfield,” Heinrichs laughed. “They were gassed, and that’s OK. We weren’t training to peak for today.”

Peak they did not, but the group showed plenty of positive signs in two evening scrimmages during a 3-2 loss to the U.S. U23 Women’s Team, as well as a 1-0 win against the women’s college team of UC Irvine.

Against Irvine, the U20 team was very effective with its possession. Poised and patient, the team combined very well.

Kelly Cobb, a calm and tall striker from Alaska, scored the lone goal of the match and also created another one of the group’s better chances of the night. Cobb isn’t the most athletic player on the field by a long shot, but she has a good feel for the game and seems to thrive in these environments.

The U.S. team is obviously stacked with tremendous offensive talent, including Duke’s Mollie Pathman who is as skilled with the ball as they come.  Stanford commit Chioma Ubogagu showed off her trademark speed and Virginia recruit Morgan Brian was tough on the ball.

The collective U20 weakness from the two matches was certainly defense. The team had trouble maintaining its shape and was beat on a couple miscues in the match against the U23 squad. Against Irvine, it was once the team started to wear down that Irvine too often found seams and through balls against the unit.

“We haven’t even addressed defense this week,” said Heinrichs, explaining why it may be lagging behind. “We’re going to relax (Thursday) and do some video analysis which will be nice. But overall I was very pleased with the instincts we showed. The ball stayed on the ground a lot, which was good to see. We have a lot of new players this week that have played well.”

Some of the new group, which was not called in to the U20s during the last gathering, includes Stephanie McCaffrey, Kylie McCarthy, Shea Groom, Juliann Jeffrey, Catie Sessions, Abby Steele and Megan Erskine.

The U20s will face the  U.S. U17 group in a final scrimmage on Friday night. The U20s are still in the very early preparations for qualifying for the 2012 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup held in Uzbekistan.

U.S. U20 Women’s National Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Emily Oliver (Stanford; Flossmoor, Ill.), Abby Smith (Dallas Texans; Dallas, Texas), Abby Steele (Mustang SC; Santa Rosa, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (9): Kori Chapic (Cleveland Cobras; Russell, Ohio), Megan Erskine (San Diego State; Ventura, Calif.), Arin Gilliland (Kentucky; Wilmore, Ky.), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara; Mesa, Ariz.), Kassey Kallman (Florida State; Woodbury, Minn.), Abigail Lutzenkirchen (North Atlanta SA; Marietta, Ga.), Mollie Pathman (Duke; Durham, N.C.), Dominique Richardson (Missouri; Fullerton, Calif.), Catie Sessions (Wisconsin; Madison, Wis.)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Morgan Brian (Ponte Verde Storm; St. Simons Island, Ga.), Kaysie Clark (KC Select Scream; Liberty, Mo.), Lindsay Elston (Washington; Sammamish, Wash.), Juliann Jeffrey (Yale; Richardson, Texas), Sarah Killion (Fort Wayne Fever; Fort Wayne, Ind.), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame; Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Samantha Mewis (Scorpions SC; Hanson, Mass.)

FORWARDS (7): Kelly Cobb (Cook Inlet Velocity; Chugiak, Alaska), Shea Groom (KCFC Intensity; Liberty, Mo.), Stephanie McCaffrey (FC Stars of Mass.; Winchester, Mass.), Kylie McCarthy (So Cal Blues; Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Taylor Smith (Solar Red 94’s; Fort Worth, Texas), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest; Melbourne, Fla.), Chioma Ubogagu (Dfeeters 93; Coppell, Texas)

U.S. U23 Women’s National Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara; Los Gatos, Calif.), Chantel Jones (Virginia; Midlothian, Virginia), Jillian Mastroianni (Boston College; Durham, Conn.)

DEFENDERS (9): Cloee Colohan (Portland; West Point, Utah), Katie Deines (Washington; Issaquah, Wash.), Camille Levin (Stanford; Newport Coast, Calif.), Mariah Nogueira (Stanford; Westminster, Calif.), Alyssa Pember (Boston College; Northport, N.Y.), Toni Pressley (Florida State; Melbourne, Florida) Ashley Rape (Duke; Dallas, Texas), Morgan Stith (Virginia; Montclair, N.J.), Kika Toulouse (Virginia; Arlington, Virginia)

MIDFIELDERS (7); Vanessa DiBernardo (Illinois; Naperville, Ill.), Katy Frierson (Auburn, Homewood, Ala.), Tori Huster (Florida State; Cincinnati, Ohio), Jordan Jackson (Nebraska; Overland Park, Ks.)Meghan Toohey (Michigan; Philadelphia, Pa.), Erika Tymrak (Florida; Lakewood Ranch, Florida), Ingrid Wells (Georgetown; Upper Montclair, N.J.)

FORWARDS (5): Melissa Henderson (Notre Dame; Garland, Texas), Laura Heybour (Michigan State; Hudsonville, Mich.), Merritt Mathias (Texas A&M; Birmingham, Ala.), Stephanie Ochs (San Diego; San Diego, Calif.), Casey Short (Florida State; Naperville, Ill.)

U.S. U17 Women’s National Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (Concorde Fire; Kennesaw, Ga.), Claire Wheatley (Solar SC; Shepton HS)

DEFENDERS (7): Morgan Andrews (FC Stars of Massachussets; Milford, N.H.), Maddy Bauer (Slammers FC; Newport Beach, Calif.), Zoey Goralski (Team Chicago Academy Botafogo; Naperville, Ill.), Madi Hall (Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.), Lauren Kaskie (Neusport FC; Las Vegas, Nev.), Shea Newman (FC Stars of Massachusetts; Medfield, Mass.), Micaela Powers (Ohio Galaxias FC; Beavercreek, Ohio)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Joanna Boyles (CASL; Raleigh, N.C.), Rosie Dimartino (Albertson Fury; Massapequa, N.Y.), Lindsey Lane (Freestate Elite; Lusby, Md.), Gabby Miranda (Colorado Rush; Highland Ranch, Colo.), Morgan Stanton (Colorado Rush; Lakewood, Colo.), Andi Sullivan (Bethesda SC; St. Lorton, Va.), Kaitlyn Wong (MLVA Lightning; Sunnyvale, Calif.)

FORWARDS (7): Ellie Boon (Columbia Timbers Premier FC; Washougal, Wash.), Emily Bruder (Utah Avalanche; Sandy, Utah), Cameron Castleberry (CASL Spartan Elite; Raleigh, N.C.), Darian Jenkins (Sparta United; Riverton HS), Kayla Mills (Slammers FC; West Covina, Calif.), Amber Munerlyn (So Cal Blues; Corona, Calif.), Toni Payne (BUSA Elite; Birmingham, Ala.), Becca Schoales (Crossfire Premier; Port Orchard, Wash.)