CHICAGO – One of the young staples of Notre Dame’s starting lineup has been selected for Team USA’s roster for the upcoming 2023 Women’s U20 CONCACAF Championships. Freshman defender Leah Klenke will be 1-of-21 athletes donning the Stars and Stripes May 24-June 3 down in the Dominican Republic.
Klenke is coming off a breakout year with the Irish, where she started all 23 games. Klenke was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, ranked as a top-10 freshman in the country and was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Freshman Best XI. The Houston native finished with six points – two goals and two assists.
Team USA will take aim at one of three berths to the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup (for which a host has yet to be named) and a record eighth Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship after dominant runs to the confederation crown in 2020 and 2022 during tournaments also played in the DR.
The U-20s kick off Group A play against Panama on Wednesday, May 24 (7 p.m. ET on FS1), face Jamaica on Friday, May 26 (6 p.m. ET on FS2) and finish the group stage vs. Canada on Sunday, May 28 (6 p.m. ET on FS2).
Before heading to the Dominican Republic, the team will train in Florida for a week, beginning on May 14.
2023 CONCACAF WOMEN’S U-20 CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER BY POSITION (COLLEGE OR CLUB; HOMETOWN)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Valentina Amaral (Florida Kraze Krush SC; Oviedo, Fla.), Mackenzie Gress (Penn State; Lyndhurst, N.J.), Teagan Wy (California; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.)
DEFENDERS (6): Tessa Dellarose (UNC; Grindstone, Pa.), Ella Emri (San Diego Surf SC; San Diego, Calif.), Elise Evans (Stanford; Redwood City, Calif.), Savannah King (Slammers FC HB Koge; West Hills, Calif.), Leah Klenke (Notre Dame; Houston, Texas), Gisele Thompson (Total Futbol Academy; Studio City, Calif.)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Jasmine Aikey (Stanford; Palo Alto, Calif.), Sofia Cook (UCLA; Huntington Beach, Cali), Jill Flammia (Virginia; Manakin-Sabot, Va.), Shae Harvey (Slammers FC HB Køge; Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Ally Lemos (UCLA; Glendora, Calif.), Lauren Martinho (North Carolina Courage Academy; Cary, N.C.)
FORWARDS (6): Maggie Cagle (Virginia; Phoenix, Ariz.), Madeline Dahlien (UNC; Edina, Minn.), Jordynn Dudley (United Futbol Academy; Milton, Ga.), Onyeka Gamero (Beach FC; Cerritos, Calif.), Kat Rader (Duke; Stuart, Fla.), Ally Sentnor (UNC; Hanson, Mass.)
— ND —