Mathias Earns Second National Team Call-up

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Former Texas A&M Soccer standout Merritt Mathias earned a roster spot on the United States Women's National Team which is headed to training camp and a pair of matches against China this June.
 
Mathias was among 24 players named to a squad that will challenge the Chinese on Thursday, June 7 in Sandy, Utah, and on Tuesday, June 12 in Cleveland, Ohio.
 
Currently in the cycle for 2019 Women's World Cup qualifying, the two matches are the final auditions before U.S. Women's National Team head coach Jill Ellis selects a 23-player roster for the 2018 Tournament of Nations, featuring the USA, Australia, Brazil and Japan, which will take place from July 26-Aug. 2.
 
One of four players on the roster who are looking for their first cap, Mathias gets her second call-up after training with the USA during October 2016 friendlies against Switzerland.
 
Mathias is in her sixth season playing in the National Women's Soccer League, the highest level of professional soccer in the United States, if not the world. She ranks fourth in league history in appearances with 111. In her first season with the North Carolina Courage, Mathias has played in 11 games, racking up 971 minutes on the back line. She has one goal for the first-place Courage.
 
After transferring from North Carolina, Mathias spent her final two seasons with the Aggies, helping them to a pair of Big 12 Championships and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. She garnered two All-Big 12 First Team selections and spots on the 2010 Big 12 All-Newcomer Team and the 2011 All-Big 12 Tournament Team. As a senior, she netted eight goals, three of them game winners and registered 11 assists. In her junior season, she scored nine goals, including four game-winners, and added five assists.
 
U.S. Women's National Team Roster by Position; Caps/Goals
GOALKEEPERS (4): Ashlyn Harris (Orlando Pride; 15/0), Casey Murphy (Montpellier HSC, FRA; 0/0), Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars; 28/0), Abby Smith (Utah Royals FC; 0/0)
DEFENDERS (6): Abby Dahlkemper (NC Courage; 18/0), Tierna Davidson (Stanford; 6/0), Sofia Huerta (Chicago Red Stars; 5/0), Merritt Mathias (NC Courage; 0/0), Margaret Purce (Portland Thorns FC; 0/0), Becky Sauerbrunn (Utah Royals FC; 137/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Morgan Brian (Olympique Lyon, FRA; 74/6), Julie Ertz (Chicago Red Stars; 59/15), Lindsey Horan (Portland Thorns FC; 49/5), Carli Lloyd (Sky Blue FC; 252/100), Samantha Mewis (NC Courage; 34/7), Allie Long (Seattle Reign FC; 37/6), McCall Zerboni (NC Courage; 1/0)
FORWARDS (7): Crystal Dunn (NC Courage; 62/23), Tobin Heath (Portland Thorns FC; 132/18), Savannah McCaskill (Sky Blue FC; 5/0), Alex Morgan (Orlando Pride; 140/85), Christen Press (Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC, SWE; 98/44), Megan Rapinoe (Seattle Reign FC; 135/36), Amy Rodriguez (Utah Royals FC; 130/30)