NEWBERRY — Rising sophomore midfielder Daphne Heyaime will represent her native Dominican Republic in CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifying action next month.

“Every year, soccer grows more and more in the Dominican Republic,” Heyaime said. “The DR’s Under-20 team hasn’t made it to the World Cup, but we and our coach want this year to be the U-20 team in the DR that has gone furthest in this competition. I am confident that if we keep working hard, waking up early, and leaving our cities to gather all in one place, we will make it and leave our marks.

“For me, representing the Dominican Republic means I have the chance to contribute to my country’s accomplishments and the growth of women’s soccer here.”

Heyaime and her Dominican teammates are one of 12 teams competing July 19-23 in a CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football) Caribbean Zone qualifier. Group stage matches will be hosted in three nations, with the Dominican Republic serving as the host of matches in Group C. Antigua and Barbuda, Puerto Rico, and Bonaire comprise the remainder of the group.

The three group winners will join host Saint Kitts and Nevis in the final round and play a round robin format. Two teams will advance to the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship along with two teams from CONCACAF’s Central American Zone and automatic qualifiers Canada, Mexico, the United States, and the yet-to-be-determined host nation. The top three nations from that tournament will receive berths to the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in France.

“My expectation for myself in this upcoming tournament is to be the player that makes that tiring extra run and starts a play that might end up in a goal. I want to be a player my teammates put their trust in.”

Heyaime started nine matches in her freshman campaign and saw action in 18. She tallied 12 shots, 11 of which were on target, and notched an assist in the 18th minute of a blowout win over Coker on Sept. 21. She played key roles in Newberry’s pair of 8 vs. 8 tournament wins in the spring and is expected to contribute heavily during her sophomore campaign.

“I’m very excited for Daphne to receive this great honor of playing for her country,” said Newberry head coach Deedee Alexander. “As a footballer, the ultimate goal is to test oneself against the best and this opportunity is really exciting for Daphne. I know she will do well in this tournament and bring back lots of personal growth to Newberry.

“Recruiting Daphne, I knew the sky was the limit. We just needed to get her to believe in herself, and I know making her national team will give her that confidence to come back to the U.S. and excel. I’m thrilled to see it all play out and watch a Newberry Wolf on an international stage.”

“This tournament will help me as a player in knowing the importance of playing with pride,” said Heyaime. “The effort level goes up when you play with pride, and that is something I want to apply to my game when I come back to Newberry.”

Daphne Heyaime will represent her native Dominican Republic in CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifying action next month.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_bdd5e2ee-88e5-4207-b271-7bf3e67276a4.jpgDaphne Heyaime will represent her native Dominican Republic in CONCACAF Caribbean Women’s Under-20 Qualifying action next month. Courtesy photo

Staff Report