University of Tennessee Athletics
Wilkinson Re-Joins New Zealand National Team
November 17, 2014 | Soccer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee forward Hannah Wilkinson has re-joined her New Zealand Women's National Team for a three-match November European tour.
New Zealand is currently ranked 19th in the FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking. The Football Ferns will play the fourth-ranked French on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 12:30 p.m. ET in Laval, France. New Zealand then heads to Stavanger, Norway to face No. 9 Norway on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 1 p.m. ET and again on Thursday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. ET.
New Zealand qualified for the 2015 Women's World Cup in late October, defeating Papa New Guinea and the Cook Islands in the OFC Women's Nations Cup. The 2015 World Cup will mark New Zealand's fourth appearance on soccer's grandest stage. New Zealand previously qualified for the 1991, 2007 and 2011 World Cups.
"We're starting to enter the home straight towards the World Cup and we've built to a point where there is a deep shared understanding among the team of how we play and how we want to play when we reach the World Cup and then moving on to the Olympics," New Zealand head coach Tony Readings said via NZFootball.co.nz.
Wilkinson played in the Kiwis' three matches of 2011 World Cup, and emerged as an international star when she came off the bench and scored an equalizer against Mexico in extra time, giving New Zealand a 2-2 draw and its first-ever point in World Cup history.
Wilkinson returns to an experienced New Zealand roster that features 11 players with at least 50 caps. She has with 58 career caps for her country and her 19 goals are third most on the team, behind only Amber Hearn (43) and Sarah Gregorius (21). Wilkinson's 19 goals are fourth-most in New Zealand history.
Wilkinson is coming off a strong 2014 season with the Big Orange, leading the team with 21 points off nine goals and three assists. She played a big role in Tennessee's late season run deep into the SEC Tournament, tallying four goals and two assists in the final five games. She received SEC All-Tournament Team honors and has been recognized as one of the top players in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. Earlier this month, the NCAA granted Wilkinson an athletics activity waiver, extending her eligibility to play through the 2015 season.
