USYNT and Penn State goalkeeper Julia Dohle medically retires at age 19

U.S. Youth National Team and Penn State women’s soccer goalkeeper Julia Dohle has been forced to medically retire at the age of 19, due to a rare heart condition.

Dohle announced the news via her Instagram account on Sunday night, stating that she was recently diagnosed with the condition which required her to undergo heart surgery. In her post, Dohle stated that the surgery was a success and her recovery is going well.

After being recruited as one of the top young women’s goalkeeper prospects in the country, Dohle was slated to play her redshirt freshman season with the Nittany Lions this fall. The former New York City FC Girls Academy standout has represented the U.S. Youth Women’s National Teams at the U-15, U-17, and U-20 levels.

See below for the full post from Dohle:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CGgSpUHjUKJ/

Penn State women’s soccer head coach Erica Dambach tweeted the following in support of Dohle:

“Our sport will no longer be blessed by Julia’s incredible talent as a player. Her unparalleled work ethic will serve her well as she transitions into her next phase of life. She is an incredible daughter, friend and teammate and I’m so thankful she is a part of this program.”

U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher – a Penn State alum – was also among the dozens of members of the U.S. Soccer community who sent their best wishes:

Once a member of GK union, always a part of GK union! Wishing you a speedy recovery @julia_dohle and all the best in your future! #WeAre 🦁 https://t.co/Z4jPtFAnHz

— Alyssa Naeher (@AlyssaNaeher) October 19, 2020