Both Cori Alexander (pictured) and Lisa Sari are making their first appearance with the U-21s

University of Portland junior goalkeeper Cori Alexander and junior midfielder Lisa Sari have been invited to train with the United States Under-21 Women’s National Team on March 19-24 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., U-21 head coach Jillian Ellis announced. The team will commence for six days of training and several scrimmages as Ellis continues the process of selecting a team to participate in the annual Nordic Cup, being held in Norway this coming summer.

It is the first call-up to the U-21s for both Pilots, three months removed from Portland’s 4-0 national championship win over UCLA, who Ellis coaches.

Coach Ellis has confirmed 20 players for the camp and will add four more before the training commences, but will give first looks to Alexander and fellow goalkeeper Veronica Simonton of USC. Also getting first call-ups to the U-21s is defender Erin Hardy of UCLA, midfielders Marisa Brown of Wisconsin and Rebecca Moros of Duke, and forward Sophia Mundy of Houston.

Alexander and Sari are the latest Pilots to join the U.S. National Team system. Redshirt sophomore defender Stephanie Lopez earned her first career start with the U.S. senior squad at the Algarve Cup in Portugal on Monday and also captains the U-20 team. Sophomore forward Natalie Budge traveled with the U-21s to the United Kingdom for games against Scotland and England in late February.

Redshirt freshman forward/midfielder Megan Rapinoe and redshirt sophomore midfielder Angie Woznuk have both trained with the senior squad in the last year, with Woznuk making her debut last summer. Rapinoe appeared in eight matches with the U-21s in 2005, and was joined on the U-19 squad in 2004 by Woznuk and Lopez in a third-place run at the FIFA World Championships.

U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team Training Camp Roster (March 19-24, 2006)

GOALKEEPERS (3): Cori Alexander (Portland), Veronica Simonton (USC), Kati Jo Spisak (Texas A&M)

DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler (Stanford), Kendall Fletcher (North Carolina), Holly Gault (Kansas), Erin Hardy (UCLA), Hayley Hunt (Stanford), Becky Sauerbrunn (Virginia)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Marisa Brown (Wisconsin), Bristyn Davis (UCLA), Noelle Keselica (Virginia), Sarah Huffman (Virginia), Manya Makoski (Arizona State), Rebecca Moros (Duke), Lisa Sari (Portland)

FORWARDS (4): Liz Bogus (Arizona State), Sophia Mundy (Houston), Ashlee Pistorius (Texas A&M), Tiffany Weimer (Penn State).