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The Trinidad and Tobago women’s national soccer team has recalled University at Buffalo goal keeper Laura Dougall for its pre-Carribean Cup training camp, per The Buffalo News.
Dougall, a rising senior for the Bulls, is a native of Canada but is eligible to be recalled to the Women Soca Warriors due in part to her father’s residency status and her being uncapped to any other national squad, namely Canada.
Dougall’s father was born in Trinidad and Tobago and lived there until he was 6, then moved to Jamaica and finally to Mississauga, Ontario, where he would settle. Dougall was born in Pickering, Ontario, in 1996.
Per the report, Dougall still has many family members in Port of Spain, which is where the team’s national stadium is located, though she has never visited the island herself.
Dougall is an impressive prospect, helping the Bulls achieve many historic firsts, including its first MAC Championship and first NCAA appearance in her freshman year. She won MAC Freshman of the Year for her efforts.
In 59 starts, Dougall averages a 0.69 goals against mark, 32 wins, 259 saves and a school record 27 shutouts completed, which is already a school-record mark. Dougall will be eligible to return to the Bulls her senior year for an opportunity to extend her record.
Trinidad and Tobago are seeking to qualify for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, set to be played in France, and broadened its pool of available talent in order to scope out potential contributors. Coach Carolina Morace, the former Canadian women’s national team coach, recalled many collegiate prospects with ties to the small Carribean country to test their abilities.
In order to qualify for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, the Women Soca Warriors must finish in the top 3 of the CONCACAF Carribean Cup (formerly the Gold Cup) or win a fourth-place playoff vs. the third-place team from CONMEBOL (South America.) Since its establishment in 1991, Trinidad and Tobago has never qualified for a World Cup, coming as close as a 1-0 playoff loss to Ecuador in 2014.
Dougall will have to work for a place on the roster; the federation will only take 18 players for its next roster (11 starters and 7 reserves).
Updates regarding the roster, along with fixtures and results will be provided on the Trinidad and Tobago national football association’s official website.