University of Tennessee Athletics
FORMER LADY VOL DOWLING HEADS TO U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM TRAINING CAMP
September 26, 2006 | Soccer
Sept. 26, 2006
CARSON, Calif. - Former Tennessee standout and three-time NSCAA/adidas All-American Keeley Dowling joins 23 other Americans today as the United States Women's National Soccer Team kicks off its training camp for an upcoming friendly against Chinese Taipei on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Dowling is the first Lady Vol to be invited to the U.S. national training center for camp in the program's history, and, if she makes the team, she would join Canadian National Team members Rhian Wilkinson (Baie d'Urfe, Quebec) and Marie-Eve Nault (Trois-Rivieres, Quebec) as former Big Orange stars to make the national squad for their home country.
The Carmel, Ind., defender has kept busy after graduating from UT last December. She first played with the Charlotte Lady Eagles in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League in 2005 before moving to KIF Orebro in the Swedish First Division. Dowling said she got the invite from U.S. head coach Greg Ryan via email last week.
"It's neat to see no matter where I was, he was going to give me a shot," said Dowling. "That's what I've been hoping for. Just going to Sweden and playing over there, I could not be better prepared. I feel like I'm as prepared as I'm going to be for this tryout. It's just a blessing that I'm able to have this opportunity."
Dowling is a veteran of numerous championship-winning national youth squads, helping the 2002 U-19 group win a FIFA Women's World Championship and the 2004 U-21s capture the 2004 Nordic Cup. While those were beneficial, the time in Sweden has really sharpened her skills.
"It's one of the reasons I went to Sweden, because I was trying to pursue my dream to play with this team," Dowling said. "I was trying to improve my technical game, because that's what coaches told me I needed to do to get to the next level.
"When you get invited to these camps, you play with the mentality that you have nothing to lose. It should be a fun experience and a great opportunity."
Dowling is one of three other players who are trying to gain their first international cap on the national roster, joining UCLA's Danesha Adams and former Santa Clara forward Megan Kakadelas in that group.
Ryan will select 18 players out of the camp for the match against Chinese Taipei, which is set for Sunday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m. EDT live on ESPN2 from The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
United States Women's National Soccer Team
Training Camp Roster - Sept. 26-Oct. 1
Goalkeepers: Nicole Barnhart (Stanford), Briana Scurry (UMass), Hope Solo (Washington)
Defenders: Lori Chalupny (North Carolina), Keeley Dowling (Tennessee), Tina Frimpong (Washington), Amy LePeilbet (Arizona State), Stephanie Lopez (Portland), Kate Markgraf (Notre Dame), Heather Mitts (Florida), Christie Rampone (Monmouth)
Midfielders: Angela Hucles (Virginia), Carli Lloyd (Rutgers), Joanna Lohman (Penn State), Marci Miller (SMU), Leslie Osborne (Santa Clara), Aly Wagner (Santa Clara)
Forwards: Danesha Adams (UCLA), Natasha Kai (Hawaii), Megan Kakadelas (Santa Clara), Kristine Lilly (North Carolina), Megan Rapinoe (Portland), Lindsay Tarpley (North Carolina), Abby Wambach (Florida)
