July 05, 2005
Former Texas A&M goalkeeper Melanie Wilson is one of 24 players selected to participate in the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team's training camp, July 3-10 outside Portland, Ore.
The U.S. team came together on July 3 in Portland to begin training for a July 10 match against Ukraine at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland (3:30 p.m. PT live on ESPN2).
Most training sessions will be held on the campus of the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., with a few at the University of Portland. Head coach Greg Ryan will choose 18 players to suit up for the team's first meeting with Ukraine (currently 19th in the FIFA Women's World Rankings) since December of 1998.
Ryan has called in a mixture of 2004 Olympic gold medalists and up-and-coming talent, including four players who are uncapped (no international match experience) including Melanie Wilson, the back-up to Briana Scurry on the Atlanta Beat in the now-defunct WUSA. The roster includes nine players who helped the United States to the gold medal in Athens, Greece last year. Ryan made five changes to the 24-player roster from the camp recently conducted in Virginia prior to the USA's 2-0 victory over Canada on June 26.
"It makes me very happy and proud to see that Melanie has been called into the National Team," Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri said. "I have thought she should be in the mix with our National Team for a long time, and now that some changes are being made in that team (due to the retirements of several veterans) I am confident that Mel can make the most of her opportunities. I am very confident that she will do a great job."
Wilson, a two-time All-American at Texas A&M, played for the Aggies from 1996-99. She holds the school's career records for most minutes played in goal, lowest goals against average and most saves.
"Melanie is a fantastic athlete, and a real pro in the way she approaches the game," Guerrieri said. "She had an All-American career with us and she's been able to continue that form as a pro in the WUSA and now as a star for the Atlanta Silverbacks in the W-League."
Guerrieri has been the program's goalkeeper coach since he started the program in 1993. Three Texas A&M goalkeepers have made appearances with National Teams under Coach G's tutelage--current Aggie goalkeeper Kati Jo Spisak played with the USA's U21 National Team when the Americans won the 2004 Nordic Cup last summer, while the Aggies' other current goalkeeper (Julie Spearink) has received International Caps with the England U19 National Team.
The defending Big 12 Champion Aggie soccer team, which returns 10 starters and 23 letterwinners from a very successful 2004 campaign, opens the exhibition season at home on Saturday, Aug. 20 against Southern Miss and the regular season at home on Friday, Aug. 26 against Stephen F. Austin.
Texas A&M is also the host of the 2005 Women's College Cup, December 2-4 at the Aggie Soccer Complex. Tickets to the Cup may be purchased now by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE or by logging on to aggieathletics.com.