May 25, 2007

Allyson Carey has already won one prize this spring. Now she's got her sights set on another -- making the final roster for the 2007 U.S. Under-19 women's lacrosse team.

Carey, a junior at the John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md., scored the game-winning goal in overtime in the Patriots 10-9 victory over Severn for the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championship on May 13. It was her 51st goal of the season and her ninth during John Carroll's three-game playoff run.

This weekend she'll be participating with the U.S. Under-19 training team in the US Lacrosse Women's Division National Tournament at Lehigh University. The 24-member training team will be pared down to 18 following this weekend's tournament, the final roster size mandated for the International Federation of Women's Lacrosse Associations' U-19 World Championship, which will be held from August 4-12 in Ontario, Canada.

"We're all really nervous, but we're all in the same boat," said Carey. "It's always in the back of your head, will I make the final roster? You just play your best and if they don't pick you, they don't pick you."

Tryouts for the team were held last summer and the team made its debut on Oct. 1 at the Stars & Stripes Weekend in Alexandria, Va., with victories over the Skywalkers and M&D club teams. Wearing the USA uniform was a big thrill for Carey.

After team manager Lisa Christiansen had laid out the uniforms at the hotel prior to the event, "We all rushed over and went back to our rooms and tried them on," said Carey. "I looked at myself in the mirror and said, `Oh my gosh.' I couldn't wait to play the next day."

Carey says the team has developed great relationships in the build-up for the world championship, which included a training weekend at Duke in February. The reality of winning a world championship began to seem real as assistant coach Lindsay Manning told the team to close their eyes and visualize themselves wearing a gold medal.

"I saw myself singing the national anthem with the flag being raised with a medal around my neck," said Carey.

The next step towards that dream is this weekend.

Record Numbers

The U-19 team won't be the only players being evaluated this weekend. More than 150 players are participating in the Stars & Stripes Division in hopes of being invited to the tryouts for the 2007 U.S. Elite and Developmental teams.

In the Schoolgirls Division, a record 48 teams representing regions from around the country will be participating in the hopes of winning championships and drawing the interest of the scores of college coaches that will be on hand.

All told, a record 75 teams and nearly 1,500 athletes are competing in the event, sponsored by the Heather Leigh Albert Foundation and Yolo Sportswear.