July 14, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame rising senior forward Kerri Hanks (Allen, Texas/Allen) has been named to the 18-player roster for the 2008 United States U-23 Women’s Soccer National Team which will play in the Nordic Cup later this week in Sweden. The U-23 roster selections were made by head coach Bill Irwin following a lengthy training camp at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., as well as several exhibitions domestically and internationally.
Hanks is no stranger to U.S. Soccer, having been a member of the old U-21 program that is currently transitioning to U-23 status. She also was one of the top scorers in the history of the United States U-19 Women’s National Team, having scored 22 goals in 30 matches from 2002-04, capped by a third-place finish in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship in Thailand (Hanks delayed her enrollment at Notre Dame to the spring of 2005 in order to train and compete with Team USA in that event).
As a member of this year’s U-23 squad, Hanks has seen action in six matches, scoring the opening goal in the 20th minute of the United States’ 3-1 exhibition victory over the W-League’s Ventura Fusion on June 9.
Hanks and her United States U-23 teammates will take the pitch for Group B play in the eight-nation Nordic Cup beginning Tuesday with a match against Switzerland in Borlange, Sweden. The Americans also will take on England (Thursday in Borlange) and Norway (Saturday in Famas) during the group play portion of the event. Placement matches will be held in Falun on Monday, July 21, including the title contest between the top finishers in each group (Finland, Germany, Scotland and Sweden make up Group A).
The USA has won nine of the past 11 championships at the Nordic Cup, which pits the Stars & Stripes against Europe’s top U-23 teams.
Hanks is the latest Notre Dame player to be tapped for national team duty in 2008. Rising sophomore defender/midfielder Lauren Fowlkes (Lee’s Summit, Mo./St. Teresa’s Academy) donned the Stars & Stripes for the CONCACAF U-20 Championships (held June 18-28 in Puebla, Mexico), helping the Americans to a runner-up finish in the tournament and guaranteeing the U.S. a berth in the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, to be held this November in Chile.
In addition, Notre Dame will have a strong presence at the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, China, with four Irish women’s soccer alums scheduled to compete — Shannon Boxx and Kate Sobrero Markgraf for the United States, and Candace Chapman and Melissa Tancredi for Canada. Team USA is wrapping up its pre-Olympic schedule this week, having defeated Brazil, 1-0 on Sunday in Commerce City, Colo., and getting set for a rematch with Brazil Wednesday night in San Diego, Calif. (10 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Channel).
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NOTE: For additional information on all Notre Dame athletes involved with United States Women’s National Teams (including veteran Olympic Team members Boxx and Markgraf), visit the U.S. Soccer web site at www.ussoccer.com.