U.S. U23 WNT heads to Sweden in June

by U.S. Soccer

May 31, 2017

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will travel to Sweden for the 2017 Women’s U-23 Open Nordic Tournament where it will face Norway (June 6 in Karlstad), England (June 9 in Mallbacken) and Sweden (June 12 in Mallbacken) during the international break.

Acting U.S. U-23 WNT head coach B.J. Snow has named 22 players for the four-team tournament, seven from NWSL teams, 12 from the college ranks and three who are still playing youth club in midfielders Brianna Pinto and Jaelin Howell and forward Sophia Smith, who all recently participated in U-20 WNT camp and matches against Japan in Los Angeles.

Snow called up players from seven different NWSL teams including goalkeeper Jane Campbell from the Houston Dash, defender Christina Gibbons of FC Kansas City, defender Kristen McNabb from the Seattle Reign, defender Erica Skroski from Sky Blue FC, forward Margaret Purce from the Boston Breakers, midfielder Danielle Weatherholt from the Orlando Pride and forward Ashley Hatch from the NC Courage. All but Weatherholt and Skroski are rookies.

Eleven of the players going to Sweden were a part of back-to-back U-23 training camps in Portland and Florida at the end of March and beginning of April, including Pinto, Howell and Smith, who all played for Snow at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan.

Six players on the roster have played in a FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup while eight have seen training time with the full U.S. Women’s National Team, of which two – Campbell and Hatch – have earned caps.

The U.S. team will depart for Sweden on June 1.

U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team Roster – 2017 Women’s U-23 Nordic Open Tournament
GOALKEEPERS (2): Jane Campbell (Houston Dash; Kennesaw, Ga.), Casey Murphy (Rutgers; Bridgewater, N.J.)

DEFENDERS (8): Christina Gibbons (FC Kansas City; Raleigh, N.C.), Zoey Goralski (UCLA; Naperville, Ill.), Ellie Jean (Penn State; Coventry, Conn.), Hailie Mace (UCLA; Ventura, Calif.), Tegan McGrady (Stanford; San Jose, Calif.), Kristen McNabb (Seattle Reign; Montville, N.J.), Kaleigh Riehl (Penn State, Fairfax Station, Va.), Erica Skroski (Sky Blue FC; New Brunswick, N.J.)

MIDFIELDERS (8): Jordan DiBiasi (Stanford; Littleton, Colo.), Jaelin Howell (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.), Mayra Pelayo (Florida; West Palm Beach, Fla.), Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Margaret Purce (Boston Breakers; Silver Spring, Md.), Danielle Weatherholt (Orlando Pride; San Clemente, Calif.), Michelle Xiao (Stanford; Omaha, Neb.), Sandra Yu (Notre Dame, Strongsville, Ohio)

FORWARDS (4): Mallory Eubanks (Mississippi State; Lexington, Ky.), Ashley Hatch (NC Courage; Gilbert, Ariz.), Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina; Chapin, S.C.), Sophia Smith (Real Colorado; Windsor, Colo.)

Related Topics: Youth National Teams, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Pacific 12, SEC