Photo courtesy of Clemson University
By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
December 1, 2015-Shannon Horgan, who played three years in the Olympic Development Program (ODP) of the Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA), has been named to the US Women’s Under-20 National Team by coach Michelle French for World Cup qualifying.
The qualifying rounds will be played from December 3 to 13 in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The 2015 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship features eight nations divided into two groups of four teams. The top two finishers in each group will qualify for the tournament semifinals, with the winners of those games along with the winner of the third-place match earning berths to the 2016 Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea.
Shannon, a 19-year-old resident of Long Beach, grew up playing for the Albertson Soccer Club in the Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL). She was named to the 2013 Newsday All-Long Island Team and honored as the 2013 Albertson Player of the Year, the same year that Shannon helped lead the Albertson Silver Fury ‘94 to the State Open Cup title and Region 1 league final.
“Shannon is a dynamic, quick skillful player with the ability to change a game at any time. She has a field personality and a swashbuckling approach that makes her really fun to watch. She has all the ingredients needed to be a future US Women’s National Team player,” commented Paul Riley, Director of Coaching for the Albertson Soccer Club. “Her tactical and technical development has been staggering over the last couple of years and her cultured left foot makes her an exceptional footballer. Her commitment to the game as a youngster is paying off and we are tremendously proud of her at the Albertson Fury.”
After youth soccer, it was on to Clemson University, where Shannon was named to the 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference All-Freshman Team and honored by Clemson as the Newcomer of the Year. Although she plays in the midfield and at forward for the Tigers, Shannon plays defender for the United States.
With over 100,000 youth soccer players––both boys and girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 11 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.