ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - A few future and current Knights have been busy lately adding to some more national team experience to their resumes.
Recent signee Christina Trickett is currently putting in work at the U19 U.S. Women's National Team training camp. The camp, which lasts from March 12-19 in northern California, is run by U.S. Soccer Development Coach Jitka Klimkova.
All the players in this age group are eligible for the team that will participate in the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Papua New Guinea in November.
Trickett, a midfielder out of Independence, Ohio, was called in for the U19 training camp held in Carson, California, in September 2015.
Meanwhile, fellow signee Julia Ekholm competed for Sweden in the 2016 Under-23 La Manga Tournament in Spain in early March. Ekholm started for Sweden's U20 squad that squared off against the United States, Japan and England.
Ekholm is a veteran for Sweden's youth national teams, having helped Sweden win the 2015 U19 European Championships in Israel after earning silver in the U17 UEFA European Women's Championship in 2013.
Rising sophomore Katarina Naumanen spent her spring break last week with Finland's senior national team off the coast of Turkey for the Cyprus Women's Cup. Finland competed against Poland, the Czech Republic, Wales and the Republic of Ireland.
The trio is set to compete in the fall for the Knights, who have signed nine freshmen and bring back 13 players that clocked time in at least 10 matches last year. Among those returners include American Athletic Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Year Carol Rodrigues and all-conference picks Kayla Adamek (first team) and Vera Varis (rookie team; all-tournament team).
UCF head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak will serve her fourth season at the helm of the program, which earned its 20th NCAA Tournament berth last season.