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Two local club standouts on rosters for combined USYNT girls camp

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Penn Fusion forward Elayna Kocher and FC Delco forward Lilah Helwig are among the 48 players called up for a combined U-17 and U-16 girls national team camp being held Jan. 26-Feb. 2 at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center in San Diego.

Kocher, of Allentown, was part of the Penn Fusion 2008 team that won the ECNL national championship last summer and starred for Parkland High School in the fall. Helwig, who played with FC Revolution prior to joining FC Delco, starred as a rookie at North Schuylkill in the fall and was the only 9th grader in Pennsylvania to earn all-state honors.

U.S. U-17 WNT head coach Katie Schoepfer called up 24 players, all born in 2008, for the squad’s second camp (the first was in Atlanta last September) in preparation for qualifying for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Concacaf qualifying will be held in late March and the World Cup, the beginning of the annual staging of this tournament, will be held from Oct. 17-Nov. 8 in Morocco, which will host the next five editions of the competition.

U.S. U-16 GNT head coach Ciara Crinion called up 24 players, 23 of them born in 2009 with one, midfielder Loradana Paletta, born 2011. Paletta was the youngest player on the USA’s title-winning 2024 Concacaf Girls’ U-15 Championship team. All the U-16s are age-eligible for selection to the Concacaf World Cup qualifying squad, and if all goes well there, the World Cup in Morocco.

U.S. U-17 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM (Club; Hometown)
Domestic Training Camp – Chula Vista, Calif.

Goalkeepers (3): Josie Biehl (San Diego Surf SC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Evan O’Steen (Solar SC; Grapevine, Texas), Peyton Trayer (Slammers FC HB Koge; Aliso Viejo, Calif.)

Defenders (8): Natalie Chudowsky (New York SC; Westport, Conn.), Izzy Dalke (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Belleville, Ill.), Maya Engel (Virginia Development Academy; Ashburn, Va.), Alison Ernst (Michigan Hawks; Northville, Mich.), Savannah Leifried (Bay Area Surf SC; Ceres, Calif.), Rhiannon Mahon (Solar SC; Celina, Texas), Cali O’Neill (North Carolina Courage Academy; Durham, N.C.), Lilly Osifodunrin (Real Colorado; Brighton, Colo.)

Midfielders (6): Julia Amireh (North Carolina Courage; Raleigh, N,C,), Scottie Antonucci (Legends FC; Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), Pearl Cecil (San Diego Surf SC; Encinitas, Calif.), Jaiden Rodriguez (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Charlee Siria (Ohio Elite SA; Lexington, Ky.), Gabrielle Smith (Galaxy SC; Naperville, Ill.)

Forwards (7): Ashlyn Anderson (Indy Premier SC; Carmel, Ind.), Jordan Hill (Solar SC; Dallas, Texas), Micayla Johnson (Unattached; Troy, Mich.), Elayna Kocher (Penn Fusion SA; Allentown, Pa.), Ella Kral (Lamorinda SC; Berkeley, Calif.), Audrey Mckeen (Virginia Development Academy; Vienna, Va.), Nyanya Touray (Bethesda SC; Silver Spring, Md.)

U.S. U-16 GIRLS’ NATIONAL TEAM (Club; Hometown)
Domestic Training Camp – Chula Vista, Calif.

Goalkeepers (3): Ella McNeal (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Manchester, Mo.), Brooke Volpp (San Diego Surf SC; Encinitas, Calif.), Malia Zillman (Rockford Raptors FC; Waunakee, Wisc.)

Defenders (8): Meila Brewer (Kansas City Athletics; Overland Park, Ks.), Lizette Castellanos (Albion SC San Diego; Chula Vista, Calif.), Delaney Fraser (Lamorinda SC; Concord, Calif.), Kendra Hansen (Pateadores SC; Tustin, Calif.), Rachel Lawless-Felarca (Sting Dallas Royal; Dallas, Texas), Piper Sistek (San Diego Surf SC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Brooklyn Vann (Cincinnati United SC; Middletown, Ohio), Elena Vera (Davis Legacy SC; Fairfield, Calif.)

Midfielders (7): Karis Buehler (Slammers FC HB Koge; Fullerton, Calif.), Mia Corona (Legends FC; Cypress, Calif.), Bridget Kopmeyer (Internationals SC; Bloomfield Hills, Mich.), Taylor Morrell (Virginia Development Academy; Leesburg, Va.), Grace Murray (Beach FC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Loradana Paletta (New York City FC; Syosset, N.Y.), Caroline Swann (Solar SC; Dallas, Texas)

Forwards (6): Maddie DiMaria (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Fenton, Mo.), Lilah Helwig (FC Delco; Frackville, Pa.), Bristol Kersh (TopHat SC; Flowery Branch, Ga.), Rhea Moore (San Juan SC; Sacramento, Calif.), KK Ream (Utah Royals; Herriman, Utah), Carolina Reyna (Sting Austin; Austin, Texas)

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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