March 11, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, MD. -
Two University of Maryland women's soccer players, forward Sade Ayinde and midfielder Danielle Hubka, are among 24 players called by U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team head coach Jill Ellis to attend the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team Training Camp.
"Our coaching staff is excited for both of Sade and Danie It's a terrific opportunity to show Jill and her staff that they are worthy of being a part of a team competing for a World Championship. And as an athlete, that's all you can hope for, is an opportunity," said Terps' head coach Brian Pensky. "Credit to Jill in that she is continuing to look at different players, with the intention of bringing the absolute best team possible to the championship, even if it means changing personnel from the group that qualified in January in Guatemala."
Hubka was solid for the Terps in her first season in College Park. After missing the first two games due to injury, the Strongsville, Ohio, native scored her first career goal in her second game, the Terps' 5-2 win over Loyola. She earned a starting spot in the midfield in the team's 1-0 victory over No. 22 Santa Clara. She was moved from the midfield to forward early in the conference season and responded with the game-winning goal in the 4-0 win at Duke. She also had a goal in Maryland's 4-0 win over Monmouth in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Overall, Hubka finished 10 points on four goals and two assists.
Ayinde played in all 20 games for the Terps in 2009 and finished the season fourth on the team in scoring with 11 points on three goals and five assists. She moved from center back to forward in the off-season and it didn't take her long to make an impact. Ayinde had a career-best five points on two goals and an assist in the Terps' 5-2 win over Loyola. She then assisted Ashley Grove's game-winner in the 1-0 win over No. 22 Santa Clara. Ayinde was on the finishing end of things with the team's fourth goal in the 4-0 win at Duke. She then recorded assists in three-straight games from Oct. 11-18, assisting Becky Kaplan's first career goal in 3-1 win over No. 6 Virginia Tech, then another Kaplan goal in the 1-1 tie with No. 7 Boston College and then tallying the assist on Grove's goal in Maryland's 3-2 overtime win over NC State.
The training camp will be held from March 14-21 in Gainesville, Fla., and will feature matches against two Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) clubs. The U.S. U-20s will face the host University of Florida on Monday, March 15 at 5:30 p.m. and take on the Boston Breakers on Wednesday, March 17 at 3 p.m. Both of those matches will take place at the University of Florida. The U.S. U-20s will finish the schedule of scrimmages against the Atlanta Beat at Flagler College on Friday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
U.S. U-20 WNT Roster By Position
GOALKEEPERS (3): Adriana Franch (Oklahoma State; Salina, Kansas), Bianca Henninger (Santa Clara; Los Gatos, Calif.), Kelsey Wys (Florida State; Coral Springs, Fla.)
DEFENDERS (6): Vicki DiMartino (Boston College; Massapequa, N.Y.), Danielle Hubka (Maryland; Strongsville, Ohio), Kendall Johnson (Portland; Portland, Ore.), Toni Pressley (Florida State; Melbourne, Fla.), Rachel Quon (Stanford; Lake Forrest, Ill.), Courtney Verloo (Stanford; Portland, Ore.)
MIDFIELDERS (10): Amber Brooks (UNC; New Hope, Pa.), Charney Burk (Portland; North Tuscan, Calif.), Kelly Coheeney (Virginia Tech; Ridgewood, N.J.), Elizabeth Eddy (So Cal Blues; Costa Mesa, Calif.), Katy Frierson (Auburn; Birmingham, Ala.), Kayla Grimsley (South Carolina; Lakeland, Fla.), Kristie Mewis (Boston College; Hanson, Mass.), Samantha Mewis (Scorpion SC; Hanson, Mass.), Jenna Richmond (McLean SC; Centreville, Va.), Casey Short (Florida State; Naperville, Ill.)
FORWARDS (5): Sade Ayinde (Maryland; North Bellmore, N.Y.), Maya Hayes (Aristocats; West Orange, N.J.), Courtney Jones (UNC; Danville, Calif.), Morgan Marlborough (Nebraska; Raymore, Neb.), Tiffany McCarty (Florida State; Laurel, Md.)
The U.S. U-20 team has already qualified for the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup this summer in Germany.
