Vancouver Whitecaps FC announce changes to Girls Elite program

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today a change in structure to the Girls Elite program as the 2014-15 season kicks off. This year the program has expanded to include 29 players, featuring 16 full-time U-18 players and 13 part-time players from U-14 to U-16.

“This is a very exciting announcement for our Girls Elite program,” said Jesse Symons, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite head coach. “This evolution will both better integrate our program with the BC Soccer Premier League, as well as take steps to fall in line with the Canadian Soccer Association’s national curriculum. The club continues to make great commitment and investment in female programming.”

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program is a funded player development program unlike any other in North America. Girls Elite is designed to maximize a players’ potential on and off the field through a holistic development philosophy and an emphasis on individualized personal development plans.

The full-time Girls Elite program consists of players who exceled in the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) and display the necessary technical, tactical, athletic and mental attributes required to advance from the club environment into a full-time accelerated high performance development program.  Players who are selected to this program will train and compete solely as full-time Whitecaps FC youth players.

The part-time Girls Elite program consists of players who are exceling in the club environment and have been identified by BC Soccer and Whitecaps FC for the full-time program. Players who are identified for this program will train two to four times weekly with Whitecaps FC, while training a minimum of once per week with their BCSPL club and competing in all BCSPL match play with their respective club.  

The Girls Elite squad will play a series of exhibition matches against both CIS and NCAA teams, fellow Pacific Northwest clubs, as well as participate in elite college showcase events.

Ten players return to the squad from last season, including goalkeeper Ashleah McDonald (Coastal FC); defenders Hannah Carothers (Coastal FC), Simmrin Dhaliwal (Mountain United FC) and Meghan Douglas (Mountain United FC); midfielders Jenna Baxter (Surrey United SC), Samantha Donald (Surrey United SC), Katelyn Erhardsen (Mountain United FC), Rachel Jones (Mountain United FC), and Willa Taylor (Mountain United FC); as well as striker Monpreet Heer (Surrey United SC).

Six new players join the full-time U-18 program: defenders Olivia Sheppard (Coastal FC) and Kristen Sakaki (Surrey United SC), defender/midfielder Anisha Sangha (Mountain United FC), midfielder Emma Cunningham (Mountain United FC), midfielder/striker Ashley Burgess (Coastal FC), and striker Kristin Fairbairn (Surrey United SC).

Joining the part-time program are goalkeepers Abigail Hunt (Surrey United SC) and Faith O’Neill (Mountain United FC); defenders Bryana Buttar (Fraser Valley FC), Sophie Damien (Mountain United FC), Reese Moffatt (Surrey United SC), and Jessica Williams (Coastal FC); midfielders Ebony Clarke (Surrey United SC), Julia Grosso (Mountain United FC), and Caitlin Shaw (Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC); and strikers Sagen Brar (Coastal FC), Camila Gomez-Hernandez (Mountain United FC), Jordyn Huitema (Surrey United SC), and Emma Regan (Mountain United FC). Buttar, Gomez-Hernandez, Grosso, Huitema, and Regan all represented the winning Canadian team at the recent 2014 CONCACAF Girls’ U-15 Championship.

Every player on this year's Whitecaps FC Girls Elite roster came through the EA SPORTS BC Soccer Premier League and the BC Soccer Provincial Development Program.

FULL-TIME ROSTER

PART-TIME ROSTER