University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Three Tar Heels Named To U-20 US Soccer WYNT
February 15, 2022 | Women's Soccer
CHAPEL HILL – A trio of Tar Heels: Emily Colton, Talia Dellaperuta and Avery Patterson have been named to the 20-player United States Under-20 Women's Youth National Team and will represent the USA at the 2022 Concacaf Women's Under-20 Championship which will run from Feb. 25-March 12 in the Dominican Republic head coach Tracey Kevins announced Tuesday.
The USA will take aim at one of three berths to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and a record seventh Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship after a dominant run to the confederation crown in 2020. The U-20s kick off the tournament on Friday, Feb. 25 vs. Nicaragua, take on Puerto Rico on Sunday, Feb. 27 and wrap up the group stage vs. host Dominican Republic on Tuesday, March 1.
DellaPeruta was part of the USA's impressive run to the 2020 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship, held in February/March 2020 just before the global COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sporting world. She also represented the USA at the 2018 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay and helped the U.S. win the 2018 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Championship to secure a World Cup berth.
Colton was a member of the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team which competed in the 2019 UEFA Development Tournament in the Czech Republic.
The roster consists of 17 collegiate players comprised represented by 12 colleges, with UNC having the most players from a single university.
It also includes two youth club players and one professional in Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who is the lone 2005-born player on the roster. Moultrie, the youngest player ever to play in the NWSL, made eight appearances for the Thorns in her debut NWSL season last year and scored her first pro goal during last summer's Women's International Champions Cup.
The 2022 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship features 20 teams -- 16 divided into four groups of four, and four who have already advanced to the Round of 16 via pre-tournament qualifying.
The top three finishers in the four groups will advance to the Round of 16 and join the four teams already qualified for the knockout round. From there, the teams will play a single-elimination tournament with the two finalists and third-place game winner qualifying for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. As host of the U-20 WWC, Costa Rica qualified automatically and will not participate in the Concacaf Championship.
Before heading to the Dominican Republic, the team will train in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. from Feb. 16-21.
2022 CONCACAF WOMEN'S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (COLLEGE OR CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (Florida State; Lakewood, Ohio), Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (8): Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.), Samar Guidry (Virginia; McKinney, Texas), Emily Mason (Rutgers; Flemington, N.J.), Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin; Dexter, Mich.), Ayo Oke (California; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Avery Patterson (UNC; Jacksonville, Fla.), Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.), Laney Rouse (Virginia, Cary, N.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Emily Colton (UNC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Talia DellaPeruta (UNC; Cumming, Ga.), Sally Menti (Santa Clara; Seattle, Wash.) Alexis Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; Wilsonville, Ore.)
FORWARDS (5): Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Duke; Clarkston, Mich.), Simone Jackson (USC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Andrea Kitahata (Stanford; Hillsborough, Calif.), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.)
The USA will take aim at one of three berths to the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and a record seventh Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship after a dominant run to the confederation crown in 2020. The U-20s kick off the tournament on Friday, Feb. 25 vs. Nicaragua, take on Puerto Rico on Sunday, Feb. 27 and wrap up the group stage vs. host Dominican Republic on Tuesday, March 1.
DellaPeruta was part of the USA's impressive run to the 2020 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship, held in February/March 2020 just before the global COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sporting world. She also represented the USA at the 2018 FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in Uruguay and helped the U.S. win the 2018 Concacaf Women's Under-17 Championship to secure a World Cup berth.
Colton was a member of the U.S. U-17 Women's National Team which competed in the 2019 UEFA Development Tournament in the Czech Republic.
The roster consists of 17 collegiate players comprised represented by 12 colleges, with UNC having the most players from a single university.
It also includes two youth club players and one professional in Portland Thorns midfielder Olivia Moultrie, who is the lone 2005-born player on the roster. Moultrie, the youngest player ever to play in the NWSL, made eight appearances for the Thorns in her debut NWSL season last year and scored her first pro goal during last summer's Women's International Champions Cup.
The 2022 Concacaf Women's U-20 Championship features 20 teams -- 16 divided into four groups of four, and four who have already advanced to the Round of 16 via pre-tournament qualifying.
The top three finishers in the four groups will advance to the Round of 16 and join the four teams already qualified for the knockout round. From there, the teams will play a single-elimination tournament with the two finalists and third-place game winner qualifying for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. As host of the U-20 WWC, Costa Rica qualified automatically and will not participate in the Concacaf Championship.
Before heading to the Dominican Republic, the team will train in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. from Feb. 16-21.
2022 CONCACAF WOMEN'S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (COLLEGE OR CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (2): Mia Justus (Florida State; Lakewood, Ohio), Neeku Purcell (OL Reign Academy; Seattle, Wash.)
DEFENDERS (8): Lauren Flynn (Florida State; Arlington, Va.), Samar Guidry (Virginia; McKinney, Texas), Emily Mason (Rutgers; Flemington, N.J.), Aidan McConnell (Wisconsin; Dexter, Mich.), Ayo Oke (California; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Avery Patterson (UNC; Jacksonville, Fla.), Lilly Reale (UCLA; Hingham, Mass.), Laney Rouse (Virginia, Cary, N.C.)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Emily Colton (UNC; Carlsbad, Calif.), Talia DellaPeruta (UNC; Cumming, Ga.), Sally Menti (Santa Clara; Seattle, Wash.) Alexis Missimo (Texas; Southlake, Texas), Olivia Moultrie (Portland Thorns FC; Wilsonville, Ore.)
FORWARDS (5): Trinity Byars (Texas; Richardson, Texas), Michelle Cooper (Duke; Clarkston, Mich.), Simone Jackson (USC; Redondo Beach, Calif.), Andrea Kitahata (Stanford; Hillsborough, Calif.), Alyssa Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.)
Players Mentioned
Midfielder
/ Women's Soccer
Forward/Midfielder/Defender
/ Women's Soccer
Forward/Midfielder
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