KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS

Kathryn Nesbitt Referee

AFTER BECOMING THE FIRST AMERICAN WOMAN TO REF AT a World Cup last year in Qatar, Nesbitt will be back on the officiating crew for the Women’s World Cup. Nesbitt, who lives in Philadelphia, has had a lot of firsts in her professional refereeing career, which dates back to her debut in 2013 in the inaugural match of the National Women’s Soccer League. She became the first woman to referee a championship match in professional men’s sports in North America in the MLS Cup final in 2021 and was the first woman to be named MLS Assistant Referee of the Year when she received the award in 2020 among other milestones.

Sinead Farrelly Republic Of Ireland

FARRELLY IS AN FC DELCO ALUM AND FORMER EASTERN Pennsylvania ODP player and USYS national champion from Havertown who made her international debut with the Republic of Ireland earlier this year in a friendly against the United States. This came shortly after she announced her return to the professional game with NJ/NY Gotham FC.

Marissa Sheva Republic Of Ireland

SHEVA IS A PENN FUSION ALUM AND FORMER EASTERN Pennsylvania ODP player from Sellersville who currently plays in the NWSL with Washington Spirit. She made her Republic of Ireland debut in February 2023 in a friendly with China that was played in Spain.

Alyssa Naeher United States

NAEHER, A GOALKEEPER FOR THE UNITED STATES AND FOR the Chicago Stars in NWSL, starred at Penn State from 2006-2009, starting 74 games and earning First-Team All-American honors in 2007 and 2008.

Raquel Rodriguez Costa Rica

RODRIGUEZ IS A NATIVE OF COSTA

Rica who currently plays for Portland Thorns in the NWSL but is even better known in Pennsylvania for her time at Penn State. She led the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA title in 2015 when she scored the game-winning goal to beat Duke in the College Cup final.

Andi Sullivan United States

SULLIVAN IS CONNECTED TO EASTERN Pennsylvania through her husband, Drew Skundrich. Drew is a Lancaster, Pa. native who is currently playing in the USL Championship with Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. They met at Stanford, where they both won national championships in 2017. Skundrich, who played at PA Classics, was also a national champion in 2015 and 2016.

Julie Ertz

United States

THE USWNT VETERAN HAS 118 CAPS to her name and will be part of her third World Cup but off the field she played a role in the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a member of the committee that succeeded in getting Philadelphia chosen as a host site. Ertz is also married to former Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, who was on the Super Bowl-winning team in 2018.