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Contact: Mark Albanese, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Media Relations

Official Guatemalan National Team Info (In Spanish)

SOMERS, Wis. (Jan. 28, 2013)-- University of Wisconsin-Parkside women's soccer player Jasmine Espino is having an eventful offseason, earning a spot on the Guatemalan National Team as the country prepares to begin the qualification process for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals.

Espino becomes the first Ranger in program history to earn a spot on a senior national side and is one of just four on the 26-woman roster currently playing collegiate soccer in the United States.

“This is a great accomplishment for both Jasmine and our women's soccer program,” said UW-Parkside head coach Troy Fabiano.  “This opportunity reflects all the hard work and commitment she has put into getting better and an invitation to play on a national team is the highest individual accomplishment that any player could hope to receive. “

It's been a frantic couple of months for the redshirt junior. After the UWP soccer season wrapped up in mid-November, Espino flew down to Guatemala for a tryout with the senior national side. She returned to the States before heading back out to Central America in January as part of a study abroad program to Nicaragua. Espino plans to return to Guatemala on Feb. 15 to report to practice with the national team before facing Costa Rica in her first ever international soccer match in March.

As a member of the Rangers in 2012, Espino played and started in all 20 games, helping the team advance to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. The midfielder tallied four goals and one assist on the year, netting the game winning goals against Northwood University on Aug. 30 and against the University of Indianapolis on Oct. 19.

Espino has appeared in 47 games for the Rangers in her career, including 17 as a true freshman in 2009. She redshirted in 2010 while appearing in 10 games in 2011.

“UW-Parkside has helped me develop tremendously as a player. The commitment and dedication it takes has really carried over to my preparations for the national team,” said Espino.

The redshirt junior's journey to the national team began five years ago while she was still in high school in Chicago at Whitney Young. Espino and her younger sister tried out for the junior national teams but school obligations got in the way. Espino's sister was later called up to the under-20 team before the midfielder got her chance this November with the senior side.

Espino is eligible for the squad since her mother is a Guatemalan native. She is currently in the process of gaining a Guatemalan passport in anticipation of the squad's March showdown with the Costa Rican National Team to begin the long process of qualification for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Finals. The team, affectionately known as “La Seleccion Chapina” looks to earn a spot in the finals for the first time in the nation's history.

Guatemala has reason for optimism with the tournament expanding from 18 to 24 teams for the 2015 edition to be held in Canada. CONCACAF, the regional federation for soccer in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, will have three automatic spots for the 2015 tournament with the fourth place squad entering a playoff with South America's third place finisher for a spot in the finals.

The Rangers finished their 2012 campaign ranked 15th in the nation with a 14-5-1 record.