NC Courage players named to senior, U-23 national teams

The senior and U-23 US Women’s National Teams named their rosters for upcoming games and six players for the NC Courage made the cut, three for each squad. The senior team will be playing in the SheBelieves Cup in early March while the U-23s will be playing matches in Spain at the same time.

NC Courage players representing the senior squad will be forwards Lynn Williams, Jessica McDonald, and midfielder Samantha Mewis. Williams had a breakout season in NWSL last year winning both the Golden Boot and the MVP award. She earned her first call up last year in October against Switzerland. In 2016 Jessica McDonald earned her first call up since turning pro in 2010 thanks to scoring ten goals and providing seven assists in the NWSL. For her part, Samantha Mewis has 18 caps with four goals for the national team. She will be making her second trip to the SheBelieves Cup and scored the goal that clinched the tournament victory for the WNT last year.

The U-23 players called in from the Courage include forwards Makenzy Doniak, Ashley Hatch, and defender Samantha Witteman. Doniak was a member of the WNY Flash last season and was a part of the team that won the U-20 World Cup in 2014. Ashley Hatch was drafted second overall by the Courage in the NWSL draft and she was also called into the senior WNT last year. Finally, Samantha Witteman, who was traded to the Courage from the Orlando Pride earlier this year, will be joining the U-23s after making 12 starts in the NWSL during her rookie season.

The SheBelieves cup will feature the US taking on France, England, and Germany from March 1-7. The U-23s will play Japan, England, and Norway from March 2-7 in La Manga, Spain. After returning from Europe, the U-23s will compete in the Thorns Spring Invitational in Portland, Oregon from March 26-April 1. The team will square up against the Houston Dash, Portland Thorns, and Chicago Red Stars in the preseason tournament.