Girls soccer: Albertus Magnus' Ashley McMahon makes U-17 Puerto Rican National Team

While spring break may be a time for relaxation for most, Ashley McMahon went to Puerto Rico on a business trip and came away feeling even more gratified than she would after a vacation.

The Albertus Magnus sophomore was one of 30 girls soccer players invited to the Puerto Rico U17 Youth National Team training camp. After four days of grueling tryouts, she won a spot on the Puerto Rican team and will now be traveling with the squad directly to the Dominican Republic to play in the CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship.

The teams that finish in the top three will qualify for a spot in the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in India.

"Getting the news that I made the team was amazing," said McMahon, who officially found out Tuesday night. "I am truly honored. I have so many people that have helped me and was so supportive for me to get to this point. First, my loving and supportive family, my friends and my outstanding coaches — Freddy Guiran from my club team, World Class, and Daniel Samimi, my high school coach at Albertus Magnus. Of course, also all of my teammates, who make me better every day."

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Last fall, McMahon played a crucial role at Albertus Magnus. The sophomore forward finished with five goals and a team-high 10 assists. She earned all-section and Journal News/lohud Rockland All-County second-team honors.

"Everyone at Albertus is so happy for Ashley," Albertus Magnus coach Dan Samimi said. "Making a youth national team is a very hard thing to do. Ashley has been playing competitive soccer since she was very young, and to see her accomplish something like this is amazing. Hopefully, making the Puerto Rico U-17 Women's Youth National Team will give her confidence as she continues her soccer journey, and I can't wait to watch one of her games."

It's a quick turnaround for McMahon and the rest of her new teammates in Puerto Rico. After the roster was finalized and announced on Tuesday, the team has been working to quickly gel together after battling one another. They will travel from Puerto Rico to the Dominican Republic on Thursday for the CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship, which begins Saturday and runs through May 8.

"Tryouts were both mentally and physically challenging, just playing with talented girls from all over and having to adapt quickly to different styles of play," McMahon said. "Chemistry takes time, and it's something we all want to achieve to be able to play like a team that's been playing together for years."

Puerto Rico is competing in Group G, a quartet that also features Costa Rica, Grenada and the United States. It will begin group stage play against Costa Rica on Saturday, followed by the United States (April 25) and Grenada (April 27).

The top three place-finishers in each group after round-robin play will advance to a single-elimination tournament that begins with the round of 16 on April 30. The CONCACAF Women's U-17 quarterfinals are scheduled for May 4, followed by the semifinals on May 6. The championship and third-place matches will take place on May 8.

This will be Puerto Rico's third appearance since the CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship's inception in 2008. The tournament is held every two years, with exception to 2020, when the event was postponed and eventually canceled after an attempt to hold it in 2021.

The countdown until their first game kicks off is on, and McMahon is looking forward to making her mark with her team.

"Making the Puerto Rican team just means a lot to me," McMahon said. "I am honored to represent Puerto Rico. My grandparents have instilled in (my family) a strong sense of pride in our Hispanic culture. I love that I am able to experience the culture first-hand through soccer. I am beyond excited and cannot wait to compete in the D.R. to represent Puerto Rico and play for the team."

Follow Eugene Rapay on Twitter at @erapay5 and on Instagram at @byeugenerapay.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Girls soccer: Ashley McMahon makes Puerto Rican National Team