CONCORD — Concord-Carlisle High School junior Emmy O’Donnell has been officially named to the combined U.S. Under-19 Women’s National Team and U.S. Under-18 Youth National Team International Training Camp roster.
Emmy, 16, is the only Massachusetts player on the roster and joins several professional and collegiate players. Of the 20 players called up for this roster, 12 were born in 2008 and eight were born in 2007.
“I am beyond excited for this opportunity and the special chance I have to play with these players!” said Emmy. “Representing your country internationally is truly an honor and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To play with other women, especially some pro players, is so incredible and inspiring. These people push you so hard to become the best version of yourself on that field. You all love the same game and are devoted to it.”
Emmy is a standout soccer player for Concord-Carlisle High School and plays for FC Stars Blue in Lancaster, an elite-level premier soccer program. Emmy has verbally committed to Duke University to play women’s soccer after she graduates from Concord-Carlisle High School in 2027.
At Concord-Carlisle, Emmy has shown versatility. Coaches place her as a forward or midfielder depending on strategy. With FC Stars, she often plays as a wingback. At the international camp, she will play as a defender.
In her freshman year, she scored six goals and had seven assists. Last season, she scored eight goals and added three assists, and earned All-State honors. She is also a two-time Dual County All-League, First Team Eastern Massachusetts All-Star, an Elite Clubs National League New England Conference Player of the Year and was named to the ECNL Girls U-16 2023-24 All-America Team.
This season, Emmy is currently the leading scorer in the Dual County League, primarily playing as a midfielder, a position that involves both offensive and defensive responsibilities.
“Emmy is the best player in Massachusetts,” said Concord-Carlisle High School girls soccer coach Peter Fischelis. “She’s at a completely different level, and if you watch one game, you can easily see it. She’s very skillful, she has an innate sense of where her opponents are in relation to where she is with the ball, and she’s the most tenacious player I’ve ever seen. She chases more people down from behind and wins the ball more than anybody I’ve ever seen.”
This May, Emmy was one of only 24 players nationwide — and the only player from Massachusetts — named to the Under-17 Women’s National Team for its May Camp.
The U.S. will face the Republic of Ireland’s U-19s on Oct. 25 and Portugal’s U-19s on Oct. 28, with both games taking place in Setubal, Portugal, just south of Lisbon.
Players born on or after Jan. 1, 2006, are age-eligible for next year’s 2026 FIFA Women’s U-20 World Cup in Poland, meaning all 20 players in camp are training and playing for a shot at that tournament.
“This is a fantastic accomplishment,” said coach Fischelis. “In my 13 years of coaching at Concord-Carlisle, we’ve only had one other player who was even in the national team pool, but never made the actual team. This is a rare event for any coach to have a player like this. And to have her for another year is an incredible opportunity.”
“This is such an exciting moment for Emmy, her family and our school community,” said Superintendent Dr. Laurie Hunter. “She has worked incredibly hard for this opportunity, and we couldn’t be prouder to see her representing Concord-Carlisle High School on the national stage.”
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