NWSL Club To Play Five Test Matches In Lead-Up To 2015 Campaign
The Chicago Red Stars are excited to announce their official schedule and roster for this year’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) preseason. Over the course of the coming weeks, Head Coach Rory Dames and his staff look to fine-tune their tactics and finalize a 20-player first team by testing their pool of candidates in four away matches against college sides and one inter-squad exhibition game at home.
The Red Stars preseason roster consists of all players currently under contract as well as ten invitees who impressed during the open tryouts and five of the club’s six selections in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Third-round pick Nicole Setterlund will not be entering camp, as she has opted against a professional career due to concussion issues.
A strong emphasis during this year’s preseason will be to give soccer fans whose location prevents them from attending home matches the chance to see their team live and in person. For this reason, the Red Stars will be playing four away games and just one inter-squad exhibition on their home field at Benedictine University in Lisle.
Heach Coach Dames’ side will hit the road to face Marquette University on March 16 at 5 p.m. CT, University of Wisconsin Madison on March 20 at 7 p.m. CT, University of Missouri on April 4 at 11 a.m. CT and University of Notre Dame on April 8 at 6 p.m. CT. The inter-squad exhibition, which will be open to the public and free for all season-ticket holders, takes place on March 29 at 10 a.m. CT. The complete preseason schedule with venue information may be found below.
A total of eight Chicago players will be joining the squad closer to the April 18 season opener, as they are currently preparing for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup with their respective national teams. While Christen Press, Julie Johnston, Lori Chalupny and Shannon Boxx are in Portugal with the USA to compete in the Algarve Cup, Canadians Karina LeBlanc, Melissa Tancredi and Adriana Leon are representing their country in the Cyprus Cup. Defender Abby Erceg is in camp with New Zealand.
The quintet of recent Red Stars draft picks is made up of Kentucky defender Arin Gilliland, Virginia midfielder-forward Danielle Colaprico, Santa Clara forward Sofia Huerta, Wisconsin forward Cara Walls and Illinois State forward Rachel Tejada. The complete 2015 Chicago Red Stars preseason roster may be found below.
The 2015 Red Stars season kicks off on April 18 with the team’s big home opener against Sydney Leroux, Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo and current Shield holders Seattle Reign FC. Single-game and season tickets ($145) may be purchased by calling 773-698-6001 or by visiting the Chicago Red Stars website.
Complete 2015 Chicago Red Stars Preseason Schedule
| Date | Home | Away | Venue | Time |
| March 16 | Marquette University | Chicago Red Stars | Valley Fields | 5 p.m. CT |
| March 20 | University of Wisconsin Madison | Chicago Red Stars | McClimon Track/Soccer Complex | 7 p.m. CT |
| March 29 | Chicago Red Stars | Chicago Red Stars | Benedictine University Sports Complex (Lisle) | 10 a.m. CT |
| April 4 | University of Missouri | Chicago Red Stars | Don Dallas Soccer Field | 11 a.m. CT |
| April 8 | University of Notre Dame | Chicago Red Stars | Alumni Stadium | 6 p.m. CT |
Complete 2015 Chicago Red Stars Preseason Roster
| Name | Position | Date of birth | Nationality | Hometown |
| Michele Dalton *** | Goalkeeper | November 5, 1988 | USA | Mount Prospect, IL |
| Monica Gonyo *** | Goalkeeper | October 9, 1992 | USA | New Berlin, WI |
| Karina LeBlanc * | Goalkeeper | March 30, 1980 | Canada | Maple Ridge, BC |
| Abby Erceg * | Defender | November 20, 1989 | New Zealand | Whangarei, New Zealand |
| Jackie Esterkamp *** | Defender | April 7, 1991 | USA | Cincinnati, OH |
| Arin Gilliland ** | Defender | December 25, 1992 | USA | Wilmore, KY |
| Valerie Gonyo *** | Defender | October 9, 1992 | USA | New Berlin, WI |
| Taryn Hemmings | Defender | April 25, 1986 | USA | Greeley, CO |
| Natalie Horner *** | Defender | January 2, 1990 | USA | Columbus, OH |
| Leigh Jakes *** | Defender | March 24, 1988 | USA | McDonough, GA |
| Samantha Johnson | Defender | June 10, 1991 | USA | Palmdale, CA |
| Julie Johnston * | Defender | April 6, 1992 | USA | Mesa, AZ |
| Michelle Lomnicki | Defender | May 3, 1987 | USA | Aurora, CO |
| Rachel Quon * | Defender | May 21, 1991 | Canada | Lake Forest, IL |
| Shannon Boxx * | Midfielder | June 29, 1977 | USA | Torrance, CA |
| Zakiya Bywaters | Midfielder | July 24, 1991 | USA | Las Vegas, NV |
| Lori Chalupny * | Midfielder | January 29, 1984 | USA | St. Louis, MO |
| Vanessa DiBernardo | Midfielder | May 15, 1992 | USA | Naperville, IL |
| Kelley McCloskey *** | Midfielder | April 1, 1991 | USA | San Marino, CA |
| Danielle Colaprico ** | Midfielder-Forward | May 6, 1993 | USA | Freemont, NJ |
| Giuleana Lopez *** | Midfielder-Forward | July 7, 1987 | USA | Waukegan, IL |
| Alyssa Mautz | Midfielder-Forward | July 29, 1989 | USA | St. Louis, MO |
| Lillie Toaspern *** | Midfielder-Forward | August 20, 1993 | USA | Denver, CO |
| Jayden Barrett *** | Forward | March 15, 1991 | USA | Corona, CA |
| Hayley Brock | Forward | August 3, 1992 | USA | Acton, MA |
| Jen Hoy | Forward | January 18, 1991 | USA | Sellersville, PA |
| Sofia Huerta ** | Forward | December 14, 1992 | USA | Boise, ID |
| Adriana Leon * | Forward | October 2, 1992 | Canada | King City, ON |
| Christen Press * | Forward | December 29, 1988 | USA | Palos Verdes, CA |
| Melissa Tancredi * | Forward | December 27, 1981 | Canada | Hamilton, ON |
| Rachel Tejada ** | Forward | July 8, 1993 | USA | Troy, IL |
| Cara Walls ** | Forward | June 16, 1993 | USA | Wauwatosa, WI |
*Player potentially involved in national team’s World Cup preparations ** Unsigned college draftee *** Unsigned invitee
