COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — Before the U.S. Women’s National Team beat Ireland 4-0 in front of thousands of fans at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park Thursday night, Denver7 spoke with several girls' soccer players from the Denver metro area who were in attendance.
Sisters Luna, Milania and Aria Bernhardt and their friend, Avery Wilson, play soccer together and have big dreams. They say they hope to play on the USWNT someday after being inspired by Golden native and USWNT star Lindsey Heaps.
“She's a captain, and she's born in Colorado, and she grew up here, and she played for [club team Colorado] Rush, and I play for Rush,” said Wilson. “So she's kind of a really big role model.”
Denver7 spoke with several other young players inspired by the USWNT.
“I'm a full-time goalkeeper, and I hope to play in college and then maybe extend my career farther than that,” said Lucy Crandall from Arvada.
Friends and soccer players Maisie Tolle, Laine VanDyke and Emery Unruh also couldn’t wait to get to the seats Thursday, arriving more than two hours early.
“They don't go to everywhere,” said VanDyke. “So it's really special that they're coming here, and I get the opportunity to watch them.”
“I love how they're like role models for younger kids,” said Keira Butler, a high school sophomore who also plays soccer. “And it's really fun to just watch them and imagine yourself out there.”
But now, fans won’t have to wait for the USWNT to visit to watch women’s soccer.
Denver7 has covered the city’s National Women’s Soccer League team starting play next year, and what it will mean when it comes to financing a new stadium and how local businesses are hopeful for a boost. But for these young players, the new team has already made a difference.
Butler said her family already has season tickets for the new squad.
“It can show young girls that they can be soccer players too, not just older men,” she said.
“I love that so much because I've been waiting for it for so long, and it's going to have more, even more people that we can actually connect with,” said Tolle.
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