Schnur still on her way
Meghan Schnur, a midfielder-outside backer for 2009 Women's Professional Soccer champion Sky Blue FC, is one step closer to playing in the World Cup and Olympics.
The Butler graduate is one of 20 women who accepted a contract with the U.S. women's national soccer team through July.
The U.S. teams for the 2011 Women's World Cup and 2012 London Olympics will be selected from the national squad.
"The Olympics are a goal of any little kid who starts kicking a soccer ball around," Schnur said. "It's been a dream of mine for years.
"This is a major step in that now that dream is right there. Now it's up to me to follow through and get it done."
Schnur, 23, was invited to a 10-day national team camp in September at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles. Eighteen players from that camp were selected to play an October game against the German national team in Germany.
The U.S. won that game, 1-0, but Schnur wasn't among the 18 players on that trip.
She returned to Los Angeles for a 10-day camp Dec. 5 to 15, when players participated in intrasquad games and played against boys teams. Schnur was offered the contract after that camp.
"I didn't feel like myself in that first camp," Schnur said. "That first experience with the national team is a bit unnerving, though no one wants to admit that.
"You're not quite sure you belong there. ... I had to prove to myself that I did. My second camp went so much better."
Schnur was moved from midfield to outside backer during her season with Sky Blue FC. She was part of a defensive corps that allowed only one goal in three playoff games as Sky Blue claimed the WPS title.
She is listed as a defender on the national team's roster.
"I have so much to learn at that position, especially at the national level," Schnur said. "Getting a feel for the game from the defensive side, knowing when to join the attack — it's a constant learning experience, but one I'm very much into."
Schnur was one of four Sky Blue players invited to that national team camp in September. The WPS season ended in August.
Schnur, who will return to the WPS team next season, was the only Sky Blue FC player to start all 23 games. The team finished 10-8-5 overall.
"This is like an all-star team for the WPS," Schnur said of the national camps. "Once the contracts are up in July, players can be replaced or renewed.
"The purpose of the contract is to give players a better understanding that (national coaches) are interested in us. It provides motivation to maintain a high level of fitness and intensity."
The women's national roster includes midfielders Shannon Boxx and Heather O'Reilly, and forward Abby Wambach, who scored the goal against Germany in front of 30,000 fans in October.
O'Reilly is a teammate of Schnur's with Sky Blue FC and has played 116 games for the United States. Wambach has played 131 — most of anyone on the roster — and Boxx 118.
"I idolized Shannon Boxx when I was a kid and now I'm on the same field with her," Schnur said.
