Whitman College Looking Forward to Commitment from Jordan O’Roy

“I am honored to announce my verbal commitment to play soccer at the collegiate level for Whitman College in fall 2017. It has always been a dream of mine to play soccer in college, and due to hard work, dedication, and support from family and friends my dream is finally coming true. First, I would like to thank every teammate I’ve had throughout my years of playing soccer. You guys became more than just my teammates, we became friends and most importantly a family. Also, I would like to thank my family. If it hadn’t been for my family’s undeniable support and sacrifice I wouldn’t be where I am today. Also a huge thank you to all of my coaches I’ve had throughout my soccer career, however, most importantly Coach Todd DeCarlo. Coach Todd has become a huge part of my life on and off the field and I can’t thank him enough for pushing me in every training session and game, in order for me to play to the best of my ability. I am truly thankful to all those players, coaches, and parents who have been part of my journey and have encouraged me to strive to be the not only the best player, but best person I can be. Through all the support and sacrifices they have made for me to realize my goal of playing collegiate soccer and I now have the amazing opportunity to play at Whitman College . I can’t wait to take the next step in my life and continue my soccer career at Whitman College. Go Blues!” — Jordon O’Roy

 

Danielle Brannam Headed to Sierra College Women’s Soccer Program

“I’m excited to announce my verbal commitment to Sierra College. I’ve always wanted to play soccer at the collegiate level and I am so excited that I get to fulfill that dream. I am beyond happy to be the first person out of my family to attend college! I would like to thank former and current coaches for always being my inspiration, Coach Rich Donofrio, Coach Todd DeCarlo, Coach Ron Benjamin, and Coach BJ Glass. I would also like to thank Jason Gantt for recruiting me and for welcoming me with such open arms to Sierra’s Women’s Soccer Team. I would also like to thank my former and present coaches for believing in me and my skill to be able to play at the collegiate level.

I have played soccer for fourteen years and I’m happy I’ve made the best decision for me and my future. I do not know who I am outside of soccer and I am not ready to find that out yet. I am so excited to keep learning much more about the sport I love so dearly, and to pursue my career in nursing.

My last and biggest thanks goes to my family; my parents, Victor and Laura Brannam, as well as my brothers Chris and Jake Brannam, for always seeing my potential and pushing me to follow my heart, dreams and desires with everything I do. Thank you so much for all the constant love and support I receive on a daily basis!” — Dani Brannam

Ivan Oseguera Commits to Sacramento State Hornets

“I am excited to announce that I have verbally committed to California State University, Sacramento. I would like to thank both of my parents for always supporting me along the journey and also a big thank you to my brother Jorge for always encouraging me and helping my parents out on taking us to trainings and buying us soccer gear. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’d like to thank all my teammates I’ve played with throughout the years for helping me become a better player. I would also like to thank Bart Morefield who was my history teacher in the 8th grade for recommending me to tryout for Placer’s academy. I’d like to thank Paul O’Brien for teaching me how to play soccer the correct way and for always pushing me and expecting me to give it my all. I would like to thank my current coach Matt McDougall for believing in me and letting me play for him at Sac State. Last but not least, I’d like to thank my brother Omar for always being by my side and always pushing me on the field. I am very excited on continuing my soccer career at a great school and knowing I’ll get to play with my brother. Go Hornets! —Omar Oseguera

Omar Oseguera Will Sign With Sacramento State Hornets

“I am very excited to announce that I have verbally committed to California State University, Sacramento. I would first like to thank both of my parents for teaching me how to work hard at a young age and also for sacrificing so much of their time for my brother and me. Without the support from my parents I wouldn’t be in the position I am today as a soccer player. I would also like to thank my brother Jorge for encouraging me and helping my parents buy me my soccer gear throughout these years. I couldn’t have done it without his encouragement and toughness on me. I would also like to thank all of my Placer United teammates and other teammates throughout my youth soccer career that have pushed me to become the soccer player I am today. I also would like to thank Bart Morefield who was my history teacher in the 8th grade for giving me the opportunity to try out for Placer United’s first year of academy soccer. I would also like to thank Paul O’Brien for teaching me how to play soccer the correct way at a young age. He taught me how to become the competitive, hard working player that I am today and I wouldn’t be here where I am at today without him. Last but not least, I would like to finally thank my current coach Matt McDougall in believing in me and watching me play throughout my Placer years. He taught me how to become a better player and an even better person outside the pitch and I thank him a lot for that. I am more than excited in continuing my soccer career at a great school and with great coaches, and I am excited to see what the future has in store for me. Go Hornets!” —Omar Oseguera

Clayton Sato Commits to San Francisco State University

“It’s my pleasure to share that I have verbally committed to San Francisco State University! I’d like to thank my mother for everything she has done for me, for all the sacrifices she made over the years and time she has given up to help me achieve my dreams of playing soccer at the next level. If it weren’t for her love and support I would not be where I am today. Thank you to all the coaches I’ve had, from my big sister, Emerisa, to Matt McDougall. I have learned so much from Matt in the short time he has been my coach. He has taught me not only about soccer, but about having character on and off the field. He has also helped me tremendously throughout the college recruitment process. I can’t thank him enough for all he has done for me. I am so grateful for all the memories I have made with my teammates, there are ones I will never forget. Thanks guys. I am very excited for next year at San Francisco State with Coach Ayala-Hil and would like to thank him for the chance to come into his program. Go Gators!” —Clayton Sato

Cody Sundquist in Demand Internationally

January 2017 Update — Cody Sundquist has an interesting dilemma on his hands: pursue his dream of playing professional soccer in Europe, or respond to the pursuit of U.S. coaches from schools like Cal Berkeley, Harvard, and University of Washington. It’s the kind of quandary most 17-year-old athletes would love to face, and it’s hard work and determination that got him there.

At the age of 12, Cody was involved in the NorCal Player Development Program, which identifies motivated, talented players and assists in their training. He began traveling abroad for 90-day periods—the maximum amount of time allowed on his visa—during the spring and fall.

In 2013, when he was 13, Cody trialed at Liverpool Football Club—a Premier League association football club in England founded in 1892. He trained with their Academy team during the month of March and was invited back over the summer. At that time, he had the opportunity to play with Liverpool’s ’98 squad at the prestigious Milk Cup Tournament in Northern Ireland—an international youth football tournament held annually. In August of the same year, he played on the U14 U.S. National Team in Croatia and Hungary. The following year, Cody was a member of the U15 U.S. National Team and also played for Liverpool and AC Fiorentina in Florence, Italy.

By 2016, his international involvement expanded. In January, he participated in U18 U.S. National Team training in Florida in preparation for play in Argentina in March. However, instead of going to South America, Cody returned to play for Fiorentina Academy in the Italian Football Association Academy League. Last September, he joined the Primavera at AC Fiorentina, the highest-level of their youth academy.  From there, the natural trajectory would be to sign with the first team at ACF or other professional European club, but soccer coaches at prestigious schools in the U.S. are not prepared to lose him without a fight.

These days, a typical year in Cody’s life looks something like this:

January – June: International training and games, including school work with an Italian tutor provided by the soccer club

July – August: Back home to the United States for home studies at Independence High School in Granite Bay, which gives him the flexibility to study independently and course work and exams through Sierra College

August – December: Back to Europe for training and games

Clearly, Cody’s commitment to his sport and his tenacious spirit have opened incredible doors of opportunity. He credits Paul O’Brien and all of his coaches at Placer United for giving him a solid foundation upon which to take advantage of these incredible opportunities. Placer United is pleased to have been involved in this incredible young man’s soccer career, and we look forward to seeing where his talent and skill will take him.

Riley Terando Commits to MIT

College Bound_Riley Terando_2017

“I am extremely excited to announce that I have committed to play soccer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)!  I would first like to thank my Placer teammates throughout the years who have pushed me to become the player I am today. My growth would also not have been possible without the coaches who have influenced me throughout my five years at Placer: Gene Duchateau, Ron Benjamin, Bart Morefield, and Todd DeCarlo. I appreciate all of the time that they have invested in me, helping me improve as a player and grow as a person. Another thank you to my parents, who have sacrificed their free time and money to help me achieve my dreams. Lastly, I would like to thank my goalkeeper coaches: Matt Scammacca, Matt Bernard, and Matt McDougall, as well as all of the goalkeepers who have trained alongside me within our little family. You guys have always made keeper training something I look forward to, and it will definitely be something I miss next year. My path to college was not easy. I did not have the ability to commit to MIT based off my soccer ability; I still had to get into the school. Only after receiving my acceptance was I able to say that I was committed. This is why I also would like to thank all of my teachers at Vista del Lago. They have understood the tough time I had balancing my academics with soccer, and were always willing to help me if needed. They helped me meet the requirements for MIT that were unrelated to soccer. Being able to say I’ve achieved one of my biggest dreams is one of the greatest feelings in the world. I look forward to continuing my education, as well as my soccer career next year under Coach Desmarais. Roll Tech!” — Riley Terando

 

Kyle Kellogg Commits to Montana State University, Billings

College Bound_Kyle Kellogg_2017

“I’m excited to announce my verbal commitment to Montana State University, Billings. It has always been a dream of mine to play soccer at a collegiate level for such a great school. I’m honored to be able to follow in the footsteps of one of my mentors growing up, Trevor Wildberger. Trevor taught me to “Never give up and keep fighting” and that’s exactly what I plan to do at MSUB. He is greatly missed and is always in my mind whenever I step out on the pitch. I want to give a huge thank you to my family for always supporting me and pushing me to do my best. My soccer experience never would have been possible without all of you. I also want to thank all my coaches I’ve had at Placer United the past 10 years. Especially Paul O’Brien, Matt McDougall, Todd DeCarlo, and Gene DuChateau—who have helped me along the way. These coaches have taught me all that I need in order to be the best player I could be with the best techniques and fundamental skills. Thank you to all the teammates I’ve had throughout the years for always supporting me. I can’t wait to take the next step in my life and continue my soccer career at Montana State University, Billings. Go Yellow Jackets!” — Kyle Kellogg

Madalyn Schiffel Starts U23 Women’s National Team Camp

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.)

 

Placer United 03 Girls Compete at Cal-North Championships

The Olympic Development Program (ODP) Championships are being held this weekend at the Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix, Arizona.  The State teams from Region IV gather to compete for the title in their respective age groups.  Each State brings their top 18 players to the event.  This year, more than one third of the ’03 Cal North girls state team selected are from the Placer United ’03’s.

03G ODP Championship

L-R: Hannah Wirth, Emma Schafer, Camille Garcia, Jordan Gotham, Karley Garcia, and Mia Solorio-Smith

Kellie Pagador, who was also selected to participate, is currently recovering from an injury.

Good luck ladies!