Melenhorst Selected to U-20 Canadian National Team

NORMAN – Oklahoma soccer student-athlete Keera Melenhorst has been selected to the Canada U-20 National Team that will compete at the Concacaf Women's Under-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic, Feb. 25-March 12.

Joining Melenhorst for the championship as part of the team's staff will be OU assistant coach and goalkeeper coach, Maryse Bard-Martel.

"I am extremely excited to represent Canada at this World Cup qualifying tournament," said Melenhorst. "OU provides me with a challenging environment and the necessary resources to help me achieve my goals. I want to give a big thank you to all my teammates and coaches who push me to be a better player everyday."

The tournament is the first step in Canada's qualification route for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica this August.

Matches will start Feb. 25 in the Dominican Republic with Canada opening against Saint Kitts & Nevis. The team will play El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago before three teams advance to the knockout phase of the championship.

Melenhorst, a product of Ottawa, Ontario, was a staple in OU's lineup as a freshman in 2021, playing in all 20 of OU's games and starting 16 matches. She registered two assists and 13 shots, putting five shots on goal. The frosh tallied 1,152 minutes played.

Fellow rising sophomore and Canada native Sheridan Michel was selected as an alternate athlete for the Concacaf championship.

Michel was a force on the backline for the Sooners in 2021, starting all 19 games she appeared in. The Ottawa product tallied one assist and four shots, putting three on goal. The defender played every minute of all but three contests, registering 1,694 minutes played.

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