Catching up with two players we featured in previous issues of Our Game Magazine – Samantha Mewis (Two Sisters, One Goal, June 2010) and Melissa Gavin (Quick Kicks, December 2010) – both players attended the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore to receive High School All-America Awards.
Mewis, who plays for Scorpions Soccer Club and the U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team, and Gavin, who plays for Scorpions Soccer Club and the Region 1 ODP team, were the only two public high school players from Massachusetts to earn All-America status. The Scorpions teammates play against each other in high school soccer in the same division. Gavin led the Patriot League in scoring and finished tied for third in the state with 26 goals, 12 assists, and 38 points, while Mewis (29-8-37) finished second in the league in scoring and fourth in the state. Mewis will play at UCLA in the fall, and Gavin will play at Yale University.
In March, Gavin will head to Russia with her Region 1 team to play in the annual Kuban International Spring Tournament. Mewis boarded a flight for Florida immediately following the awards ceremony in Baltimore so she could join the U-20 team in training camp in Florida.
The U.S. U-20 team called up for the Jan. 15-Jan. 22 camp in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida features 24 players. This is the team’s first camp with new head coach Dave Chesler, who took over for Jill Ellis. Earlier this month, Ellis was named as the new Development Director for U.S. Women’s National Teams, stepping down from her posts as both the UCLA women’s coach and the U-20 U.S. coach.
U.S. U-20 roster for January camp:
Goalkeepers: Emily Oliver (Stanford), Anna Sieloff (North Carolina)
Defenders: Torri Allen (Georgia), Abby Dahlkemper (MVLA Avalanche), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Jaelene Hinkle (Real Colorado), Briana Hovington (Penn State), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara), Mollie Pathman (Duke), Carrie Whigham (Oklahoma).
Midfielders: Morgan Brian (Ponte Vedra Storm), Rikki Clarke (Solar Red), Alex Doll (Bethesda SC), Lindsay Elston (Washington), Mandy Laddish (Notre Dame), Ariana Martinez (UCLA), Samantha Mewis (Scorpions SC), Chioma Ubogagu (D’Feeters).
Forwards: Michelle Cruz (Portland), Arin Gilliland (Ohio Elite), Maya Hayes (Penn State), Kealia Ohai (North Carolina), Taylor Smith (Solar Red), Katie Stengel (Wake Forest).