By Morgan Pruchniewski, Duke Athletic Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM — Incoming Duke women’s soccer freshman Mia Minestrella has already built a name for herself through her play on the pitch, even before stepping on the college field.
The 5-8 Redondo Beach, Calif., native has assembled an impressive resume for herself through her play in high school, club and on the international scene. Minestrella proved herself to be one of the top soccer players in the country, ranking No. 14 in the overall class of 2023 and as the No. 5 forward. She was named an alternate to the U.S. U-20 World Cup team in 2022 and gained player of the year accolades from her Beach FC club, the Daily Breeze, and D2 CIF.
Beyond all of these accomplishments, she also caught the eye of the Blue Devil coaching staff and the Angel City FC staff of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Minestrella was able to graduate from Redondo Union High School in the fall and go straight into training with Angel City in late January, making the hour and half commute every day to work with the team.
“It was definitely a big change because of the speed of play and the physicality,” said Minestrella. “After the first few training sessions, I feel like I settled in and got used to it. It’s definitely harder than at the U-20 level, but the competitive aspect kind of translated over. It was just an adjustment to get into the groove of their training style.”
By making this big leap from high school and club straight to training with the pros, Minestrella sees this as preparation for playing at the next level as a member of the Blue Devil squad.
“I think this experience will help with the speed of play and the physicality for college play,” said Minestrella. “It also will help me learn from the pro players, learning little details in the game and getting better while playing at the highest level will help me be successful coming into Duke.”
Duke head coach Robbie Church sees this as a great preparation for Minestrella’s college career as well.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Mia. She chose to graduate early and put herself in the best training environment she could find. And that is…
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