CHICAGO – Penn State women's soccer redshirt freshman goalkeeper Mackenzie Gress earned an invitation to the U.S. U-20 Women's Youth National Team roster for training camp and a pair of friendlies in Bogotá, Colombia, the United States Soccer Federation announced.
U.S. head coach Tracey Kevins named 20 players to the roster, including six NWSL rookies, 12 collegiate athletes and a pair of club soccer players still matriculating through the youth system. Twelve players, including Gress, helped the United States qualify for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup during the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic last spring. Gress was one of just two goalkeepers named to the roster, joining California's Teagan Wy, and was the lone representative of the 18-member Big Ten Conference.
Although Gress participated in team activities during her freshman season in 2022, the rising Nittany Lion star between the posts saw her first game action with the Blue & White during the 2023 campaign. Gress made her collegiate debut appearance and played 24 shutout minutes against West Chester in the second match of the regular season and made her first appearance against a Big Ten challenger against Maryland on September 15 of last year. Gress totaled just under 90 combined minutes across her four appearances last season, playing as the primary reserve behind current NWSL keeper prospect and third-round NWSL Draft selection Katherine Asman.
A native of Lyndhurst, New Jersey, Gress is a graduate of Lyndhurst High School and played club soccer for the STA Girls Academy. According to TopDrawerSoccer, Gress ranked as the No. 17 overall player and the No. 3 goalkeeper in the 2022 recruiting class. One of the most dominant recruiting cycles in program history, Gress was an instrumental piece in Penn State's top-rated class in the 2022 campaign that features Nittany Lion returning stars such as Olivia Borgen and Amelia White.
In addition to her successful stint with the U.S. organization last spring in the Dominican Republic, Gress also owns a wide array of prior appearances in the federation's system. The Nittany Lion shot stopper attended training camps with the U14 and U16 U.S. Youth National Teams, also earning playing time for the U16 USYNT in a global tournament hosted by UEFA in England. A standout keeper throughout her youth career in the U.S. National Team system, Gress was also part of a competitive player pool for the U18 USWYNT.
In addition to a 10-day training camp in Colombia, the U.S. squad will take the pitch a pair of times in the coming two weeks against Colombia, the host nation of the 2024 U-20 FIFA Women's World Cup. Team USA will challenge Colombia twice in Bogotá, with the first match on Sunday, February 25, set for action at Estadio El Campín, the nation's main soccer venue. The finale for the U.S. in friendly competition comes on Wednesday, February 28, at Estadio de Techo. The event will serve as preparation for World Cup competition, which runs from August 31 to September 22, 2024, featuring athletes born on or after January 1, 2004.
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The 30th Season of Penn State women's soccer is presented by the Smeal College of Business.
