**CHICAGO (Dec. 3, 2018) –**Three NC Courage Academy players and one former NCFC Youth ECNL product are set to join the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team in a new cycle for the 2018 Women’s Nike International Friendlies. Academy products, Maycee Bell, Tori Hansen and Elaine Rouse along with former NCFC Youth player and current UNC women’s soccer freshman phenom, Brianna Pinto are among 20 players that have been called in for the tournament.

This year’s tournament will feature three teams – France and China PR along with the USA. The U.S. will take on France on Dec. 7 and China PR on Dec. 9, with both games set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET. China will face France on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. ET. All the matches will take place at the Premier Sports Campus and the USA’s two games will be streamed live on ussoccer.com, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Keri Sarver will coach the U.S. team and has called up a mixture of college and youth club players who were born in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2000 are age-eligible for the 2020 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Two players return from the USA’s 2018 FIFA U-20 WWC team: midfielder Brianna Pinto and forward Alexa Spaanstra. Pinto has earned 25 caps and scored three goals for the U-20s, while Spaanstra has made four appearances and netted once last cycle. Both players just completed stellar freshman campaigns at North Carolina and Virginia, respectively. Pinto helped the Tar Heels to the 2018 College Cup Final, scoring six goals and adding eight assists alongside U-20 WNT goalkeeper Claudia Dickey, while Spaanstra led UVA in scoring with nine goals and also notched six assists playing on the front line for the Cavaliers with U-20 teammate Rebecca Jarrett. In 2018, seven players on the roster saw time with the U.S. U-18 WNT, nine logged minutes with the U.S. U-19 WNT and four took the field with the U.S. U-17 WNT, but no players on this roster were on the USA’s 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup Team. Forwards Samantha Kroeger and Reilyn Turner were members of the U.S. team that won the 2018 Concacaf Women’s U-17 Championship that qualified the USA for the World Cup. Turner scored the USA’s lone goal in the 1-0 victory against Canada during group play. Of the 11 youth club players, nine are currently playing in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, including three from NC Courage.

U.S. U-20 WNT – 2018 Nike International Friendlies Roster by Position (Club/College; Hometown)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Claudia Dickey (UNC; Charlotte, N.C.), Hensley Hancuff (Villanova; Edmond, Okla.)

DEFENDERS (6): Abby Allen (Lonestar SC; Austin, Texas), Maycee Bell (NC Courage Academy; Wichita, Kan.), Tori Hansen (NC Courage Academy; Raleigh, N.C.), Brianna Martinez (Notre Dame; Albuquerque, N.M.), Natalie Maurer (Richmond United; Glen Allen, Va.), Elaine Rouse (NC Courage Academy; Cary, N.C.) MIDFIELDERS (6): Megan Bornkamp (Charlotte Soccer Academy; Mooresville, N.C.), Isabella Cook (Eclipse SC; Elmhurst, Ill.), Coriana Dyke (Colorado Rush; Littleton, Colo.), Emily Gray (Virginia Tech; Sewell, N.J.), Brianna Pinto (UNC; Durham, N.C.), Sydney Simmons (Duke University; Van Alstyne, Texas) FORWARDS (6): Jaelyn Eisenhart (LAFC Slammers; Henderson, Nev.), Lia Godfrey (United Soccer Alliance; Fleming Island, Fla.), Rebecca Jarrett (Virginia; Washington Township, N.J.), Samantha Kroeger (NYCFC; West Milford, N.J.), Alexa Spaanstra (Virginia; Brighton, Mich.), Reilyn Turner (So Cal Blues; Aliso Viejo, Calif.)