- November 25, 2024
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Friedman headed to United World Games
When 2014 Flagler Palm Coast grad Ashley Friedman listened to her dad read an email detailing her selection for the United World Games soccer tournament, she was sure it was a hoax.
“I was just like, ‘no, what are you talking about, you’re lying.’”
But there was no deceit, and Friedman — who captained the Bulldogs to a Final Four berth this season as a right back — is headed to Austria next week. She’ll be playing for Team USA along with 14 other girls from across the country; Friedman is the only player selected from Florida.
The United World Games is an annual olympic-style event that features eight different sports and has teams participating from 30-plus different countries. For girls soccer, Team USA is in a pool with Italy, Austria, and Germany. Games will be played at the Wörthersee stadium, built for the 2008 European Soccer Championships.
In addition to the tournament, the team will tour sites in Munich and Venice.
“I’m most excited about the opportunity to go overseas and actually see all these places, because I don’t think that I’ll ever get to do this again,” Friedman said. “Being selected to play soccer overseas is even better.”
Friedman fundraised extensively to make the trip possible, writing letters to friends and family explaining the opportunity. It’ll be a busy summer for the defender, who is set to play soccer at NOVA Southeastern University this fall.
“I’m very nervous, because it’s 15 girls in the entire country, and it’s amazing that I’m one of them,” Friedman said. “Especially since I’m the only girl from Florida.”
Davis, Hald named to ODP teams
Rising FPC senior Josie Davis was recently selected to play for the 1997 age group on Florida’s Olympic Development soccer program. Davis’ team will compete this summer in Alabama against teams from other states.
“When we’re there, it gives us a lot of opportunities to play in front of college coaches,” Davis said. “It’s going to be nice for them to watch us play in such a competitive environment. It’ll be great for them to evaluate us that way.”
Rising sophomore Madison Hald (1999), the daughter of Bulldogs coach Pete Hald, is entering her third year in the same program.
