U.S. U20 WNT Standout Tara McKeown Joins SoCal FC
Tara McKeown will join SoCal FC for the upcoming 2017 WPSL season as she returns to the club prior to the beginning of her collegiate career. McKeown has been a consistent member of the U.S. U20 Women’s National Team, being called to the next training camp held later this month.
WPSL Soccer News: SoCal FC welcomes back U.S. U20 Women’s National Team member Tara McKeown for the 2017 Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) season. McKeown appeared in two games for SoCal FC in 2016, scoring one goal in the final match of the campaign.
“Tara came to us as a high school junior to simply train in the high caliber environment that SoCal FC provides,” said SoCal FC coach Dido. “She quickly established herself as an important member of the team by claiming minutes and scoring for us. It was a testament to her hard work ethic and embrace to learn and grow, which was tremendous. I was also particularly impressed by her ability to play both on defense and offense seamlessly and effectively.”
McKeown committed to USC during her sophomore year in high school and will join the Trojans in Fall 2017. She will move on to the NCAA from Newbury Park High School where she was twice named a Marmonte League Offensive MVP and NPHS MVP. She helped lead her team to the CIF Southern Section Division II Semifinals for the first time in school history in 2016.
She has been a youth national team member since 2013 at the U14 level, and was a member of ODP Regional and State teams in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
McKeown has had a busy year with the USA, which began with the U19 WNT training camp in Florida from late January to early February. She also traveled to La Manga, Spain, for an international tournament in March with the U20s. She then returned to Southern California for another training camp in April. McKeown has recently been called up for another U20 WNT training camp later this month.
“She seems to have kicked on from last summer with her participation at the national level and we, as an organization, can only be extremely proud her and elated to have her back this summer as she gears up for the college game,” said Dido.