Six players who have been training at the Whitecaps FC Vancouver Academy Centre have been called up to take part in a U-13 to U-15 talent ID camp, part of the Women’s National EXCEL Program presented by Bell, that wraps up on Tuesday, June 17 in Vaughan, ON.
Among the 33 players in camp are Mountain United defender Sophie Damian, midfielders Camila Gomez, Julia Grosso, and Emma Regan, as well as defender Reese Moffatt and striker Jordyn Huitema of Surrey United. All six BC Soccer Premier League players take part in the Saturday Academy with Whitecaps FC.
"These six players consistently show a desire to improve at every Academy Centre session," said Whitecaps FC Vancouver Academy Centre and Girls Elite coach Jesse Symons. "They come with exceptional attitudes and are very motivated to be challenged. It will be exciting to see them come back and step up another level after being around the best players in their age group in the country."
Three months after guiding Canada’s women’s U-17 team to a quarterfinal spot at the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica, head coach Bev Priestman has begun the search for the talent to enter the Women’s EXCEL system and hopefully represent Canada at the senior level in the future.
The group arrived into camp on Friday, June 13 and had five solid days of training as the players look to find their way into Canada’s entry in the U-15 Women’s CONCACAF Championship that takes place in the Cayman Islands in August.
This initial identification camp is the start of the Women’s National EXCEL phase one for players born in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Focus has been placed on assessing the players initially identified across Canada and challenging their technical and tactical qualities.
The squad has a handful of players who were in Priestman’s U-17 squad in Costa Rica in March but there are also six players born in 2001 and one in 2002 who would be eligible for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2016 in Jordan as well as the 2018 edition of the tournament.
As part of Canada’s Women’s EXCEL Program, the Canada Soccer Women’s National EXCEL Program, presented by Bell, brings together the best with the best at the national level. Operating in six-year cycles across the U-14 to U-17 and U-18 to U-20 age groups, it is designed to deliver an aligned talent structure and system that progresses more top players to Canada’s women’s national team, more often.
CANADA
GK- Lauriane Brunelle | CAN / FC Mont-Bruno (QC)
GK- Rebecca Gosselin | CAN / St-Hubert (QC)
GK- Lysianne Proulx | CAN / Roussillon (QC)
GK- Marissa Zucchetto | CAN / Erin Mills Soccer Club (ON)
D- Bryana Buttar | CAN / Fraser Valley FC (BC)
D- Reese Moffatt | CAN / Surrey United SC (BC)
D- Cecilia Way | CAN / Vancouver Island Wave (BC)
D- Sophie Damian | CAN / Mountain United FC (BC)
D- Kennedy Faulknor | CAN / Unionville Milliken Soccer Club (ON)
D- Kavina Ganeshan | CAN / Unionville Milliken Soccer Club (ON)
D- Sarah Ochitwa | CAN / Aurora Royals (ON)
M- Nahida Baalbaki | CAN / Lakeshore SC (QC)
M- Samantha Chang | CAN / Brams United SC (ON)
M- Paige Epp | CAN / Stoney Creek Soccer Club (ON)
M- Silvana Flores | CAN / Guelph SC (ON)
M- Camila Gomez | CAN / Mountain United FC (BC)
M- Julia Grosso | CAN / Mountain United FC (BC)
M- Zoe Heim | CAN / Calgary Foothills (AB)
M- Emma Regan | CAN / Mountain United FC (BC)
M- Sarah Stratigakis | CAN / Woodbridge SC (ON)
M- Vital Kats | CAN / Unionville Milliken Soccer Club (ON)
M- Marika Guay | CAN / Association de soccer de Saint-Lambert (QC)
M- Caroline Gubernat | CAN / Lakeshore Soccer Club (QC)
M- Kayla Mostowich | CAN / Edmonton Strikers Soccer Club (AB)
F- Teni Akindoju | CAN / Halifax Dunbrack SC (NS)
F- Jessica De Filippo | CAN / Lakeshore Soccer Club (QC)
F- Jordyn Huitema | CAN / Surrey United (BC)
F- Anyssa Ibrahim | CAN / CS Terrebonne (QC)
F- Lauren Raimondo | CAN / Burlington Bayhawks (ON)
F- Danielle Camilleri | CAN / Dixie Soccer Club (ON)
F- Mya Jones | CAN / Calgary Foothills Soccer Club (AB)
F- Deanne Rose | CAN / Bradford Soccer Club (ON)
- Shana Flynn | CAN / Brams United (ON)
