‘Doesn’t stop here’: Calgary soccer duo embracing national team experience

Anna Hauer and Isabel Monck are finally catching their breaths.

The Calgarians are coming off a hectic few weeks after taking part in their first national team camp with 22 other U-17 players in Mexico, and for both, it was their first call-up.

Calgary's Anna Hauer and Isabel Monck usher in the first Women in Sport feature of 2022.

The duo is back from Mexico to share their first U-17 national team experience. #CanW17

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???? Canada Soccer & supplied via Calgary Foothills pic.twitter.com/2Rtrvxr5bu

— Sandra Prusina (@sprusina) January 28, 2022

“It was super exciting, finally, after the pandemic, and we missed out on the U-15s, so finally getting the call was so exciting,” Hauer told CityNews. “It was a dream come true.”

“I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Monck admitted. “The dates were set for around when the invites would be sent out, and we didn’t receive anything around that date. So, to be honest, I didn’t think it was going to happen, but when it did happen, it was really exciting.

“Like Anna said, we missed out on the U-15 opportunity because of the pandemic, so this made us more hungry for this opportunity.”

Congratulations to Anna and Izzy!! What an accomplishment for two incredible athletes ⚽️???????????? https://t.co/8r5FltaALq

— Foothills WFC (@FoothillsWFC) December 11, 2021

The duo has been turning heads for a while as standouts with the Calgary Foothills program, including suiting up with the club’s semi-pro squad in the United Women’s Soccer league.

But what’s important to remember is that these two are just teenagers.

Their ability to fit in seamlessly with a UWS squad featuring players five or even 10 years older than them is a testament to their skill and technical ability.

“Everything that we are doing is trying to prepare our players for what’s next,” Lee Tucker, Foothills UWS head coach, said. “The UWS piece has absolutely been key for Anna and Izzy.”

And make no mistake, the semi-pro experience is one of the reasons Hauer and Monck made their way onto the U-17 national team radar — they are two of only three players on a roster of 24 who aren’t on regional excel programs full-time.

“The UWS program was a big part of this,” Monck said. “I had trained with them for a couple of years. And this summer, I actually had a chance to play with and against some of the best players in Canada and USA, even former national team players like Lauren Sesselmann, other players from NCAA and other universities.”

“[Coach] Lee pushed me to not only play on the team but make an impact on the field and help the team win games,” Hauer stated.

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・・・@FoothillsWFC took the 1-0 lead with Anna Hauer’s strike in an eventual 1-1 draw with @SCBlueHeat on Sunday ???????????????? #RoadToRoundRock pic.twitter.com/DcwQZ9SZ3M

— United Women's Soccer (UWS) (@UWSSoccer) July 20, 2021

And when the UWS squad hits the pitch again later this year, Hauer and Monck will have their new U-17 experience to draw on.

“We did pretty darn well,” Monck said, looking back on their two exhibition matches versus Mexico during the camp. “They’ve had multiple camps together, and this was our first camp together. This was also the first win against Mexico since 2012 at the U-17 level. So being part of that was an amazing experience.”

In Women in Sport, we hear the praises of Anna Hauer and Isabel Monck — currently in Mexico with Canada Soccer's U-17 camp.

Their @FoothillsSoccer coach Lee Tucker hopes they inspire more Calgarians.

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— Sandra Prusina (@sprusina) December 17, 2021

From here, the pair is off to Vancouver to join the regional program, which will allow them to train and play every day with players who were at the Mexico camp and other top Western Canadian talent.

In February, Canada Soccer is slated to call another U-17 camp, with U-17 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for April. And for both, the end goal is to not only qualify for that World Cup but make the team and win matches on the international stage.

“It doesn’t stop here,” Monck stated emphatically. “We can keep pushing to get higher and higher. I’m not satisfied with just this.”