CHICAGO (Oct. 9, 2024) – As part of U.S. Soccer’s continued efforts to develop winning teams, U.S. Power Soccer National Team head coach Tracy Mayer has named a 12-player roster which will train from Oct. 13-17 at Abilty360 in Phoenix, Ariz. The training camp is the team’s third gathering of 2024, and will serve as an important step as the squad continues to prepare for the 2025 APFC Copa América to be held in Uruguay.
“I'm excited to return to the floor with the team as we continue building our chemistry,” Mayer said. “The teams we will face at the Copa América next year are outstanding and so we have a lot of work to do in the next 12 months to defend our regional championship. With the group of athletes called to camp, we will be in good shape to do so.”
Six members of the 2023 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup squad have been called, including 2023 Player of the Year Riley Johnson (St. Cloud, Minn.) and finalists Lexi Heer (Fishers, Ind.) and Pete Winslow (Woodbury, Minn.). They are joined on the squad by fellow 2023 World Cup veterans Jordan Dickey (Pendleton, Ind.), Zach Dickey (Pendleton, Ind.) and Nathan Mayer (Monticello, Minn.).
The uncapped quartet of Jada Cano (San Antonio, Texas), David Dowling (Fort Wayne, Ind.), Stanley Kuang (San Leandro, Calif.), and Michael Rayton (San Jose, Calif.) return from July’s camp in Minnesota, while William Johnson (Medfield, Mass.) and Jakob Narendorf (Kirby, Texas) earn their first National Team call-ups this month.
Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport developed specifically for power wheelchair users and has been played internationally since 2007. The U.S. Power Soccer National Team features male and female athletes with disabilities that include quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, and cerebral palsy, among others. The game is played in a gymnasium on a regulation basketball court with four players who attack, defend, and spin-kick a 13-inch soccer ball in a skilled and challenging game similar to mainstream soccer.
The U.S. Power Soccer National Team are two-time FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup champions, winning the first two competitions in 2007 and 2011, before earning a runner-up finish in 2017 and third place in 2023. The USA is also two-time APFC Copa América champions, winning both the 2014 and 2019 tournaments. Overall, the U.S. Power Soccer National Team has a 36W-4L-3D record since beginning play in 2007.
U.S. POWER SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER (USPSA Club; Hometown; Caps/Goals):
GOALKEEPER (1): Nathan Mayer* (Minnesota Shockwave; Monticello, Minn.; 22/2)
WINGS (6): Jada Cano (STRAPS Scorpions; San Antonio, Texas; 0/0),Lexi Heer* (RHI Sudden Impact; Fishers, Ind.; 18/9), William Johnson (NEP Wildcats; Medfield, Mass.; 0/0), Stanley Kuang (Golden State Ducks; San Leandro, Calif.; 0/0), Jakob Narendorf (STRAPS Scorpions; Kirby, Texas; 0/0), Michael Rayton (San Jose Flash; San Jose, Calif.; 0/0)
CENTERS (3): Jordan Dickey* (RHI Sudden Impact; Pendleton, Ind.; 27/16), David Dowling (Turnstone Flyers; Fort Wayne, Ind.; 0/0), Riley Johnson* (Minnesota Shockwave; Saint Cloud, Minn.; 20/15)
STRIKERS (2): Zach Dickey* (Auburn Power Soccer; Pendleton, Ind.: 10/2), Pete Winslow* (Minnesota Shockwave; Woodbury, Minn.; 14/6)
*Part of 2023 FIPFA World Cup roster
Head Coach: Tracy Mayer
Assistant Coach: Steve Everett
Assistant Coach: Peter McGahey
ROSTER NOTES:
- Six players from the 2023 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup roster will take part: Jordan Dickey, Zach Dickey, Lexi Heer, Riley Johnson, Nathan Mayer and Pete Winslow.
- Wings William Johnson and Jakob Narendorf earn their first Power Soccer National Team call-ups.
- Team co-captain Riley Johnson was voted 2023 U.S. Soccer Power Soccer Player of the Year and is joined on the squad by fellow finalists Lexi Heer and Pete Winslow.
- Heer led the USA with six goals at the 2023 Powerchair Football World Cup, while Winslow’s 15 assists led all athletes at the tournament.
- With 27 career caps, center Jordan Dickey is the Power NT’s all-time leader in appearances.
- Eight different clubs from the United States Power Soccer Association are represented: Minnesota Shockwave (3), RHI Sudden Impact (2), STRAPS Scorpions (2), Auburn PSC, Golden State Ducks, NEP Wildcats, San Jose Flash and Turnstone Flyers (1 each).
About Power Soccer
The U.S. Power Soccer National Team competed independently since 2007, and officially joined U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Team program in 2022. Power Soccer is the first competitive team sport developed specifically for powerchair users. The co-ed Power Soccer National Team is for athletes who use power chairs and can qualify through a variety of conditions, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Arthrogryposis, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Cerebral Palsy. If you or someone you know qualifies for the Power Soccer National Team (co-ed), you can contact us via email at ExtendedNT@ussoccer.org for more information on potential playing opportunities.