The Under-16 United States Girls’ National Team is holding its first camp of 2020. That, in itself, is news. Last year, the U-16 USGNT held its first (and only published) camp in June 2019. This camp, which runs from Friday, January 24th to Wednesday, January 29th, features a roster of 28 players, mostly from the 2004 birth year, with two 2005’s.
In mid-February, the U-16 USGNT will head across the pond for a UEFA developmental tournament that will be hosted by England, with Denmark and Spain also participating (U.S. Soccer). The roster for that trip will most likely be 20 players, meaning that at least 2 goalkeepers and 6 field players from this camp will not be a part of the England trip.
External Link: U-16 USGNT Kicks Off 2020 With Florida Training Camp (U.S. Soccer)
The U-16 USGNT currently does not have a full-time head coach. Leading this camp is Katie Schoepfer (Wikipedia profile), who played professionally in the WPS and NWSL for Sky Blue and the Boston Breakers. Since her professional retirement, the Penn State alum (team profile) has been involved in coaching youth and collegiate soccer (katieschoepfer.com). Currently, she is the Director of Coaching for South Shore Select, the home club of U-17 USWNT standout Ally Sentnor. Schoepfer is no stranger to U.S. Soccer’s youth WNTs, serving as an assistant coach for multiple YNTs in recent years, and previously playing for the U-23 USWNT from 2008 to 2010.
Assisting Schoepfer is USWNT alumna goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart (Wikipedia profile), who currently plays for the NWSL’s Utah Royals FC (NWSL profile).
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All players in this camp are age-eligible for this year’s FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, which requires that players be born on or after January 1, 2003. Only one player on this roster has attended a U-17 USWNT camp: Center back Elise Evans, who has been in two U-17 camps this cycle.
Four players age-eligible for this current camp, but not named to the roster, attended the most recent U-17 USWNT camp in early January: The previously mentioned Ally Sentnor, forward/midfielder Jaedyn Shaw (Solar SC), and Alyssa Thompson (Real So Cal), who is the older sister of Gisele Thompson. In addition, the only 2005-born player to attend that U-17 USWNT camp is midfielder Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns Acad.). Of these four players, only Sentnor has made herself a fixture on the U-17 USWNT. The other three are possible options for the developmental tournament roster in February.
The two 2005-born players attending this current camp, Maggie Taitano (San Diego Surf) and Gisele Thompson (Real So Cal), are eligible for next cycle’s U-17 WWC, as well as this cycle’s U-15 GNT squad.
Of the 28 players on this roster, four names have not appeared on a previously published roster. These four apparent first-timers, all born in 2004, are defenders Tessa Dellarose (Pittsburgh Riverhounds Acad.) and Sydney Cheesman (Colorado Rush), plus midfielder Jennie Immethun (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.) and forward Tyler Isgrig (Solar SC).
Twelve players attended the only known U-16 USGNT camp of 2019, a trip to the Netherlands (U.S. Soccer), including goalkeepers Nona Reason (San Diego Surf) and Teagan Wy (OC Surf SC).
Both goalkeepers were also part of the 2018 U-14 USGNT that won the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-15 Championship, along with nine other players on this roster (as noted in U.S. Soccer’s write-up for this camp). In total, seventeen players on the camp rosters attended at least one U-14 USGNT camp in 2018.
Of the 28 players called in, 14 hail from California, including five players from the San Jose Earthquakes Development Academy. Only one other state is sending multiple players: Texas, which has two Solar SC players.
Reported college commitment details are available for half of the roster. North Carolina and UCLA both have 4 players verbally committed. Reigning National Champions Stanford is the only other school with multiple commits.
- North Carolina: Tessa Dellarose (DF), Kayleigh Herr (DF), Nona Reason (GK), and Evelyn Shores (DF)
- UCLA: Claire Heddings (GK), Kathryn Kelly (DF), Ally Lemos (MF), and Peyton Marcisz (MF)
- Stanford: Elise Evans (DF) and Allison Montoya (FW)
California, Duke, Penn State, and TCU each have one known verbal commit.
This U-16 USGNT camp is concurrent with a longer U-18 USWNT camp that is also being held at the same facility in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
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The below roster is an augmented version of U.S. Soccer’s roster listing. Each player’s expected collegiate freshman year and there reported verbal commitment school, if known, have been added.
U-16 USGNT – JANUARY 2020 CAMP ROSTER
Parenthetical Key: Listed Club; Hometown; reported NCAA verbal commitment, Expected NCAA Freshman Year
Goalkeepers (4):
Mackenzie Gress (STA Dev. Acad.; Lyndhurst, N.J.; Penn State, 2022)
Claire Heddings (Cedar Stars Acad. – Monmouth; New York, N.Y.; UCLA, 2022)
Nona Reason (San Diego Surf; San Clemente, Calif.; North Carolina, 2022)
Teagan Wy (OC Surf SC; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; California, 2022)
Defenders (9):
Taylor Bloom (Beach FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.; n/a, 2022)
Sydney Cheesman (Colorado Rush; Lafayette, Colo.; n/a, 2022)*
Tessa Dellarose (Pittsburgh Riverhounds Acad.; Grindstone, Penn.; North Carolina, 2022)*
Elise Evans (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.; Redwood City, Calif.; Stanford, 2022)
Kayleigh Herr (NC Courage Acad.; Cary, N.C.; North Carolina, 2022)
Kathryn Kelly (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.; Belmont, Calif.; UCLA, 2022)
Evelyn Shores (Tophat; Atlanta, Ga.; North Carolina, 2023)
Maggie Taitano (San Diego Surf; Carlsbad, Calif.; n/a, 2023)^
Gisele Thompson (Real So Cal; Studio City, Calif.; n/a, 2023)^
Midfielders (8):
Sydney Becerra (Solar SC; Lewisville, Texas; n/a, 2022)
Maggie Cagle (Phoenix Rising; Phoenix, Ariz.; n/a, 2022)
Sofia Cook (LA Galaxy; Huntington Beach, Calif.; n/a, 2022)
Jill Flammia (Richmond United; Manakin-Sabot, Va.; n/a, 2022)
Jennifer “Jennie” Immethun (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.; San Jose, Calif.; n/a, 2022)*
Ally Lemos (Legends FC; Glendora, Calif.; UCLA, 2022)
Peyton Marcisz (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.; San Mateo, Calif.; UCLA, 2022)
Yuna McCormack (San Jose Earthquakes Acad.; Mill Valley, Calif.; n/a, 2023)
Forwards (7):
Tyler Isgrig (Solar SC; Arlington, Texas; TCU, 2022)*
Lumi Kostmayer (Sky Blue – NYSC; Southbury, Conn.; n/a, 2022)
Mia Minestrella (Beach FC; Redondo Beach, Calif.; n/a, 2023)
Allison Montoya (MVLA SC; Los Altos, Calif.; Stanford, 2022)
Katherine Rader (Weston FC; Stuart, Fla.; Duke, 2022)
Cate Shepherd (Baltimore Armour; Baldwin, Md.; n/a, 2023)
Alivia “Ava” Uribe (Reign Acad.; Sammamish, Wash.; n/a, 2022)
*Player is attending their first known youth WNT camp
^2005 birth year. All other players were born in 2004.
“Expected NCAA Freshman Year” data is primarily pulled from U.S. Soccer Development Academy profiles (high school “Graduation Year”) and ECNL team profiles.
Verbal commitments are primarily pulled from TopDrawerSoccer.com.
MORE NOTABLES
Maggie Cagle is the daughter of Kelley (Walbert) Cagle, who played collegiately for Duke and professionally in the WUSA for the Atlanta Beat (Wikipedia profile). She earned a senior USWNT cap in 1994.
Allison Montoya is the daughter of former U-17 USWNT and FC Gold Pride head coach Albertin Montoya, who played for the U-17 USMNT at the 1991 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
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