WNT Brings 28-Player Roster for Final Matches of 2015 Victory Tour

CHICAGO (Nov. 24, 2015) – The 2015 Women’s World Cup champions will conclude their Victory Tour with four matches in December. The WNT will take on Trinidad &Tobago on Dec. 6 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu (3 p.m. local/8 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1/FOX Sports GO) and Dec. 10 at the Alamodome in San Antonio (8 p.m. CT on ESPN2/WatchESPN), before finishing one of the most successful years in program history with matches against China PR on Dec. 13 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (5 p.m. MT on ESPN2/WatchESPN), and Dec. 16 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans (7 p.m. CT on FOX Sports 1/FOX Sports GO).

The match in New Orleans will be the final game for retiring U.S. forward Abby Wambach, who is the world’s all-time leading international scorer with 184 career goals in 252 caps.

“It has been a fantastic and thrilling year and we are looking forward to ending it on a high note, and especially honoring Abby and her legendary career in New Orleans,” said U.S. head coach Jill Ellis. “T&T and China are very competitive teams and once again we’ll look to these games to continue the process of preparing for Olympic Qualifying, especially now that we know our path during the qualifying tournament in February.”

With the retirements of Lauren Holiday, Shannon Boxx and Lori Chalupny, who all played their final WNT matches in October, twenty players from the Women’s World Cup roster will be at all the venues. Ellis has once again added 2015 NWSL MVP and leading scorer Crystal Dunn to the roster. Dunn has scored three goals and added three assists for the USA while starting the last four matches of the Victory Tour.

Ellis has also called in seven additional players who will train with the U.S. team during the trip and are available to play in the matches.

Tickets for all of the December matches are on sale at ussoccer.com.

U.S. Women’s National Team Roster by Position

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars), Hope Solo (Seattle Reign FC)
DEFENDERS (10): Crystal Dunn (Washington Spirit), Whitney Engen (Boston Breakers), Jaelene Hinkle (Western NY Flash), Julie Johnston (Chicago Red Stars), Meghan Klingenberg (Portland Thorns FC), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O’Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City), Emily Sonnett (Univ. of Virginia)
MIDFIELDERS (8): Morgan Brian (Houston Dash), Danielle Colaprico (Chicago Red Stars), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle (Wisconsin), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash), Samantha Mewis (Western NY Flash), Heather O’Reilly (FC Kansas City), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC)
FORWARDS (7): Lindsey Horan (PSG), Sydney Leroux (Western NY Flash), Stephanie McCaffrey (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride), Christen Press (Chicago Red Stars), Amy Rodriguez (FC Kansas City), Abby Wambach (unattached)

Additional Notes:

• Of the eight players named to the roster who were not members of the 2015 Women’s World Cup winning team, two are getting their first call-ups: Danielle Colaprico, the NWSL Rookie of the Year and a midfielder from the Chicago Red Stars, and Rose Lavelle, a junior midfielder at Wisconsin, who was one of the top players for the USA at the 2014 Under-20 Women’s World Cup. Colaprico is 22 years-old and Lavelle is 20.
• In addition, Ellis gave second call-ups to defenders Jaelene Hinkle and Emily Sonnett, as well as forward Stephanie McCaffrey, all of whom are 22 years old and earned their first caps in October in matches against Brazil. McCaffrey also scored her first international goal, bagging the fourth and final score in stoppage time of the 4-1 win against the Brazilians on Oct. 25 in Orlando, Fla.
• Should the University of Virginia advance to the NCAA College Cup, Sonnett, who is a senior for the Cavaliers, would not join the U.S. squad until the match in San Antonio.
• Rounding out the younger players on the roster are forward Lindsey Horan, who is currently playing in France for Paris Saint-Germain and earned her third cap on October 25 vs. Brazil, and Western New York midfielder Samantha Mewis, who earned her fourth cap against Brazil on Oct. 21. The 21-year-old Horan will not be with the team in Hawaii due to club commitments, but will join the squad for the final three games.
• The match in Honolulu on the island of Oahu marks the first trip for the U.S. Women to the 50th state and the first international match hosted by U.S. Soccer in Hawaii.
• It will also be only the second soccer match between national teams staged at Aloha Stadium. The Philippines defeated Chinese Taipei 1-0 at the venue in 1976 in a match that was a part of a triple-header that also featured the Hawaii All-Stars against the San Diego Jaws (which played one season in the NASL) and the New York Cosmos against Team Honda from Japan, a match that featured four goals from Pelé.
• Hawaii will be the 32nd U.S. state (not including the District of Columbia) in which the American women have played since the program’s inception in 1985.
• The U.S. WNT has played T&T eight times in its history, most recently a 1-0 victory during group play of the qualifying tournament for the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Abby Wambach’s goal in the 54th minute was the difference. Five of the eight games have been in CONCACAF qualifying competitions.
• The U.S. Women have played 12 matches all-time in the state of Texas, including two visits to San Antonio. The USA played at the Alamodome in October of 2013, a 4-0 victory against Australia. The USA also played a pre-Olympic warm-up match in San Antonio in 1996 at Blossom Field, a 3-0 win vs. Sweden.
• The USA will be making its third visit to University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, after playing there in November of 2011 (1-1 tie with Sweden) and December of 2012 (2-0 win vs. Ireland).
• The match in Glendale marks a homecoming for U.S. defender Julie Johnston, who was named to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup All-Star Team. She hails from nearby Mesa, Ariz.
• China has been one of the most frequent opponents in U.S. history. The U.S. has played China 54 times, more than any country besides Canada.
• Since 1991 - a span of 24 years - the U.S. and China have failed to play a match in a calendar year only five times.
• The USA is 33-8-13 all-time vs. China.
• The USA’s most recent meeting with China came in the quarterfinal at the 2015 Women’s World Cup – a 1-0 win by the USA in Ottawa, Canada, on a goal from Carli Lloyd.
• The U.S. Women have played in New Orleans just once before. That match took place in 2003 at Tad Gormley Stadium. This one will be the first for the U.S. Women at the famed Superdome, home to the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

Lavelle makes a name for herself on national stage

If someone were to ask a student who the best athletes are on the UW-Madison campus, most people would give names such as Nigel Hayes, Corey Clement or Lauren Carlini. One name unlikely to be mentioned is Rose Lavelle, which shouldn’t be the case. Lavelle is one of the best college soccer players in the nation and was rated as the preseason No. 2 player in the country byTopDrawerSoccer.com. 

Lavelle was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and played high-school soccer at Mount Notre Dame High School. She was highly recruited and considered playing at Notre Dame, Louisville, Dayton, Florida and Purdue, but eventually decided to come to Wisconsin. Lavelle was drawn to Wisconsin by head coach Paula Wilkins, who had coached her before on an interregional team in high school. 

“I knew she was someone I would enjoy playing for and could help me get to the level that I wanted to,” Lavelle said. “And when I came on my visit I loved everything about the school.”

Lavelle has made a name for herself on the national scene by playing for the Under-20 and Under-23 national teams, where she gained valuable experience playing with players from across the country. 

“I took away some leadership aspects,” Lavelle said. “Having to play a role on the world stage is definitely something I can bring back to help lead this team.”

Wilkins added, “she has gained consistency and she is taking more control of the game.”

Lavelle has received plenty of individual accolades while playing for the Badgers. She made the First Team All-Big Ten team each of her three years, and was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2013. Even with all of these accolades piling up, the most important thing for Lavelle is the team’s success. 

“My focus isn’t on individual awards,” Lavelle said, “I try to just focus on our team goals.”

Even with Lavelle receiving accolades throughout her career, she hasn’t let that be a distraction and has continued to progress, according to Wilkins. 

“The biggest thing is consistency, she is better at breaking lines and connecting with the final pass,” Wilkins said. 

Wilkins has had the pleasure of coaching some great college players such as Christie Welsh and Ali Krieger. Both Welsh and Krieger played under Wilkins at Penn State, and they were also both on the U.S. Women’s National Team. Welsh won the Hermann Trophy, the most prestigious award in the sport, in 2001 and Krieger was a semifinalist for the award. Wilkins feels that Lavelle has just as much talent and potential as the other great players she has coached. 

“Skill-set wise, she is one of the best that I have had,” Wilkins said. “Her physical ability and her technical ability are a little better, so she ranks at the very top.”

Lavelle was called up Nov. 24 to the U.S. Women’s National Team to participate in the final four games of the team’s Victory Tour, which continues Dec. 6 against Trinidad and Tobago. She was one of eight players called up that were not on the World Cup team, and one of two college players called up to participate in the Victory Tour. If Lavelle plays well she could possibly earn herself a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team for the upcoming Olympics.

During the college season, Lavelle knew there was talk of her joining the national team, but she didn’t allow that to draw her focus away from the field.  

“There are a lot of good midfielders in contention, so I guess I just have to be ready in case I get called on,” Lavelle said.

While Lavelle may be unsure of her future with the national team, Jill Ellis, the coach of the national team, seems to feel differently. In an interview with espnW in mid-October, Ellis mentioned Lavelle as a player that will likely be called in for a tryout in the future.

“We’ll definitely be taking a look at some of the top college players,” Ellis said. “Positionally, we’re looking at... a center mid for Wisconsin, Rose Lavelle.” 

Rose clearly made an impression on Ellis at the U-20 level national team. 

“Rose impressed me at the U-20 World Cup in Canada,” Ellis said “I think Rose has those physical qualities in college, and now I want to see her at our level.”

Lavelle was a key factor in leading the Badgers to a share of a Big Ten championship, leading the team in goals and points on the season. She will have the chance to bring another Big Ten championship and a possible NCAA tournament appearance in her senior year for the Badgers.

While Lavelle may not be a well-known name on the UW-Madison campus, she is one of the most talented athletes in the country, and she may soon be a nationally known player.