Vancouver Whitecaps FC are pleased to announce that four players from the Whitecaps FC U-18 Girls Elite squad have been called up to train with the Canadian U-17 women’s national team. Jasmine Mander, Julia McDonald,Elissa Neff and Kajal Parmar will all participate in a nine-day training camp running from November 19 to 27 in Sunrise, Florida. This will be the group’s second camp en route to next year’s 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship.
“The talent depth within this one age group is deeper than what we had in 2010 or 2008,” said Bryan Rosenfeld, head coach of the CanadianU-17 women’s national team. “I believe we can credit that depth to the improvement in the quality of qualified coaches at the club level in women’s football.”
This will be the second U-17 training camp for Mander, Neff and Parmar, as all three were previously called up for camp in August. Goalkeeper McDonald, meanwhile, will be making her first-ever appearance in a national youth camp.
"It’s a credit to their commitment and their focus. The girls give up a lot to train five days per week with us," said Carrie Taylor, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite manager. "When they get to put on the Canadian national team kit, and play at the highest level, it makes their sacrifices more than worth it."
To date, Canada has qualified for both FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cups (New Zealand 2008 and Trinidad and Tobago 2010), the last of which Canada qualified as CONCACAF champions. Of note, this group of 1995-born players will not only be eligible for the U-17 events in 2012, but will also be eligible for women’s U-20 international competitions in 2014 (alongside older players born in 1994). That competition schedule includes the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup to be held in Canada.
CANADA
GK- Maryse Bard-Martel | CAN / FC Boisbriand U-16
GK- Julia McDonald | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
GK- Kailen Sheridan | CAN / Pickering SC
D- Lindsay Agnew | USA / Ohio Premier Eagles
D- Kadeisha Buchanan | CAN / Erin Mills SC
D- Madeline Iozzi | CAN / Pickering SC
D- Madison Kaplan | USA / Real Co Cal
D- Leticia Skeete | CAN / Kitchener SC
D- Larisa Staub | CAN / South West United
D/M- Carley McBeath | USA / Real Co Cal
M- Ashley Lawrence | CAN / Erin Mills SC
M- Nicole Loncar | CAN / Brams United SC
M- Jasmine Mander | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
M- Rebecca Quinn | CAN / Erin Mills SC
M- Sabrina Santarossa | CAN / CS Vallée du Richelieu
M- Kim Tremblay | CAN / Lac Beauport
F- Summer Clarke | CAN / Richmond Selects
F- Elissa Neff | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
F- Kajal Parmar | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
F- Amandine Pierre-Louis | CAN / Saint-Leonard
F- Nichelle Prince | CAN / Pickering SC
F/M- Valérie Sanderson | CAN / FC Boisbriand
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program is a funded player development program for U-14 to U-18 girls that will evolve over the next two years. Whitecaps FC will continue to offer a funded, full-time U-18 training development program for players who have been identified to move beyond community club soccer. As with previous years, players in the Girls Elite program will train and compete from September to July as full-time Whitecaps FC youth players. Included for the first time this fall is a part-time seasonal training camp program for U-14 to U-16 girls, which will be integrated with the new EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League. Whitecaps FC aim to further grow the program for fall of 2012 by expanding the full-time training structure to U-14 and U-16 girls’ teams.
For more information on the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program, visit club.whitecapsfc.com/youth/girlselite.
