Post by markilizer on May 9, 2013 5:26:17 GMT 8
Joana Houplin competing with Philippine National Team
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Joana Houplin (pronounced HOOP-lyn), who completed a standout women's soccer career last fall at Western Washington University, is currently in the Philippines for a month to attend a training camp with the Philippine National Women's Soccer Team as it prepares for the 2015 World Cup.
Houplin, 22, was born in the Philippines, moved to England at four years of age and to the United States at 12. She has dual Philippine-U.S. citizenship.
Houplin is one of several team members from the United States, including those from Vikings' NCAA Division II foe Seattle Pacific and Division I Washington, who are working out with the national team as it readies to begin the qualification process for the World Cup which will be held in Canada.
"It's been such a blessing and honor to have the chance to represent my birth country and the country of my family," said Houplin. "I never thought I would ever get an opportunity to play on a national team."
Houplin, who is currently doing graduate work at WWU in sports science, attended a weeklong training camp in Corona, Calif., during the last week in March and was one of 15 players who made the final cut. She is now one of 35 U.S. and Canadian-resident Flipina players after 15 spots on the 23-player Malditas team for the group-stage portion of the Women's Asian Cup.
Those Group B games will be played during a span of five days in Bangladesh; May 21 against Iran, May 23 against top-seed Thailand and May 25 against host Bangladesh. In addition to the 15 U.S- and Canada-based players, the final Asian Cup group-stage team of 23 will include eight native Filipinas currently living in the islands.
"There are a lot of talented girls here and I hope at the end of the two weeks that I am selected for the final 23," Houplin said.
The four group winners will join Australia, South Korea, China and defending Women's World Cup champion Japan for the Asian Cup finals next year.
From those eight teams, five will earn tickets to Canada for 2015. The Philippines have never had a team reach the World Cup.
The 5-foot-3 Houplin, was a second-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America West Region all-star as a senior for the Vikings last fall on a 19-4-0 team that reached the Far West Regional final and won both the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
Houplin finished her four-year career with 12 goals and 11 assists for 35 points. As a senior, she scored six goals, three of them game winners, and had two assists.
Houplin was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection as a senior at Olympia High School as well as The Olympian MVP, Tacoma News Tribune all-Area and Narrows League MVP. She scored 17 goals and had 12 assists.
Houplin also has been practicing and playing with the reserve team the Seattle Reign FC, a professional franchise in the new Northwest Women's Soccer League.
www.wwuvikings.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/050813aaa.html
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Joana Houplin (pronounced HOOP-lyn), who completed a standout women's soccer career last fall at Western Washington University, is currently in the Philippines for a month to attend a training camp with the Philippine National Women's Soccer Team as it prepares for the 2015 World Cup.
Houplin, 22, was born in the Philippines, moved to England at four years of age and to the United States at 12. She has dual Philippine-U.S. citizenship.
Houplin is one of several team members from the United States, including those from Vikings' NCAA Division II foe Seattle Pacific and Division I Washington, who are working out with the national team as it readies to begin the qualification process for the World Cup which will be held in Canada.
"It's been such a blessing and honor to have the chance to represent my birth country and the country of my family," said Houplin. "I never thought I would ever get an opportunity to play on a national team."
Houplin, who is currently doing graduate work at WWU in sports science, attended a weeklong training camp in Corona, Calif., during the last week in March and was one of 15 players who made the final cut. She is now one of 35 U.S. and Canadian-resident Flipina players after 15 spots on the 23-player Malditas team for the group-stage portion of the Women's Asian Cup.
Those Group B games will be played during a span of five days in Bangladesh; May 21 against Iran, May 23 against top-seed Thailand and May 25 against host Bangladesh. In addition to the 15 U.S- and Canada-based players, the final Asian Cup group-stage team of 23 will include eight native Filipinas currently living in the islands.
"There are a lot of talented girls here and I hope at the end of the two weeks that I am selected for the final 23," Houplin said.
The four group winners will join Australia, South Korea, China and defending Women's World Cup champion Japan for the Asian Cup finals next year.
From those eight teams, five will earn tickets to Canada for 2015. The Philippines have never had a team reach the World Cup.
The 5-foot-3 Houplin, was a second-team National Soccer Coaches Association of America West Region all-star as a senior for the Vikings last fall on a 19-4-0 team that reached the Far West Regional final and won both the Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.
Houplin finished her four-year career with 12 goals and 11 assists for 35 points. As a senior, she scored six goals, three of them game winners, and had two assists.
Houplin was a first-team Class 4A all-state selection as a senior at Olympia High School as well as The Olympian MVP, Tacoma News Tribune all-Area and Narrows League MVP. She scored 17 goals and had 12 assists.
Houplin also has been practicing and playing with the reserve team the Seattle Reign FC, a professional franchise in the new Northwest Women's Soccer League.
www.wwuvikings.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/050813aaa.html