Menlo Park soccer player Abby Dahlkemper was recently named to the Under-15 Girls’ U.S. National Team player pool selection in Moscow, Idaho on July 11. She will travel to Pomona, California at the end of July to train with the US National Team coaches.

Dahlkemper and two teammates from the MVLA (Mountain View-Los Altos) Avalanche club soccer team were chosen from a pool of 200 State Olympic Development Program (ODP)athletes representing 13 states, after a grueling 10-day tryout at the University of Idaho.  Abby's goal is to make the US Women's National Team and compete in the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer Tournament.  Her soccer skills were recognized when she was named to the CYSA (California Youth Soccer Association) District 2 ODP Team back in 2005. Last year, she tried-out with 200 athletes and made the Cal-North State ODP Team, and then the US Region IV ODP Team.  This year, she was renamed to the State ODP Team, helped her MVLA Avalanche Team win the prestigious Cal-North State Cup Championship Tournament, was reselected to the Regional ODP Team, and will begin training at the US National Team camp. Her next goal is to begin traveling and competing the the Under-15 Girls US Team.

Dahlkemper trains three days a week in Los Altos, attends State ODP practices in Northern California and travels to soccer tournaments around the country. The MVLA Avalanche Team is coached by local Mountain View residents, Erin and Albertin Montoya; both were once members of the US National Soccer Team and standout players at the University of Santa Clara. For more information, please visit Web Link