SPOTLIGHT: International Experience for Aggie Soccer

Every team relies heavily on experience, and the 2017 A&M soccer team brings a lot to the table. Ally Watt, Stephanie Malherbe, Jimena Lopez and Mikaela Harvey have all added National Team experience to their resumes, something Coach Guerreri hopes will aid this year's squad.

"We're always proud anytime our players are brought into national team camps," said Guerrieri. "We're especially proud when they're competing in world championships. Three of our current players went to the World Cup and a fourth player (Mikaela Harvey) did a lot to help the United States get to the World Cup, so it shows what kind of players and people we have here."

Watt got the call to join Team USA's under-20 National Team in the 2016 FIFA World Cup. That meant missing her sophomore year in Aggieland, but it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. Watt made the most of the trip. She scored a pair of goals, saw action in five of the six US matches and earned FIFA Player of the Match recognition for her performance in the United States' win over Mexico.
 

"Ally was used as a lightning bolt for the United States," remarked Guerrieri. "She was used to bring a spark off the bench, and she was a massive part of the game each time they brought her in. It's great to have her back this season, and she's going to be a major threat for us all year."

Jimena Lopez has several years of experience with Team Mexico. The freshman from Mexico City has played in 17 international matches for the Mexican National Team since 2012. Most recently, Lopez took part in the U-17 World Cup and the Gradisca Tournament (Italy) in 2016.
 

"The Mexican National Teams continue to get better and better in the way they play," noted Guerrieri. "The poise Jimena has on the ball, her ability to go forward and her comfort level in attacking and defending up and down the flank is great. It's been really cool to see her score a couple goals off headers on corner kicks. She's a dominant force with those, and that's something she'll immediately bring to our team. We have a great reputation of being dangerous on set pieces. She becomes another dangerous piece for us."

Mikaela Harvey helped the United States to the championship in the CONCACAF U-20 Women's Championship in December of 2015. Harvey started four of the five matches in the tournament and played the entire 90 minutes in the title match win over Canada. The tournament win moved the United States on to the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Harvey declined and chose to stay at Texas A&M for her junior year, but Coach G believes there are more National Team opportunities down the road for his senior midfielder.
 

"Mikaela didn't follow that particular World Cup dream, but I think she has bigger World Cup dreams down the line," added Guerrieri. "She made a decision to stay with the Aggies at that time, but she certainly made a big impact in helping the US advance to the World Cup."

Then there's Stephanie Malherbe. The senior took a chance, and that chance paid off. Malherbe took last spring away from Texas A&M to go to South Africa. First, she had to earn a spot in the overall pool of players. Second, she had to be selected to the National Team. She did both…and more. She earned a spot on the first 11 and played every minute of every game for South Africa in the Rio Olympics.  

"She was fully committed to chasing that dream," declared Guerrieri. "I'm so immensely proud of her. All of us were living vicariously through her experience. Her last game was against her childhood idol in Marta (Brazil) in front of 45,000 people. You can't script that, and she got to live it."

Malherbe had to earn everything in her Olympic experience. Nothing was handed to her, something that made the experience much more gratifying.
 

"It was a big decision," explained Malherbe. "I had to take a semester off of school, knowing there were no guarantees that I would even make the team. It was just a tryout. Taking that leap of faith was the most important decision I made. I had a lot of really good advice from my parents, coaches and others I reached out to. They encouraged me to take the risk, and I'm really glad I did."

In a summer full of fantastic memories, Malherbe pointed to a pair that stand out the most.

"The Brazil game was probably my favorite, but a close second was actually before the Olympics," explained Malherbe. "We came to play the United States in our final exhibition match before Rio. It was surreal to play against all these icons that I grew up looking up to. My family and friends were able to be there for that game, as well, and that experience stands out as I look back."

Coaches and teammates have noticed the changes in players following their international experience. The experience with National teams gives these athletes a heightened sense of what they've achieved and are capable of. Malherbe echoed those thoughts following her time in the Olympics, and she looks forward to what it might mean for her final year at Texas A&M.

"I think I made great strides as a player just by being surrounded by such talent all day, every day," mentioned Malherbe. "My game improved all around, especially with the speed of play. The confidence issue was a huge thing for me, as well. Coming back and knowing I was capable of doing something like that will allow me to bring some more leadership to our team this year. Hopefully the Olympic experience will benefit us this year, especially in the big games and the times we need people to step up. It would be a real honor if I can be a player to do that for our team, especially in my senior season."