Albertus Magnus' Burns, McMahon make U-20 Puerto Rican women's national team
Albertus Magnus juniors Grace Burns and Ashley McMahon have always been used to playing up an age group, whether it was on local youth travel teams growing up or playing major minutes as freshmen on the Falcons' varsity team, but they're about to have an opportunity to experience soccer unlike ever before.
They'll be playing up an age bracket once again, but this time, at a national level. Burns and McMahon were selected to play for the U-20 Puerto Rico women's national team in next week's 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 qualifiers.
"It's super fun. Ashley's one of my best friends and I've been playing with her since I was around 10-11 years old," Burns said. "Sharing this experience with her is definitely amazing and we're gonna make some amazing memories together."
Last year: Albertus Magnus' Ashley McMahon makes U-17 Puerto Rico women's national team
State champs: Albertus Magnus dethrones New Hartford for first state title since 1994
Albertus Magnus: Mother-daughter duo share unique state title connection
The competition is set for April 15-23. Puerto Rico will compete in Group D alongside Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and Guadeloupe at the Rignaal Jean Francisca Stadium in Curacao.
The winner of each group, which is decided by a round-robin format, will advance to the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 championship in late May, where they'll have an opportunity to compete for one of three spots in next year's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
McMahon, who has some national team experience after playing with Puerto Rico's U-17 squad last year, is looking forward to getting to do it again with her friend and high school teammate.
"I had such an amazing experience last time, so I'm just excited to share that experience with her," McMahon said. "Luckily for me, it's not once but for a second time, and hopefully she gets the same great experiences I had."
Burns and McMahon's big year continues
Their national team selection is the latest accomplishment in a massive year for the Falcon tandem.
In November, they helped Albertus Magnus win the NYSPHSAA state title to cap a dominant title run, which included a 22-1 record and an unbeaten streak against in-state competition. The Falcons gave up just two goals in their run to the top and dethroned defending state champ New Hartford with a 3-1 win, putting an end to the Spartans' 59-game undefeated streak.
McMahon scored the go-ahead goal in the title match, while the versatile Burns shifted over to defense and gave New Hartford a hard time.
McMahon finished with eight goals and eight assists and had a penchant for making big plays in marquee matchups. Burns had 19 goals and nine assists, and finished with Class A second-team all-state honors.
"It's all just super amazing and I'm super blessed to have all these opportunities and great experiences," Burns said. "It's lots of competition and it's super fun, and it always keeps me on my feet."
Before capturing a state title, Burns committed to UConn. McMahon is also a Division I recruit and is still going through the process, using her spring break to complete numerous college visits before flying out to fulfill her national team duties.
"I'm going to be a senior next year, it's crazy," McMahon said. "I feel like I was just a freshman, so now definitely looking forward to senior year and trying to gain that state title again, and I definitely think we could do it this year."
A new challenge
Both players are excited to make their mark on the U-20 Puerto Rico women's team. While McMahon will know a few of them from her experiences with the U-17 team last year, there will be plenty of college-aged players to practice with and compete against.
"It's definitely going to be more challenging and more competitive, playing older girls who have more experience, but I'm definitely excited," McMahon said. "I feel like I know what to expect and how the practices and games are going to be, but I also feel like it might be a little different just because I might not be a leader. There's going to be college girls on the team, and they just have more experience than me, but I definitely think it'll be competitive."
They'll only have a couple of practices as a team, so they'll try to quickly gel before getting thrown into competition.
Burns is looking forward to the challenge. It'll be her first national team experience.
"People definitely undermine me because I'm smaller than everybody else, so I have to prove that I can be as physical, as fast and as technical as them," Burns said. "I hope to prove that I have a smart IQ on the field and that I can play quickly, and not feel the pressure and break down. I want to prove I can compete with these girls and do my best."
Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Albertus Magnus duo make U20 Puerto Rican national women's soccer team
