The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) announced today that Vancouver Whitecaps FC defender Katherine Caverly, midfielder Nicole Setterlund, and striker Abigail Raymer have all been named in Canada's U-17 women's national team squad for the 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship in Costa Rica.
All three players are members of the Whitecaps U-17/U-18 Prospects full-time program, with the trio having taken part in a January training camp in Toronto, Ontario. They went on to make their international debuts for Canada at the recent Four Nations Tournament in San Fernando, Trinidad & Tobago. All three made appearances against the U-17 sides of Mexico (February 28), Jamaica (March 3), and hosts Trinidad & Tobago (March 5), as head coach Bryan Rosenfeld's side finished the tournament in second place.
The 20-player Canadian squad now head to Central America for this year's CONCACAF U-17 championship, with opening group matches taking place on Wednesday. All of the championship games will be played at the Alejandro Morera Soto Stadium in Alajuela, Costa Rica, with the final set for Saturday, March 20. Playing in Group A, Canada will face Jamaica (Thursday), Panama (Saturday), and Mexico (Monday), with Rosenfeld's side looking to qualify for this September's FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago. In 2008, Canada reached the quarterfinals of the inaugural U-17 Women’s World Cup in New Zealand.
Catch all of Canada's action at the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship by logging on to CONCACAF TV
Caverly, 16, joins Canada U-17's after moving into the Prospects full-time program last September. Known for being a very quick and attack-minded left fullback, the native of Coquitlam, BC, appeared for the U-15 and U-16 Whitecaps Prospects teams, while also being a standout with Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club. Naturally left-footed, Caverly was also part of the British Columbia provincial team program and the CSA's National Training Centre (British Columbia region) program from the U-13 to U-16 levels.
Named 2009 Canadian U-17 Women's Player of the Year back in December, Raymer first joined Canada's U-17 squad for an October training camp in Laval, Quebec. Also in her first year with the Prospects, the native of Victoria, BC, was first invited to the Whitecaps full-time program in 2008, but elected to stay on Vancouver Island, where she played last season for Gordon Head Gold in the Premier Division of the Lower Island Women's Soccer Association. The 17-year-old currently lives and attends school in South Surrey, BC, as part of the Prospects full-time program.
Setterlund, 17, had a memorable 2009 season with the Whitecaps Prospects Women's team. The native of Surrey, BC, helped Jesse Symons' side finish second in the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL) Premier Division standings before winning the Dave Fryatt Challenge Cup title during the PCSL playoffs. The midfielder then helped the squad to a runners-up finish at the prestigious Surf Cup youth tournament in San Diego, California, in early August. As a member of Team BC, Setterlund made the all-star starting XI and finished third in Most Valuable Player voting after helping British Columbia to a gold-medal finish in the women's soccer competition at the 2009 Canada Games in Prince Edward Island.
About Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects is a 10-month program that provides young elite players with the opportunity to train and develop in a high performance environment under the guidance of the Whitecaps professional coaching staff. Fully integrated with the BC Soccer Player Development Pathway, Whitecaps Prospects is comprised of two streams (full-time and part-time programs) that are delivered in two phases from October to the end of July each year.
