U16 GNT heads to Portland for camp

by U.S. Soccer

May 19, 2016

The Under-16 Girls’ National Team will come together for a training camp in Portland, Ore., from May 28-June 4. It will be the first event for new U.S. Soccer Women’s Development Coach Jaime Frias, who will also be head coach of the U.S. U-16 GNT.

Frias has called up 26 players for the camp that will be held concurrently with a U.S. U-15 Girls’ National Team event, and the squads will scrimmage against each other several times during the week.

The U.S. U-16 GNT is coming off a tournament in Italy where it played the U-17 Women’s National Teams of Italy (0-1 L), Iran (6-0 W) and Mexico (1-1 T).

The majority of the players in this camp were born in 2000, with two born in 2001 and one in 2002.

This age group is in the second year of a two-year cycle before becoming the U-18s and then the U-20s with the goal of playing in the 2020 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

U.S. U-16 GNT Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Hensley Hancuff (Oklahoma Football Club; Edmond, Okla.), Katie Meyer (Eagles SC; Newbury Park, Calif.), Mackenzie Wood (Indiana Fire; Granger, Ind.)

DEFENDERS (9): Madelyn Desiano (So Cal Blues; San Clemente, Calif.), Madison Ellsworth (Crossfire United OR; Hillsboro, Ore.), Cassandra Hiatt (Real Colorado; Parker, Colo.), Shae Holmes (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Brianna Martinez (New Mexico Rush; Albuquerque, N.M.), Kylie Minamishin (Honolulu Bulls; Mililani, Hawaii), Makenna Morris (Bethesda; Germantown, Md.), Sarah Piper (Texas Rush; The Woodlands, Texas), Margot Ridgeway (Match Fit; Fair Haven, N.J.)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Croix Bethune (Concord Fire; Alpharetta, Ga.), Coriana Dyke (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), Sarah Hernandez (Eagles SC; Moorpark, Calif.), Jenna Nighswonger (Slammers FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Madeline Vergura (FC Stars of Massachusetts; Concord, Mass.), Summer Yates (Pacific NW; Pasco, Wash.)

FORWARDS (8): Lia Godfrey (JFC Storm; Fleming Island, Fla.), Sophie Hirst (Crossfire; Seattle, Wash.), Rebecca Jarrett (World Class; Washington Township, N.J.), Macy Schultz (Colorado Storm; Timnath, Colo.), Ashlynn Serepca (Carolina Rapids; Cornelius, N.C.), Emaly Vatne (Michigan Hawks; Sterling Heights, Mich.), Natalie Viggiano (Michigan Hawks; Macomb Twp., Mich.), Olivia Wingate (FC Stars of Massachusetts; Wilmington, Mass.)