This week, Canada Soccer Women’s National EXCEL U-14/U-17 director Bev Priestman invited 26 talented female youth players into the final National development camp of 2015. Included among those players are seven members of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite REX program in partnership with BC Soccer: defenders Reese Moffatt, Ashley Cathro and Emma Regan; midfielders Julia Grosso and Caitlin Shaw; and strikers Camila Gomez and Jordyn Huitema.
Taking place at Fortius Sport & Health Centre in Burnaby, BC, from September 8 to 18, the camp is continuing the development of players in Canada’s Women's EXCEL Program, which is designed to ensure more of Canada's young female players find their way into the best competitive environments, thus providing Canada’s Women’s National Team with a steady stream of high caliber players to ensure Canada remains competitive on the world stage.
“We are really excited to work with this talented group again following a busy summer as hosts to both the FIFA Women’s World Cup and Pan American Games,” said Priestman. “We have no doubt the group has been inspired by such world class, global events here on Canadian soil.”
Many of the players attending this camp had the opportunity to watch as Canada’s Women’s National Team brought EXCEL program concepts to life during international play this past summer. The experience of watching their soccer heroes deliver on the principles they are learning will be reinforced in this camp as players learn firsthand from former Canadian Women’s National Team members Candace Chapman and Tania Singfield, who have joined the EXCEL camp staff.
“The EXCEL staff is really motivated to push these girls to the next level of development on their Women’s National Team journey and we would love to see more young talented players move up the system with their hard work. Our job is to lay the foundations,” added Priestman.
September’s camp brings together a mixture of talent, half of whom have had the opportunity to experience three youth FIFA World Cups, and some new recruits who have been identified since the previous EXCEL development camp in April. This combination of experienced international competitors, and fresh faces, gives the EXCEL programme a depth of talent ahead of next summer’s FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Jordan 2016, and with a full quarter of attendees eligible for the following FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2018, for years to come.
GK- Mollie Eriksson | CAN / Ottawa South United (ON)
GK- Lysianne Proulx | CAN / St-Léonard (QC)
GK- Marissa Zucchetto | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
CB- Samantha Chang | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
CB- Kennedy Faulknor | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
CB- Reese Moffatt | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (BC)
FB- Ashley Cathro | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (BC)
FB- Sarah Ochitwa | CAN / Saskatchewan HPDC (SK)
FB- Emma Regan | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls (BC)
M- Nahida Baalbaki | CAN / Lakeshore SC (QC)
M- Danielle Camilleri | CAN / Scarborough GS United (ON)
M- Julia Grosso | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls (BC)
M- Anyssa Ibrahim | CAN / Varrennes (QC)
M- Vital Kats | CAN / Scarborough GS United (ON)
M- Kayla Mostowich | CAN / Edmonton Strikers SC (AB)
M- Caitlin Shaw | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (BC)
M- Sarah Stratigakis | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
F- Teni Akindoju | CAN / Halifax Dunbrack SC (NS)
F- Shana Flynn | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
F- Camila Gomez | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (BC)
F- Jordyn Huitema | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite (BC)
F- Mya Jones | CAN / Calgary Foothills SC (AB)
F- Lauren Raimondo | CAN / Unionville-Milliken SC (ON)
F- Jayde Riviere | CAN / Markham SC (ON)
F- Deanne Rose | CAN / Scarborough GS United (ON)
F- Aaliyah Scott | CAN / Toronto Skillz FC (ON)
