Whitecaps FC Girls Elite players following recipe for success

For the past 10 years, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have been playing a key role in developing talent for Canada’s women’s national team – with 14 of the 20 players on Canada’s recent Olympic qualifying roster having previously played for the ‘Caps. That isn’t the only commonality for Canada’s top talent. Nearly every player to represent Canada has played collegiate soccer, whether in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) or across the border in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

That recipe for success of playing for both the ‘Caps and getting a post-secondary education while playing collegiately continues for Canadian women’s players, as several more members of the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program have made their school commitments for this coming school year.

“For girls, the ‘next level’ is playing college soccer,” said Carrie Taylor, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite manager and women’s assistant head coach. “They are fortunate to continue playing the sport they love and college soccer allows them to not only continue to advance their soccer skills, but it all fosters their development as people.”

Attending the University of Victoria this fall will be striker Allie Wiebe. At UVic, Wiebe will play for the Vikes with 2011 ‘Caps women’s player Jaclyn Sawicki.

Navneet Samra, meanwhile, will be joining many of her current and former Whitecaps FC teammates at the University of British Columbia.

Many top players have also taken the path of crossing the border and playing collegiately in the NCAA. 18 of the 20 players on the Olympic qualifying roster played NCAA soccer, with several of the younger players still in school down south.

Defender Kathryn Bakerhas made the decision to follow a long line of fellow ‘Caps players and attend Oregon State University. Next year, she’ll play with Whitecaps alum Chelsea Buckland – who was on the Olympic Qualifying team – as well as 2011 ‘Caps Jenna Richardsonand Erin Uchacz.

The ‘Windy City’ will soon become home for striker Elise Wyatt, as she’s bound for Chicago’s Depaul University, while goalkeeper Zoe Makrigiannis is staying on the west coast to play at San Jose State University. Two other players from the Girls Elite program will be heading a little further south. Defender Lindsay Johansenis set to attend Arkansas State University, while midfielder Emma Fletcher has committed to Louisiana State University.

The Ivy league is not only known for their academic excellence, but they’re also known for producing some top class talent, including Princeton University graduate and Canadian women’s national team midfielder Diana Matheson. Hoping to follow Matheson will be defender Justine Do, who is attending Yale University, and striker Lucielle Kozlov, who will be going to Dartmouth.

“We are very proud of all the players,” added Taylor. “We know that they will be successful representatives of Whitecaps FC and the Girls Elite program.”

For more information on the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program, visit http://bit.ly/rOhCTR.