Call it the final exam.

Before the U.S. U14 Girls National Camp Red team could wrap their week-long meeting and head home Saturday, they had to pass one final challenge.

The U16 San Diego Surf.  

Fresh off their U.S. Youth Soccer National title, the Surf arrived at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., and provided the perfect challenge for the U.S. group. Talented Surf back Laura Liedle returned to action at the national training center after having participated in last week’s U15 camp.

Liedle and her teammates provided plenty of resistance in what ended up a 1-1 draw.

The match was very much a stalemate, with both teams keeping possession for spells of time and eventual capitalizing in the second half.

The U.S. team got strong performances from its midfield, particularly Joanna Boyles and Lauren Kaskie.

Boyles showed her dependability with possession and passed well with both feet, connecting with teammates up front like Frannie Crouse and Darian Jenkins.

Kaskie is equally fluid with the ball at her feet and is a strong athlete, able to make quick moves going east to west.

Late in the first half, striker Amber Munerlyn took a shot to the mouth and had to come out of the game. Coach Mike Dickey used it as an opportunity to compete with a player down and really test his team.

The U.S. group performed well, helping each other out and communicating, allowing the squad to preserve at 0-0 tie at half.

On the defensive side, Gianna Dal Pozzo stood out as a left back. She’s a tall player who moves well and can pass out of the back. She broke up a few key plays and has shown a knack for disrupting the attack throughout the week.

Goalkeeper Jane Campbell made some nice plays and came off her line well to deny the Surf. It was a good note for the girls to leave on, capping a memorable first-time experience.
    

U.S. U14 GIRLS NATIONAL CAMP RED

GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (NASA Elite II; Kennesaw, Ga.), Jill Maloney (Roswell SC; Alpharetta, Ga.)
DEFENDERS (5): Mariel Adams (Real Colorado; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), McKenzie Bricker (Collierville Lady Lobus; Collierville, Tenn.), Gianna Dal Pozzo (Sockers FC; Naperville, Ill.), Brittain Dearden (Mount Laurel United; Princeton Junction, N.J.), Kelly McCann (So Cal Blues; Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.), Shea Newman (Black Watch; Norfolk, Me.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Joanna Boyles (CASL Spartan Elite; Raleigh, N.C.), Kaitlyn Clark (KC Select; Liberty, Mo.), Frannie Crouse (Beadling SC; Jeanette, Pa.), Lauren Kaskie (Neusport FC; Las Vegas, Nevada), Antionette Payne (BUSA Elite; Birmingham, Ala.)
FORWARDS (5): Jenny Chiu (Rio Vista FC; El Paso, Texas), Alessandra Dutto (Mustang; Danville, Calif.), Rachel Hill (Seacoast United; Rollinsford, N.H.), Darian Jenkins (Sparta Premier; Harriman, Utah), Amber Munerlyn (So Cal Blues; Corona, Calif.),