BYU alumnus Ashley Hatch called up to U.S. Women’s National Team
Former BYU women’s soccer All-American Ashley Hatch was invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team camp on Thursday, Oct. 8.
She was selected along with 26 others to make up the roster for the 11-day training camp, which will begin on Oct. 18 in Commerce City, Colorado.
Hatch has made two appearances on the national team to this point in her career. She made her national team debut in 2016 against Switzerland, and played again against Mexico in 2018. The U.S. won both matches, 4-0 and 4-1, respectively.
While no USWNT games are currently scheduled, performance in the camp could have a significant impact on who joins Team USA for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
This marks the first training camp for the national team since March. European-based players were not invited to the training camp as a result of the global pandemic, giving players like Hatch, who plays in the North American Women’s Soccer League, a greater opportunity to shine.
“For this camp, it just did not make sense for the players in Europe to leave their club environments, where they are getting quality training games, as they are just starting to get settled,” U.S. Coach Vlatko Andonovski said in a statement. “But this opens up the important opportunity for other players to step up and show if they can contribute to the national team during our run to the Olympics.”
Hatch played forward at BYU from 2013-2016 before she was drafted second overall by the North Carolina Courage in 2017. She was named the 2017 NWSL Rookie of the Year and then traded to the Washington Spirit in January 2018, where she continues to play today.
