18
Nov, 2019
Internationals SC alum and current George Washington University defender Hannah Zaluski was recently called up to the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team training camp in Los Angeles.
Zaluski wrapped up her sophomore season with her second postseason honor. After starting all 19 games and earning Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team honors last fall, Zaluski held onto her starting spot in 2019 and was a constant in the GWU defense.
“Earning a spot at the training camp was an amazing feeling,” Zaluski said. “It really allowed me to realize that my hard work and determination throughout the years and at GW put me in a great position to be competitive at all levels. The training camp itself was such an intense environment where every player brings their own unique qualities to compete with each other every day. Experiencing that environment allowed me to see the increased speed of play needed to play at that level. I have learned many concepts and tactics that I have been eagerly sharing with my team and showing them by example. Being in that environment truly inspired me to continue working hard to improve in all areas to benefit my team and hopefully allow myself to have similar opportunities in the future.”
The A-10 Second Team honoree ranked third on the squad with 1,942 minutes played and first among defenders with five assists in 2019.
"I'm so happy for Hannah to have the experience going into a youth national team camp,” George Washington University women’s soccer head coach Michelle Demko said. “To go and experience what the next level looks like will help Hannah in her development moving forward. She has been very instrumental in the way we attack out of the back for the past two seasons so it's no surprise that she received recognition. Hannah has been a force for us in the outside back position especially when she attacks in the final third. She's very dangerous off the run, pass and dribble which gives us extra arsenal when playing our opponent. She's incredibly comfortable playing higher up the field and this fits well into our system. I am pleased for her and I am pleased for our program. This invitation is acknowledgment that we are creating a competitive environment that has gained recognition by our style of play and consistency on the field."
Zaluski joins more than 20 players from Internationals SC who have earned a youth national team call-up.
“We are so happy for Hannah and her recent call-up to the U20 WNT,” Internationals SC Club and ECNL Director Keri Sarver said. “She has had a tremendous couple of years at GWU and now earning this opportunity is such a well-deserved reward for her hard work and perseverance. During her time with the Internationals, her training habits, fitness level, work-rate and technical ability were consistent and special and she was right on the cusp of a YNT call-up. It is great to see her continue to fine-tune those qualities while also growing in her ability to impact the game tactically and with technical variation in her attacking abilities.”
Photo Credit: Bill Barrett/A-10 Conference