PROVO -- All-American forward Katie Larkin recently returned home from a trip to the United Kingdom with the U.S. Under-23 National Team during which Larkin the U.S. U-23 team shutout England's U-23 team in back-to-back matches, 1-0 and 2-0.
Larkin got the starting nod in both matches from an 18-person roster filled with All-Americans and collegiate stars from across the country. Larkin was the only representative from BYU and the state of Utah on the team, while players from Texas A&M, UCLA, Portland, Texas, North Carolina, Penn State, and other successful soccer programs completed the lineup.
"I got to play a lot of minutes, more than expected," Larkin said. "It was incredible to be able to put on a USA jersey and play against a team like England. It will definitely be one of my most memorable moments."
U.S. head coach Bill Irwin praised his team for its effort in practice and performance in the matches. The U-23 team is the oldest of the National Youth Teams, and Irwin is preparing his squad for the 2008 Nordic Cup to be held in Sweden this summer. The next time Larkin and the U.S. U-23 team will be in action will be April 17 in Portland, Oregon.