Nov. 19, 2008

Washington, D.C. - This past weekend, Georgetown standout Ingrid Wells helped the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team claim their first World Cup since 2002 with a victory over Korea DPR, 2-1. The Georgetown sophomore played in every game during the tournament and was an integral part of the team's midfield attack.

Before she left for Chile, Wells and GU Head Coach Dave Nolan sat down and talked about the last few months leading up to the tournament...

These past couple of months, Georgetown women's soccer standout Ingrid Wells has been traversing the world with the U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team. All of the practices, games, hard work and determination will now be put on display as she travels with the team to compete in the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime event to represent your country, an absolute honor," Wells said. "The prestige that comes with being on the team is something I will never forget. I love my team, the staff and coaches and being with them for the past few months has really helped us grow as a unit."

Before the 2008 season, Wells was named to the M.A.C. Hermann Watch List which recognizes the top players in the country after being named First Team All-BIG EAST, BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and a NSCAA/adidas All-American in 2007. As a freshman she finished eighth in the nation with 13 assists, which set the Georgetown single-season record and, at the time, put her second on the single-season scoring list at GU. Her ability to distribute the ball and make plays helped her get noticed by U.S. Head Coach Tony DiCicco.

"I've been playing an attacking center-mid role on the team so far," Wells said. "When I made the cut last summer I felt like I was just a fill-in. Then I got a chance to play and I think I've been very patient in waiting for my turn. The coaches invited a ton of girls and this was my first time in a national setting. Some of the girls that were there had come up through the ranks so it was all familiar to them. I just tried to impress every time I got a chance and I'm really happy with the progress I've made."

"This is a culmination of everything Ingrid has done," GU Head Coach Dave Nolan said. "She was a late bloomer on the national scene because previous coaches looked at her size and she didn't fit their mold of what a soccer player looks like. Luckily, Tony [DiCicco] got the job and was looking for people who could play the game."

The World Cup starts today, November 19, with a game against France. The team will then square-off against Argentina and China to conclude group play before hopefully advancing to the knockout round, which culminates with the final on December 7.

"We will be playing France, Argentina and China and I'm looking forward to all of our games," Wells added. "My mother, father and brother will all be making the trip down to watch me play. At least one of them will be in attendance at every game. As far as our chances go, I think being able to beat Canada (Oct. 23-25) after losing to them in July was really an important step in our maturation as a team and I think after that we are capable of doing some really good things these next few weeks."

"I have tremendous respect for this group of players," said DiCicco. "They have sacrificed a lot to play for our national team, including missing out on part of their college seasons. But this group has achieved a level of team chemistry and inner support structure that is unique and special. It is a privilege to coach them and as individual players, they possess outstanding soccer pedigree. Our team strength is our unity and a different cast of stars emerges each game."

Georgetown is one of 17 schools in the entire nation that has a student-athlete on the team and that can only benefit a team that is trying to break into the upper tier of collegiate women's soccer.

"This is a huge accomplishment for her and everyone who knows Ingrid is extremely happy for her," Nolan said. "Her influence on the program is two-fold. Not only is she a great player who makes our current squad a better one, but from a recruiting standpoint it's great to show kids you don't have to sacrifice athletics for academics at Georgetown. It opens the door for better athletes to come here since we allow them to follow the path they want to choose."

"The better we are as a team, the better the program becomes and that's the best situation to come back to," Wells commented. "This past fall, the level of competitiveness at practices over the littlest things drove me every day to be better. In the following years, we will be facing stronger competition and seasons like this can only help with recruiting outstanding players to Georgetown. I wanted, as one of my goals when I arrived, to be able to leave the Hilltop and have people recognize Georgetown as a prominent women's soccer program."

Due to the overlap of the event with the NCAA season, Wells missed the entire fall semester and could not suit up for the Hoyas. Upon returning to the Hilltop, she can't wait to suit up again for the Blue & Gray.

"It was difficult for me to watch our team play this season, especially in close games and the Notre Dame contest," Wells commented. "I couldn't help but feel a little selfish because I wanted to help them succeed. I wanted to affect the outcome of games and I couldn't while I was sitting on the sidelines. They did really well this year and I hoped they'd make it back to NCAA's. Not being able to play this season at Georgetown has just made me hungrier as a player when I'm on the field."

After the World Cup ends, Wells will return to Georgetown for the spring semester. Although she does miss things like hanging out with friends, going to class and living a "normal" college life, she admits that she made the right decision to focus solely on her soccer.

"I feel I've made the right decision so far," Wells said. "Being able to focus on the World Cup and training, rather than schoolwork and finals in the summer and fall, has benefited me. I think I've become more responsible as a person and a player. Making sure I am ready for the games leaves me with no regretful feelings as far as preparation is concerned. Being with the team has helped me improve in facing different situations and dealing with pressures on and off the field."

Despite only being a sophomore, Wells is already trying to figure out what she'll be doing after her time at Georgetown draws to a close.

"I'm undecided, as far as a major because I wanted to do pre-med when I arrived but I think my aspirations have changed a little," Wells said. "I want to play soccer professionally after Georgetown, preferably here in the United States, and re-unite with the girls I'm currently playing with. However, we went over to England this past summer and I loved playing over there as well. They have really nice facilities and they help you with cost of living and expenses, so I would have no problem going to England, Germany, Sweden, Norway, somewhere overseas."

Every game of the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup will be shown on ESPN360.com and fans will be able follow the U.S. matches on ussoccer.com's MatchTracker.