Talented Triumvirate Leads USA Freedom Forward

A new day dawns for the USA Freedom women, and with it, a new set of faces to lead them into the future.

The three women who make up the national team’s leadership group are a microchasm of the squad itself.  Each comes from the three regions of the USAFL, East, Central, and West.  There is a mixture of experience and youth, and all three have backgrounds in different sports.

But for captain Hallie Lee and vice-captains Emily Riehl and Katie Klatt, the goal is simple: lead a group of the most talented footballers from all over the country to an International Cup championship in 2017.  That may be a long way away, but the development of every aspect of the team’s growth, both on the field and off, is key to the success of the Freedom.

Success is something that Lee is very much used to with her club team, the Denver Bulldogs.  Beginning her career in 2009 thanks to teammate Kelli Modica-Hahn, she took to a leadership role with the team quickly, and has captained the Lady ‘Dogs to four of their five consecutive championships.   She has one best and fairest under her belt at Nationals, and was named Grand Final MVP in the 2014 decider. She participated in the last two IC tournaments with the Freedom, and was named to the all-world team at IC14.

One of the attributes that has made Lee such a fearsome competitor is something that has fashioned its way down to her teammates in Denver: her athleticism.  She played four years of basketball at Texas State University, and also participated in volleyball and track.  In addition to footy, Lee currently takes part in the Crossfit and Olympic weightlifting competitions. 

All of the traits from these sports have helped her become, arguably, the best ruck in the country.  But when the Freedom’s first test against the defending IC champions from Canada looming when the 49th Parallel Cup kicks off on August 1st, Lee knows she’s going to see those same traits in her opponents.

“I am expecting some athletes,” she said. “I am always impressed with the talent they pull and the dynamic style of play they bring to the table.  While they are my biggest rival, I have a ton of respect for them.”

For Emily Riehl, victory over Canada is nothing new for her, both for club and country.  In 2012, she was a part of the last Freedom side that won the 49PC at Dublin, Ohio.  Two months later, playing for the Boston Lady Demons, she kicked the winning goal through all sorts of terrible meteorological conditions to defeat Calgary in the Nationals semifinal match. 

​Riehl was a rugby player for seven years, and found out about Aussie Rules while spending time living in Sydney for grad school in early 2010.  By that summer, she was playing for the Freedom, and will be participating in her fourth Parallel Cup when she takes to the ground in Florida.  She moved from Boston to the DC area this past winter and is now playing for the Baltimore-Washington Lady Eagles.

Cohesion amongst the ranks is very important, and with the speedy sharp-shooting forward capable of putting daggers in to the hearts of her opponents from anywhere, Riehl knows that integrating the new players coming into the team is important to the Freedom’s results.

“A large contingent of our forward line played in the IC. By the end of the tournament, we were working really well together as a unit. I’m excited to build on that and integrate new talent.

“Canada is an extremely tough opponent,” she continued, “whose players have proven to be very dedicated and well coached. They play an elegant, possession-oriented style of footy. It should be a great match.”

Virginia native Katie Klatt is the youngest and least experienced of the leadership group. In two seasons of football for the Sacramento Suns, however, she has become a well-rounded player with smart decision making skills.  Klatt spent her formative years playing field hockey, a sport that lends itself well to chaotic transitional play.  Moving cross-country for work, and looking for a sport to get involved with, she came across footy online.

“I just watched a YouTube video and showed up one day! But I soon discovered that this was the best sport I had ever played. I stuck with it, and here I am!  The Sacramento Suns have been so amazing and encouraging in helping me learn this sport - my teammates here are so supportive and have become my family away from home.”

August’s match against the Northern Lights will be Klatt’s debut with the Freedom, and while the experience at both the local and national level has been awe-inspiring, she is eager to contribute.

“There are so many women on this team with such great experience. I think we all bring different strengths to the field, so it's pretty cool to see it all come together. Playing at this level of footy is very eye-opening - after training with the team, it showed me a whole different side of the sport.

“It's very humbling to be a part of this community of badass women.”

As for Canada, Klatt is expecting a tough game, but thinks that a unified effort can take down the defending IC champs.  “One of the most important parts of any sport I've played is working together as a team,” she said.  “I think if we come onto the field as a strong and unified team, we will be tough competition for anyone. And we definitely have the ability to do that.”

Despite the long road ahead of them, the International Cup is in the back of the minds of the players, and the captains.  Well, two out of three of them, anyway.  “I’d prefer not to think about the IC just yet,” said Riehl.  “I don’t want to lose focus on the Parallel Cup. Canada is consistently one of the best teams in the world. It’s an honor to get to play them.”

Like Riehl, Lee has been to both previous International Cups, and her focus is on improving the program, which will lead to improved results come 2017.

“I am sick of 3rd place (in 2011 & 2014).  I want to play on a legit oval in the Grand Final in IC17.  I am going to do everything I can do to help get us there.  I want to help find new talent in the USAFL.  I also plan to strengthen our bond and cohesiveness as a team, despite the miles we have apart from each other.  Having both of our vice captains on east and west coasts should help with that.”

In the end, however, the USA Freedom is a determined bunch of women who want to bring home a world championship.  It’s what motivates each of them through trainings, the long hours of travel, and the tough matches to come.

And the drive for that goal runs deep, perhaps summed up best by Klatt:

“Playing at this higher level of footy with these incredibly talented women just puts a fire in my heart. I think all the women on the Freedom have that spark, and I think we need to carry that over the next two years right into the IC ready to show them what the US is all about.”

Photo Credits: Boston Demons, Rob Colburn