Vancouver Whitecaps FC (women)

Vancouver Whitecaps

Full name	Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Nickname(s)	Whitecaps
Founded	2001
Ground	Swangard Stadium
Ground Capacity	5,288
Chairman	Bob Lenarduzzi
Manager	Hubert Busby Jr.
League	USL W-League
2011	2nd, Western Conference Playoff W-League 4th Place
Home colours Away colours

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC women are a Canadian women's soccer team founded in 2001 and a part of the greater Vancouver Whitecaps FC club. Originally called the Vancouver Breakers in 2001-02, the team was a member of the W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The club was formed as a merger of the Vancouver Angels of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and Vancouver Lady 86ers teams. In 2002 with the change to one of the current owners, Greg Kerfoot, the Breakers were brought under the name Whitecaps Football Club.^[1] Vancouver plays in the Western Conference against the Colorado Force, Colorado Rush, LA Strikers, Pali Blues, Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Seattle Sounders Women and Victoria Highlanders Women.

In 2010 the Whitecaps played their home games at Swangard Stadium in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia, 11 kilometres (7 miles) east of Downtown Vancouver. Starting in 2011, the women play each home game in a different city in British Columbia.^[2] The team's colours are blue and white. The club announced that it will not field a team for the 2013 W-League season. They stated it was because a lot of the best players in Canada are going to be playing in the National Women's Soccer League, involving the US Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association, and Mexican Football Federation. ^[3] The Whitecaps are still fielding an under 18 team, their girls elite program, in the 2013 Pacific Coast Soccer League.

Players

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Justine Bernier 2 MF Taylor Patterson 3 FW Jenna Richardson 4 DF Danielle Johnson 6 MF Jaclyn Sawicki 7 DF Brienna Shaw 8 MF Demi Stokes 9 MF Natalie Boyd 10 FW Chelsea Buckland 11 MF Desiree Scott 13 DF Melanie Booth 14 MF Marie Yempuku 15 DF Nikki Ambrose 16 DF Mary McLaughlin 18 DF Nicole Setterlund 19 MF Molly Rouse 20 DF Alison Fenter

No. Position Player 21 FW Paige Adams 22 FW Brandi Vega 23 DF Jenny Jeffers 24 FW Marissa Mykines 25 DF Jenna Carosio 26 FW Penelope Hughes 28 DF Brittany Galindo 29 FW Mele French 30 GK Gurveen Clair 31 GK Alyssa Williamson 32 DF Erin Uchacz 33 DF Shannon Woeller 34 FW Janine Frazao 88 MF Kaylyn Kyle

Coaching staff

• Head Coach: Hubert Busby Jr.^[5]
• Assistant Coach: Sipho Sibiya
• Assistant Coach: Rich Fagan
• Assistant Coach (Goalkeepers): Raegyn Hall
• Team manager: Diane Voice
• Team Physician: Dr. Jan Peace
• Athletic Therapist: Tanya Rank
• Conditioning Coach: Ceilidh Beck
• Equipment Manager: Nour Fathy

^[3]

Former head coaches

• Thomas McManus 2000 (as Vancouver Angels in WPSL)^[6]
• David Dew (2001-2003)^[7]
• Chris Bennett (2004-2005)
• Patrick Rohla (2005, various capacities 2001-7)
• Bob Birarda (2006-2008)
• Alan Koch (2009) ^[8]
• Hubert Busby, Jr. (2010-2011)^[9]
• Jesse Symons (2012)^[10]

• Mark Rizzardo Assistant Coach

Year-by-year

2000

In 2000 the Vancouver Lady 86ers played an exhibition season over the summer along with three other new Pacific Northwest teams: Portland Rain, Spokane Chill and Seattle Sounders Select Women.^{[11] [12]} The Portland Rain also played in the PCSL in 2000. The four teams planned to play in the USL's W-League in 2001. The Vancouver Angels of the WPSL was merged with the Vancouver Lady 86ers to form the W-League team, the Vancouver Breakers in 2001.^[13]

2001

The first year for the Vancouver Breakers, 2001, was a transition year for the W-League with the advent of the Women's United Soccer Association. A large number of players moved to WUSA, and the Breakers were part of the new group of ladies entering the league with the excitement of WUSA’s formation. Of the four teams with 10+ wins, the 13-0-1 regular season champion Maryland Pride, 12-1-1 Western Conference champion Vancouver Breakers and 10-2-2 Hampton Roads Piranhas reached the playoff semi-finals.

The first day of the W-1 championship series saw some spectacular action from the 9-2-3 Boston Renegades and Vancouver in the semi-finals. The Breakers needed a 104th minute overtime golden goal from Andrea Neil to advance on a 1-0 win over the host Piranhas.

After a two-and-a-half hour thunderstorm delay resulting in the cancellation of the 3rd place game, the final was played at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. When the skies cleared, Boston was revelled in the wet conditions with a goal and an assist from Minna Mustonen in the first 19 minutes resulting in a 2-0 halftime lead. Vancouver’s Tammy Crawford scored just after the restart, but Mustonen proved too much on the night, tallying another goal and assist less than a minute apart. By the 55th minute the score was 5-1.

2002

The second year Vancouver Breakers were again among the contenders for the regular season title of the combined W-1 and W-2 leagues. The championship series was hosted by Vancouver. The Breakers only lost only one regular season match to rival Seattle Sounders Select 4-3 in overtime in the season’s penultimate game.

The Breakers lost in the semi-finals to the Charlotte Lady Eagles 1-1 via 4-5 penalty kicks. Charlotte’s Esther Thompson saved Vancouver’s fifth shot.

2003

Vancouver changed their name to match their brother team, the Whitecaps, and again dominated the Western Conference. However, after another year of absolute dominance in the west, the Vancouver Whitecaps were stunned in their home opener by rival Seattle and were then surprised at home again in the playoffs by the Sounders, falling 3-1 in penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw.

• See also: 2003 season

• See also: 2004 season
• See also: 2005 season
• See also: 2006 season
• See also: 2007 season
• See also: 2008 season
• See also: 2009 season
• See also: 2010 season
• See also: 2011 season
• See also: 2012 season

Awards and honors

• USL W-League Western Conference Champions 2010
• USL W-League Champions 2006
• USL W-League Western Conference Champions 2006
• USL W-League Western Conference Champions 2005
• USL W-League Champions 2004
• USL W-League Western Conference Champions 2004
• USL W-League Western Conference Champions 2003

Notable players

Famous Players

• See also List of notable Vancouver Whitecaps Women players and Former Whitecaps Women Players
• Amber Allen
• Melanie Booth
• Candace Chapman
• Martina Franko
• Kara Lang
• Erin McLeod
• Tiffeny Milbrett
• Andrea Neil
• Jill Oakes
• Kaylyn Kyle
• Jodi-Ann Robinson
• Clare Rustad
• Sophie Schmidt
• Christine Sinclair
• Katie Thorlakson
• Brittany Timko
• Melissa Tancredi
• Emily Zurrer

References

External links

• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women's Program
• Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women on USL Soccer
• 2011 Year in Review