Junior USWNT Close Out Successful Europe Tour

EUROPE - Three Junior U.S. Women's National Teams closed out their respective Europe tours on April 21 after competing over a five-day span against top junior national teams. The U-16 USWNT played in Valkenswaard, The Netherlands and went 1-1-3. The U-16/18 Mixed USWNT went undefeated (4-0-0) in their 5 Nations Tournament in Valencia, Spain - topping England, Poland, Scotland and Spain. The U-18 USWNT came away with an even 2-0-2 record in Tonbridge, England.

The U-16 USWNT faced a particularly robust field of competition this spring. After starting off strong with a 5-3 victory over Germany, the squad continued to keep each game close - scoring in each contest and keeping the opponent's score low with great goalkeeping. In their two matches against two separate Belgium teams on Saturday, the U-16 USWNT first tied, 3-3, then lost 2-3. On the final day of competition, the Junior United Eagles faced their most stringent competition - falling 1 - 5 to the Netherlands. The team finished out the tour with a narrow 1-2 loss to the Netherlands U-15 squad. Throughout the tournament, the team shined in the shootouts held at the end of each game.

The U-16/U-18 Mixed USWNT fought to win each of their four games over the weekend. The team kicked off competition on TApril 17 with a gritty win in their first game against Spain. They held strong through a physical match and successfully defended Spain’s many penalty corners to lock in the 1-0 shutout. The next two wins were by large margins - a 7-0 victory over Poland and 6-0 shutout against Scotland. In the final match, the group earned a confident 3-0 win over England. USA ended the 5 Nations Tournament with 17 goals in four games.

“Heading into the tour, our team had a unified purpose and a growth mindset," said Stacey Bean, U-16/18 Mixed USWNT Head Coach. "It was this focus and connection that set us up for success through the week. I cannot speak highly enough about how our athletes bought into playing unselfish team hockey. Their commitment and willingness to adapt and adjust tactically within each game was a massive step forward for us."

"The Hockey Club of Valencia and their staff were tremendous ambassadors for the Spanish Hockey Federation. The care and attention to detail that they put into the event provided a platform for teams to perform at a high level, we are grateful to have had such wonderful hosts." 

Over in Tonbridge, England, the U-18 USWNT earned a record of 2-0-2 against tough competition. First up was Czechia, who USA took down, 8-2, with a variety of athletes scoring goals. Next was host England, who subdued the U-18 USWNT by a score of 1-4. While their loss against England wasn’t the result they wanted, the red, white and blue held off every one of England’s penalty corners with incredible work from the goalkeeper and defensive line. The U-18 USWNT faced Scotland in their third contest, and fell 1-2 in an incredibly close match-up. USA finished out on a high note, defeating Poland, 8-0.

"This tour was a great indicator of our progress this year," said Mark Egner, U-18 USWNT Head Coach. "With some high scoring games we showed what we can do with time and space. But, international hockey is often a game of fine margins and we also learned where we need to continue to develop."

While the 2025 Europe Tours have come to a close, the teams returned home with new international match experience, a wider understanding of the hockey culture abroad, and a reinvigorated hunger to return even stronger to their next competitions. The Junior USWNT will come together again at the end of May for one last training weekend before the 2025 cycle is completed and resets with the Junior & Senior Nexus Championship in July.

For more information about the 2025 Junior USWNT Europe Tour, visit the event page.