Women’s Weekly returns today to capture the highlights, storylines, and weekly awards from our 2011 Whitecaps FC women’s team players. It was a busy week of competition that heightened individual achievements and team success, so without further ado, let’s review the action.
CIS:
Starting in Canada, striker Jaclyn Sawicki helped her Victoria Vikes side in a 5-1 victory over Lethbridge Longhorns last weekend to improve her team to 4W-2L-2D. Sawicki’s two assists set up the first two goals of the match and helped give the Vikes some positive momentum heading into their upcoming Thanksgiving fixtures between arch-rivals Trinity Western University Spartans and UBC Thunderbirds. (Victoria Vikes Athletics)
Waiting to meet Sawicki this weekend is Trinity Western University Spartans goalkeeper Kristen Funk. Funk’s impressive 2011 CIS season continued last weekend as she earned back-to-back road victories against Regina Cougars and Manitoba Bisons last weekend. Funk’s efforts helped improve the Spartans CIS Top Ten ranking to #4 in the country. (TWU Athletics)
NCAA:
Oregon State Beaver's striker Jenna Richardsonscored the game-winning goal in overtime against USC Trojans last weekend. “It is really good to see Jenna score,” head coach Linus Rhode said. “She has been working hard and she has had an ankle injury for two weeks now, so she has been fighting to get back from that. So to see her come out and play the way she did today was great. I was happy for her and for the team”. (Oregon State)
North Carolina Tar Heels co-captain Amber Brooks was busy last weekend, scoring one goal in both of UNC’s games with adding two assists. Brooks scored her second goal of the season with one assist in UNC’s 2-0 victory over Florida State last Thursday, before adding a goal and an assist against Miami in their 4-1 victory. Ranee Premjialso had one assist for the Tar Heels last weekend. (UNC Athletics)
UCLA forward Sydney Leroux scored her seventh goal of the season in the Bruins 1-0 victory over OSU last weekend. Leroux beat OSU goalkeeper Coleen Boyd in the 17th minute when she received a pass from freshman Caprice Dydasco and slipped in her 15th point of the season. Also, check out ‘Episode 4’ Syd’s Shots’. (UCLABruins.com)
Syracuse's midfielder Tina Romagnuoloscored the final goal in the Orange’s 4-1 victory over Seton Hall off an eight-yard header to move Romagnuolo into a three-way tie for fifth place on Syracuse’s scoring list. Romagnuolo then assisted on Syracuse’s double overtime 2-1 victory over Rutgers to extend their winning streak to three games. (Syracuse)
Penn State Nittany Lions goalkkeper Erin McNulty earned her third clean sheet of the season, making one save in a 1-0 victory over Minnesota last weekend. “McNulty and Penn State have yet to allow a second-half goal since the 65-minute mark at Stanford on opening night, a span of over 620 minutes” (GoPSUsports.com).
Ciara McCormack was busy again this week scribbling words in The Province. Ciara’s theme, ‘What Makes a Good Coach’ defines her five main factors that make a good coach that she has witnessed throughout her soccer career (Ciara McCormack – The Province).
YOUTH
On the youth front, Whitecaps FC Girls Elite player Emma Fletcher was recently named to the New Zealand U-17 national team roster and started in a 2-1 win versus rivals Australia and a 0-0 draw in a second match between the neighbouring countries. (New Zealand Football)
Speaking of the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite program...
GIRLS ELITE UPDATE:
by Carrie Taylor
This past weekend the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite team travelled to Seattle to play two friendlies to open their season.
On Saturday, the Whitecaps faced the U18 ECNL team from Washington Premier F.C. The ‘Caps got off to a fast start, scoring at the 12:48 mark. Left forward Shayla Chorney crossed the ball across the box where right forward Jasmine Dhanda was waiting to jump on the cross, putting Whitecaps FC up 1-0. The girls controlled much of the play by playing a possession oriented game in their 4-3-3 formation. Just before halftime, the ‘Caps capitalized on a ball that was bouncing around in the Washington box, and forward Navneet Samra put it in the back of the net for a 2-0 halftime lead.
The Whitecaps continued to play well and apply pressure. The game got a bit chippy but the Caps fought through and scored an insurance goal at the 76:10 mark when Kajal Parmar got on the end of a cross from Samra. Goalkeepers Zoe Makrigiannis and Jules McDonald combined for the shutout.
Sunday brought heavy legs for the Whitecaps players as they played their second match on little rest. They started slow against the Eastside FC U-16 team with a first half that didn’t have much rhythm to it. In the second half, the girls possessed the ball well and did everything but score. Sam Dion hit the post twice and the crossbar once as the ‘Caps threatened the Eastside FC goal. However, in the end the game ended 0-0. Again, Makrigiannis and McDonald combined for the shutout along with solid play from all the defenders for the weekend.
Overall, the trip was successful as the team did not concede any goals. The Whitecaps FC Girls Elite squad is back in action on October 13 at 8:15 pm at SFU Field #4 against the Columbus Clan women’s team.
