US Under 17 Women in New Zealand for World Cup

US Under 17 Womens National Team has arrived in New Zealand and is preparing to open play in the 2008 Under 17 Womens World Cup.  The USA has been drawn into Group C and will face three different styles of play in Japan, Paraguay and France. This current group of U17 players have never faced any of their first round opponents but surely the Japanese, who lost to North Korea in the championship game of their qualifying tournament, first time FIFA women’s world championship participant Paraguay and rising youth women’s power France will all present unique tests for the young Americans. Each team will play three group matches in seven days. The US will have the advantage of a short bus ride to Auckland for its final group game, while the other two Group C teams will fly down to Christchurch on the South Island for their third match.

The USA’s touch down in New Zealand marks just the second trip to this island nation by a US Women’s National Team, the first coming when the U17s visited last January for the Future Stars Tournament, a test run for the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup that will be contested beginning October 28th. The US team took a 90 minute bus ride south from Auckland to Hamilton where the squad will set up base for its first two group matches.

GOALKEEPERS (3): Alexa Gaul (Naperville, Ill.), Jennifer Pettigrew (Kearney, N.J.), Taylor Vancil (South Elgin, Ill.)
DEFENDERS (6): Amber Brooks (New Hope, Pa.), Cloee Colohan (West Point, Utah), Crystal Dunn (Rockville Center, N.Y.), Alexis Harris (Plano, Texas), Rachel Quon  (Lake Forrest, Ill.), Julia Roberts (Fredrick, Md.)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Kate Bennett (Clyde Hill, Wash.), Morgan Brian (St. Simons Island, Ga.), Elizabeth Eddy (Costa Mesa, Calif.), Olivia Klei (Pleasanton, Calif.), Mandy Laddish (Lee’s Summit, Mo.), Kristie Mewis (Hanson, Mass.), Samantha Mewis (Hanson, Mass.), Erika Tymrak (Bradenton, Fla.)
FORWARDS (4): Hayley Brock (Acton, Mass.), Vicki DiMartino (Massapequa, N.Y.), Samantha Johnson (Palmdale, Calif.), Courtney Verloo (Tualatin, Ore.)