UW Oshkosh head women’s soccer coach Erin Coppernoll will coach the U17 Wisconsin International girls soccer team in the Donosti Cup in San Sebastian, Spain, for the second straight year, the UWO Athletics Department announced June 25.
The Donosti Cup is an annual international soccer tournament held in Spain since 1992 that features 21 individual tournaments for different age groups. The 2024 edition of the tournament will have 910 teams from 28 countries, including 109 teams from the U.S. Along with the U17 Wisconsin International girls team, Wisconsin will be represented by a U14 girls and a U15 boys squad.
Coppernoll said that she is looking forward to working with the U17 girls squad.
“I look forward to going back to Spain and understanding the little differences in how to play and get wins with the set up over there,” Coppernoll said. “Last year, I learned a lot. How to sub and how to play the game with only one ref to get wins and advance. This year having the older girls will be fun to see how far we can get.”
UWO women’s soccer forward Gabby Born, who competed in the 2017 Donosti Cup, said that playing overseas was a very enriching life experience.
“Not only did I play soccer, but also met many kids from other countries,” Born said. “One of the most memorable moments was when locals would come to our school year and play games of pick-up with us. This trip was the highlight of my soccer career thus far and a great opportunity to compete at a higher level.”
Coppernoll departed for Spain June 25 after working with UWO’s youth soccer summer camps and will coach in her first game of the tournament July 2 at 1:15 p.m. central time. The U17 Wisconsin International girls team will play in Group D and will take on Martutene Kirol Elkartea in their first match of the tournament.
Coppernoll’s squad will play Moha Academy B July 3 at 11 a.m. central time before ending group play against the defending tournament champions of the age group, Sporting Clube Portugal. The tournament ends July 7.
