(September 8, 2001)

Heinrichs Picks 18-Player Roster For 2001 Nike U.S. Women's Cup;

14 WUSA, Four College Players To Face Germany, Japan And China

USA Opens Tournament Tomorrow Against Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago

CHICAGO (Saturday, September 8, 2001) - After a four-day training camp featuring 24 players in the Chicago suburbs, U.S. Women's National Team head coach April Heinrichs named the 18 players that will face Germany, Japan and China in the eighth NIKE U.S. Women's Cup tournament.

The USA faces Germany tomorrow at Soldier Field (Noon CT - Live on ESPN), Japan on Sept. 11 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (9 p.m. ET - Live on ESPN2) and China on Sept. 16 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (Noon CT - Live on ESPN).  The match against China marks the first meeting between the two teams on American soil since the historic Women's World Cup Final on July 10, 1999.  Heinrichs named 10 players who were a part of that match, including Brandi Chastain, who converted the now legendary final penalty kick.

The additional eight players included four collegians and four players who made their mark in the WUSA this season.  The four college players - Aleisha Cramer (BYU), Jena Kluegel UNC), Cat Reddick (UNC) and Abby Wambach (Florida) starred for the U.S. Under-21 National Team at the Nordic Cup Championships this past summer.  Each of the college players will miss from four-to-five college games due to their national team commitment.

Previously, the only college players to play for the U.S. National Team during their college seasons were Cindy Parlow, Kristine Lilly, Julie Foudy and Danielle Slaton.  Both Foudy and Lilly played their college seasons in 1991 before leaving for the Women's World Cup, missing the NCAA playoffs.  Slaton missed college games during the 2000 Olympics.

Goalkeeper Lakeysia Beene and defender Kelly Lindsey, two members of the Bay Area CyberRays who played key roles in helping their team to the WUSA championship game, made the roster, along with goalkeeper Jaime Pagliarulo of the San Diego Spirit.  Defender Heather Mitts, who had a banner year at right back for the Philadelphia Charge, also made the roster.  The players released were defenders Lindsay Stoecker (Washington Freedom), Staci Burt (Carolina Courage) and Kylie Bivens (Atlanta Beat), midfielders Tiffany Roberts (Carolina Courage) and Angela Hucles (Boston Breakers) and goalkeeper Hope Solo (University of Washington).

2001 NIKE U.S. Women's Cup

UNITED STATES WOMEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM ROSTER

No.                    Player/ Pos./Ht./DOB/Hometown         

1             Pagliarulo, Jaime,  G,  5-7,  7/20/76, Hershey, Pa.                          

2             Kluegel, Jena, D, 5-3, 11/2/79, Mahtomedi, Minn.  

3             Lindsey, Kelly, D, 5-6, 9/2/79, Omaha, Neb.        

4             Reddick, Cat, D, 5-5, 2/10/82, Birmingham, Ala.    

6             Chastain, Brandi, D, 5-7, 7/21/68, San Jose, Ca.          

7             Fair, Lorrie,  M, 5-3, 8/5/78, Los Altos, Ca.               

8             MacMillan, Shannon, F, 5-5, 10/7/74,Escondido, Ca.      

9             Hamm, Mia,  F, 5-5, 3/17/72, Chapel Hill, N.C.  

11           Foudy, Julie,  M, 5-6,1/23/71, Mission Viejo, Ca.

12           Parlow, Cindy, F, 5-11, 5/08/78, Memphis, Tenn.      

13           Lilly, Kristine,  M, 5-4, 7/22/71, Wilton, Conn.      

14           Fawcett, Joy, D, 5-6, 2/8/68, Huntington Beach, Ca.          

15           Sobrero, Kate, D, 5-7, 8/23/76,Bloomfield Hills, Mich.           

16           Milbrett, Tiffeny, F, 5-2,10/23/72, Portland, Ore.        

17           Cramer, Aleisha, M, 5-11, 7/29/82, Lakewood, Colo.   

21           Mitts, Heathe,  D, 5-5, 6/9/78, Cincinnati, Ohio      

22           Wambach, Abby, F, 5-10, 6/2/80, Pittsford, N.Y.                        

24           Beene, Lakeysia  G, 5-8, 3/9/78,Gold River, Ca.