(Feb. 1, 2008) – When the U.S. Women’s National Team opens its mega-camp today at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., 37 players will be vying to make the Algarve Cup roster.

For more than half the camp attendees, the opening week of training camp is essentially a tryout.  The players will be split into two groups with the veterans focusing on strength and fitness training while the larger group consisting of younger and less experienced players hits the soccer field.  On Feb. 9, Head Coach Pia Sundhage will choose a handful of players from the latter group to join the veterans for another week of training prior to the selection of the roster for the Algarve Cup, which is being held March 5-12 in Portugal.

Many women’s soccer fans are already familiar with the veterans who have been called in, but may be wondering, “Who are these younger and less experienced players?”  Here’s a quick introduction to the goalkeepers and defenders who are hoping to make a strong impression at the mega-camp.  Come the spring of 2009, most of them will likely be competing in Women’s Professional Soccer.

(Look for an introduction to the younger and less experienced midfielders and forwards on Sunday.)

Goalkeepers

Cori Alexander
After training with the U.S. U-23s during their year-opening camp two weeks ago, Alexander has been called into her first full National Team camp.  She played every minute of the 2007 Nordic Cup while helping the U.S. U-21s to the title.  During her collegiate career at the University of Portland, Alexander started all but one game and set the Pilots’ all-time records for saves and shutouts.  In 2005, she was named the College Cup Defensive MVP while guiding the Pilots to the NCAA Championship.

Kristin Luckenbill
Luckenbill, the National Team’s backup goalkeeper at the 2004 Olympics, has received her first call-in from Sundhage.  The Dartmouth College grad owns 14 caps and last trained with the National Team during the 2007 residency program.  A member of the Carolina Courage from 2001-2003, she helped her club to the 2002 WUSA Championship while earning Goalkeeper of the Year and First-Team All-WUSA honors.  After playing with the W-League’s Vermont Voltage from 2005-2006, Luckenbill joined FC Indiana in 2007 and won the WPSL title.  She has re-signed with FC Indiana, now a member of the W-League, for the 2008 season.

Defenders

Marian Dalmy
Called into each of the three camps since Sundhage’s appointment, Dalmy is seeking to make her first game roster under the new head coach.  All five of Dalmy’s National Team caps came in 2007 and included appearances in the semifinal and third-place games at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.  A collegiate standout at Santa Clara, she won the 2006 WCC Player of the Year award as a senior and earned First-Team All-WCC honors from 2004-2006.

Keeley Dowling
After training with the National Team prior to the Four Nations Tournament, Dowling returns for the February mega-camp in search of her first international cap.  A former member of the U.S. Youth National Team programs, she started on the U-19 squad that won the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship and was a member of the 2004 Nordic Cup Championship team.  The past two years Dowling played for Swedish club KIF Örebro, who was coached by Sundhage in 2006.  During her collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, Dowling earned NSCAA All-American accolades three times.

Tobin Heath
Heath made her first two National Team appearances at the Four Nations Tournament in January and is now seeking to win a spot on the Algarve Cup roster. A player who loves to take opponents on one-v-one, Heath started for the U.S. U-20s at both the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship. She earned first-team NSCAA All-American honors in 2007 and will return to the University of North Carolina for her junior season in the fall.

Amy LePeilbet
LePeilbet has been called into her second National Team camp since tearing her left ACL at the Peace Queen Cup in 2006 and subsequently missing the entire 2007 season.  A member of the 2004 and 2006 residency programs, LePeilbet has made 23 appearances for the U.S.  She helped the U.S. U-21s to Nordic Cup titles in 2002 and 2003 and earned Second-Team NSCAA All-American honors as a senior at Arizona State where she started every match of her 74-game collegiate career.

Becky Sauerbrunn
Breaking her nose during her first National Team game on Jan. 16 against Canada, Sauerbrunn’s resolve was on display when she donned a facemask and logged 90 minutes four days later as the U.S. edged China, 1-0, to win the Four Nations Tournament.  At the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship, she played every minute of the competition as the U.S. finished third and also helped the U-21s to  the 2007 Nordic Cup title.  The 2007 ACC Defender of the Year and a three-time NSCAA All-American, Sauerbrunn just completed her collegiate career at the University of Virginia.

Brittany Taylor
Taylor earned her first National Team call-in after a strong performance for the U.S. U-20s at the 2007 Pan American Games.  Logging every minute of all six games at the event, she helped the U-20s to the Final where they fell to Brazil’s full national team.  Charged with marking the opposition’s top attacker for the University of Connecticut, Taylor earned 2007 First-Team NSCAA All-American honors and the 2007 Big East Defensive Player of the Year award.  She will return to Storrs, Conn. this fall for her senior season.

India Trotter
A member of the 2006 and 2007 Four Nations Tournament rosters, Trotter missed out on the 2008 tournament, but has been called in for her second National Team training camp in the past month.  A versatile player who can be used at outside back, defensive midfielder and forward, Trotter owns two full team caps.  She competed with the U.S. U-21s at the 2006 Nordic Cup and was also a member of the U.S. U-19s in 2003 and 2004.  While playing collegiately at Florida State, Trotter led the Seminoles to three College Cups and was twice named a NSCAA All-American.

Karyn Lush is a freelance writer and can be reached at  karyn.wps@gmail.com . The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Women’s Professional Soccer or womensprosoccer.com.