U.S. Soccer, January 4, 2017,  U-23 WNT OPENS 2017 WITH 30-PLAYER TRAINING CAMP AT U.S. SOCCER NTC

ROSTER IS MIXTURE OF TOP YOUTH NATIONAL TEAM, COLLEGE AND NWSL PLAYERS

The U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team will kick off its 2017 programming with a 30-player camp running from Jan. 6-13 at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif.

The roster is a mixture of top players from the U.S. Youth National Teams, elite college players and four NWSL players. The camp features players from seven different birth years, ranging from 1994 (which is the age cut-off for this year’s U-23 WNT) to 2000, which is when midfielder Brianna Pinto, who played in last year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup, was born.

U.S. WNT head coach Jill Ellis and her staff will observe several training sessions to evaluate players for potential full Women’s National Team call-ups.

Ten players on the roster have appeared for the USA in a FIFA Women’s World Cup at the youth level, led by 2016 U.S. Soccer Young Female Player of the Year Ashley Sanchez, who played in both the U-17 and U-20 FIFA Women’s World Cup tournaments last year.

Two players from the USA’s 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Team were named in goalkeeper Laurel Ivory and Pinto, while Casey Murphy, the USA’s starting goalkeeper at the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup was also called up.

The NWSL players are recent Seattle Reign signee Madalyn Schiffel, who is one of four goalkeepers in camp, Samantha Witteman of the Orlando Pride, Erica Skroski of Sky Blue FC and Makenzy Doniak of reigning NWSL champions Western New York Flash.

Only one player in camp owns a full WNT cap, BYU senior Ashley Hatch, who made her WNT debut as a substitute against Switzerland on Oct. 19 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sanchez trained with the full WNT for a few days in Orlando, Fla., last year.

The roster includes three players from the 2016 NCAA Champion University of Southern California Trojans in midfielder Morgan Andrews and defenders Kayla Mills and Mandy Freeman.

Numerous players on the roster are expected to be taken in the 2017 NWSL Draft that will be held on January 12 in Los Angeles.

U-23 Women’s National Team Roster by Position:

GOALKEEPERS (4): Laurel Ivory (West Florida Flames; Surfside, Fla.), Casey Murphy (Rutgers; Bridgewater, N.J.), Madalyn Schiffel (Seattle Reign FC; Citrus Heights, Calif.), Hannah Seabert (Pepperdine; Riverside, Calif.)

DEFENDERS (8): Maddie Bauer (Stanford; Newport Beach, Calif.), Mandy Freeman (USC; Royal Palm Beach, Fla.), Tavia Leachman (Utah; Long Beach, Calif.), Kayla Mills (USC; West Covina, Calif.), Sydney Miramontez (Nebraska; Lenexa, Kan.), Gabrielle Seiler (Florida; Peachtree City, Ga.), Erica Skroski (Sky Blue FC; New Brunswick, N.J.), Samantha Witteman (Orlando Pride; Redondo Beach, Calif.)

MIDFIELDERS (11): Morgan Andrews (USC; Milford, N.H.), Tierna Davidson (Stanford; Menlo Park, Calif.), Jordan DiBiasi (Stanford; Littleton, Colo.), Megan Dougherty Howard (Florida; Largo, Fla.), Tyler Lussi (Princeton; Lutherville, Md.), Ifeoma Onumino (California; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Toni Payne (Duke; Birmingham, Ala.), Brianna Pinto (CASL; Durham, N.C.), Margaret Purce (Harvard; Silver Spring, Md.), Morgan Proffitt (Marquette; Columbus, Ind.), Ashley Sanchez (So Cal Blues; Monrovia, Calif.)

FORWARDS (7): Makenzy Doniak (Western New York Flash; Chino Hills, Calif.), Danica Evans (Colorado; Lakewood, Colo.), Ashley Hatch (BYU; Gilbert, Ariz.), Sarah Luebbert (Missouri; Jefferson City, Mo.), Savannah McCaskill (South Carolina; Chapin, S.C.), Hailey Skolmoski (Utah; Riverton, Utah), Crystal Thomas (Georgetown; Elgin, Ill.)

Seattle Reign FC, January 5, 2017 – Seattle Reign FC Sign Madalyn Schiffel

Seattle Reign FC announced today that the club has signed goalkeeper Madalyn Schiffel for the 2017 NWSL season. Reign FC obtained the rights to Schiffel via trade with the Washington Spirit in November. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Schiffel was originally selected by the Washington Spirit in the 2016 NWSL College Draft as the 34th overall pick, after graduating from the University of San Francisco. While at San Francisco, Schiffel set single-season school records for wins (13), shutouts (9), and minutes played in goal (1,865).

Schiffel most recently spent the 2016 season playing with Avaldsnes IL in the Norwegian Toppserien, helping the club finish in second place on the league table. Avaldsnes won 18 of their 22 matches and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

“I am excited for many reasons to have signed with the Reign,” said Schiffel. “Working and playing every day with top players, coaches, and club will provide phenomenal experience on and off the field. Also, to be back in the States on the west coast, in a beautiful and progressive city, could not be any more ideal. As a person and player, this upcoming season will bring many opportunities for growth. I am thankful for this privilege and I can’t wait for the season to start.”

On Wednesday, Schiffel was one of 30 players named to the U-23 Women’s National Team Roster for the team’s January camp. Schiffel has previously participated in U.S. Youth National Team camps at the U-20 and U-23 levels.

Madalyn Schiffel
Position: GK
Height: 5’9”
Born: 9/19/1994
Hometown: Citrus Heights, California
Last Club: Avaldsnes IL

OGDEN, Utah – Senior Rachel Leonard became just the second player in program history named Big Sky Defensive MVP while freshman Mikayla Reed was named co-Big Sky Top Newcomer among seven Hornets honored by the conference on Tuesday.

Senior midfielder Jennifer Lum joined Leonard on the all-Big Sky first team as the Hornets had multiple first team selections for the first time since 2010. Senior defender Alexa Heinzer was named to the second team while Reed, senior forward Adaurie Dayak, sophomore midfielder Caitlin Prothe, and sophomore goalkeeper Destiny Butcher were honorable mention.

Leonard is the first Sacramento State defender to win the Big Sky Defensive MVP award outright, as previous winner Kara Taylor was the Co-Defensive MVP in 2005. Leonard is the only Hornet that has been on the field for all 1,740 minutes the team has played this season, leading the squad to the second-best goals against average (0.98) in the Big Sky.

Leonard has anchored a Hornet defense that has permitted just 19 goals in 18 games with six shutouts and has permitted only 6.3 shots on goal per game. She has contributed offensively as a well with a goal and an assist in Big Sky conference play.

A true freshman out of Auburn, Reed shared the Big Sky Top Newcomer honor with Idaho’s Emma Eddy and Weber State’s Paige Stevens. Reed has started 17 of 18 games this year and also helped lead the Hornet defense from her midfield position. She has played the second most minutes among all Hornet non-defenders and has two assists on the offensive end.

A three-time all-Big Sky selection, Lum has been among the most dynamic players in the Big Sky during conference play, in which she totaled five goals and two assists for 12 points. During Sacramento State’s program-record tying five-game winning streak through the end of the regular season, Lum had five goals and one assist. She ranks second in the Big Sky in shots on goal per game this season while starting all 18 games and leading all Hornet non-defenders with 1,583 minutes played.

Along with Leonard, Heinzer has been another stalwart of the Hornet back line playing in all 18 games and starting all conference games as the Hornets recorded six shutouts and allowed just one goal in six other games this year. She also had an assist on the only goal in Sacramento State’s 1-0 win at Northern Colorado.

Butcher has been the primary Hornet goalkeeper this season and leads the Big Sky with a .820 save percentage. She is also third in the league in goals against average (1.06) and saves per game (5.13) and has been a part of five shutouts playing in 16 of 18 games.

Dayak scored two game-winning goals this season, including the winner against Weber State that qualified the Hornets for the Big Sky Tournament, and had a team high three assists during the regular season. Prothe has been another strong defender in the midfield and totaled one goal and one assist playing in all 18 games with 14 starts.

The Hornets enter the Big Sky Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will play a semifinal game at 10 a.m. Friday in the conference tournament in Cheney, Wash.

Paul O’Brien, Director of Soccer Operations
September 29, 2016, Placer Valley Tourism

Placer United Soccer Club is ranked as one of the fastest growing soccer clubs on the West Coast and this can largely be attributed to their incredible staff, focus on player development and equal commitment to athleticism and attitude.  With more than 650 registered players, this nonprofit, community-based, competitive club that was founded more than 30 years ago, would not be where it is today without a few key leaders that set the tone and implement what this club stands for each and every day.

Paul O’Brien, who serves as the director of soccer operations, is one of those key people. His dedication to Placer United is matched by his love for the game and the vision he has for the young players who call Placer United home. O’Brien, who was born and raised in Ireland, began playing organized soccer when he was around 8-years-old and has never looked back.

O’Brien is pictured here in the middle with FC Dallas head coach and former Placer United and current MLS star Ryan Hollingshead

“The night before I flew out to California I played my very last competitive soccer game in Ireland and it was played in one of Ireland’s most famous soccer stadiums, Dalymount Park; it was a semifinal game of a Major Cup competition which unfortunately we lost 3-2 and as was typical of games in Ireland, I hobbled onto the plane the next morning,” O’Brien fondly recounts.

It was March of 1990 when he arrived in California and he immediately started playing competitive soccer, interestingly the club he played with out of Orange County was made up of Irish, English and Scottish players. He spent eight great years playing soccer with that club and also experienced several personal milestones during this time including marrying his wife Terri and expanding their family with the birth of two sons, Sam and Joe.  Along with their children and beloved dog, Paul and Terri decided to move to Rocklin in 1998 and that is when his journey with Placer United began.

“While playing at a local indoor league in Roseville, I heard that a local club was looking for a new coach so I contacted the club, was interviewed, ran a training session and was offered the job of head coach of a U17 boys team for Placer United,”  explained O’Brien.  “In 2004, the Placer United Board of Directors asked if I would be interested in a board position, I said yes and then became the club’s vice manager.”

By 2006 he was offered the position of Boys Coaching Director and held that until he took on the Director of Soccer Operations in 2014. The steady growth of Placer United allowed for a shift in structure where the coaching directors now focus on helping coaches and players on the field. In addition, O’Brien’s position has him working alongside Jodi Tarr, the club administrator, where they combine efforts to oversee the day to day projects as well as focus on ways to continue to advance the club both on and off the field.

Next up for O’Brien and Placer United is their Girls Cup tournament this October 22-23 that has taken place for more than twenty years. Preparations for it are in full swing with more than 200 teams ranging from U11 to U18 will be competing on 32 fields throughout Placer Valley.

“Our girls tournament is one of the biggest soccer events in California at this time of year and for us to be responsible for bringing hundreds of families into our part of town is awesome,” commented O’Brien.  “The excitement on the faces of the girls at the first games and the actual championship games – that’s pretty cool; working with the people at PVT to help put Placer County on the soccer map – that is something we are really proud of too.”

Placer United 98 Girls Gold team and Coach Todd DeCarlo after winning the 2016 soccerloco Surf Cup Championship.

Whether he is on the soccer field, planning training sessions, preparing for the next tournament or helping players take their game to the next level, O’Brien’s passion and knowledge for the game comes shining through. Here at PVT we appreciate you so much Paul, and want to thank you for all the young lives you’ve helped mold into accomplished athletes and adults. You’re a star in our eyes!

Placer alumni player, Ryan Hollingshead (left) and teammate Walker Zimmerman with the US Open Cup Trophy

Big congratulations to Ryan Hollingshead and FC Dallas on their big win last night against the New England Revolution in the 2016 US Open Cup. The game which was broadcast live on TV saw Ryan and FC Dallas comeback from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Revolution by a score of 4-2.

With last night’s victory, Ryan becomes the first player from Placer United to win the US Open Cup.

Congratulations to Ryan and FC Dallas.

Go Placer!