Otsego junior Peyton Dennany is pretty good at soccer.
How good, you ask? Well, she’s ranked 10th in the nation as a midfielder.
And that earned her a coveted spot on the US Youth Soccer roster, giving her the opportunity to train in England.
“Making the roster for a US team is a huge honor that I am so grateful for,” Dennany says. “I have worked hard for many years, so I am excited that it has led me to this incredible opportunity.
“I know that playing in England isn’t a chance many girls get, so I will not take anything for granted.”
The ranking is derived from a video system called Taka, which records games and processes data. It creates highlights for every player in the Taka system.
Most players on a national-level team are in this system, which includes Dennany, who plays on the Midwest United FC SCOR GA Aspire 2009 travel team.
“This is an incredibly rare, high-level opportunity,” said Travis Timmons, Dennany’s travel soccer coach. “I am super proud of Peyton getting this attention. She is an extremely hard worker who has dedicated herself to soccer over the years.”
Approximately 20 girls from across the country are on the team. That group will travel to England in April to train with ManCity Academy coaches, which is the funnel that gets players into the pro soccer league in Europe.
The Manchester City Academy program is one of the best professional soccer clubs in the world.
“I will get to train and play against other academies in England,” Dennany said. “We will train like pro players and play at the professional facilities.”
This opportunity wasn’t on Dennany’s radar, but she’s ready to take full advantage of what she can gain.
“I am excited to have some of the best coaching staff in the world,” she said. “I will learn and expand my soccer knowledge and have very good competition because I am playing with the best girls in my position.”
This is not only an incredible chance to improve now, but to hopefully open more doors after high school.
“My main goal is to come home with sharper skills and soccer IQ,” Dennany said. “I have had my heart set on playing a high level of college soccer for many years, so I hope this helps me to achieve that.”
Along with the work she’ll put into training, Dennany will get to do a little traveling, see professional games, tour stadiums and spend time with the team.
“I am looking forward to traveling, touring, and meeting new people,” she said. “I will also learn to be more comfortable playing with girls I don’t know because it can be out of my comfort zone.”
Timmons says he’s had the “privilege” to coach Dennany for the past five-plus years and is thrilled this opportunity is before her.
“She’s a great kid, a great listener, and she’s extremely attentive and respectful,” he said. “I don’t bring that up lightly. At her age, it’s hard to be all of those things all of the time. Despite Peyton’s natural ability coupled with her drive for constant improvement, she has remained humble.
“She’s always looking for ways to get better and she is a great leader, both in speaking either on her or her teammates’ behalf, but also in encouraging and leading her team. She’s definitely one of a kind and deserves this opportunity.”
Wednesday, November 05, 2025
