Murrieta Player Selected to Attend National Soccer Training Camp

Congratulations to Amanda Dennis of Murrieta for being selected to attend the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team Training Camp for under 14 girls in Cary, NC. 

Amanda, who is a freshman at Murrieta Valley High School and goalkeeper for Arsenal Football Club's Girls Under 15 Elite Clubs National League Team, was chosen from thousands of young girls who dream to play for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team.   

The training camp is the third and final training camp for the 2012 year, with two others held earlier at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.  

These camps held by U.S. Soccer Federation coaches, identify athletes at an early age as potential players for the Women’s National Soccer Team.

Amanda will be with 29 other girls at this camp and will be placed in a player pool of approximately 100 girls born in 1998, who will begin the process of training for the U17 World Cup in 2014.

“Words can’t begin to describe how excited and nervous I am," Amanda said. "I get to wear the crest of the United States on my uniform. This is everything I’ve dreamed of." 

Amanda thanked her coaches Holland Hanson, director of Arsenal’s ECNL program and head coach of her GU15 ECNL team, and Dan Kelly, her private keeper coach, of DK’s Goalkeeper Academy, for their continued support. 

She said ECNL and Arsenal FC have been instrumental in helping her achieve her goals.   

"I’m very proud of Amanda," Kelly said. "She has one of the best work ethics I’ve seen in a girl her age. She will continue to improve and will likely play for one of the top division 1 soccer teams in the nation.” 

Hanson reiterated Kelly’s sentiment.

“Amanda has shown the dedication to the game and to this team that is of the highest level," Hanson said. "I'm very proud of how she has progressed over the past 10 months and it is directly related to her passion and desire to compete and perform at the highest levels. We wish her all the best while away with US Soccer.”

ECNL’s mission is to develop female soccer players, improve the competitive structure of girl’s soccer and help identify players at a young age for the Women’s National Soccer Team. The league has been instrumental in developing college and national level female soccer players. Arsenal has produced many top players who received scholarships for Division I, II and III colleges. 

Arsenal FC has approximately 70 teams consisting of both boys and girls. It is ranked in the top 20 clubs nationally, is a Nike-sponsored club as well as one of eight clubs sponsored by Microsoft.

Arsenal is among 73 other elite clubs that compete with one another both regionally and nationally and has been competing in the ECNL league since 2009. 

ECNL holds many national events throughout the year. 

The latest event; ECNL’s Arizona National Showcase held Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, which consisted of 173 teams, was where Amanda was scouted. 

In addition to national coaches in attendance to scout potential players such as Amanda, many college coaches attended this event to recruit for their women’s soccer teams. 

For more information on Arsenal FC and ECNL, contact Holland Hanson at hhanson@arsenalfc.us.

Again, congratulations to Amanda. We look forward to tracking her continued success with women’s soccer.

—News release submitted by Arsenal FC and Elite Clubs National League