MA News: Canada Looking to Best 5th Place Finish in Women’s Football at 2007 Universiade
June 21st, 2007
Amy Bobb
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) announced the athletes that will represent Canada in women’s football at the 2007 Summer Universiade in Bangkok, Thailand (August 8-18). The 19-member squad will be looking to top its fifth-place finish at the 2005 Universiade in Izmir, Turkey. The women’s football competition starts August 7 with Canada’s opening round game against South Africa. Canada’s pool also includes 2005 silver medallist and 2003 bronze medallist China along with Great Britain. Reigning CIS championship MVP Amy Bobb (Vancouver) and UBC Thunderbird teammate Anja Sigloch (Kamloops) will lead the way for the Canadian team.
Canada's Head Coach Steve Johnson
With 13 players in their fourth or fifth year of CIS eligibility, the veteran squad features plenty of leadership and experience. Bobb and Sigloch will be joined by 2006 CIS player of the year Ellish McConville (Ottawa) of Queen’s University, 2005 CIS championship MVP Carey Gustafson (Victoria) of the University of Victoria and 2005 CIS rookie of the year Émilie Mercier (Longueuil, Que.) from the University of Montreal. Laval’s Marie-Pier Bilodeau (Beauport, Que.) and Francine Brousseau (Québec City) as well as Montreal’s Sandra Couture (Trois-Rivières) will return from the 2005 squad. “We are really happy with our selections”, said University of Ottawa’s Steve Johnson, who will be returning as head coach. “We have put together a team that includes the top performers in Canadian university football, a couple who have previous Universiade experience from the last games, as well as several players who have International experience with our National Team Programs.”
“Our expectations are high, and we want to equal or better our results from Izmir where we had our best ever finish. Our group stage is difficult, but if we can get out of our pool we will have a chance at a medal.” Canada West sends a conference-high eight players to the team. Gustafson will be joined by Victoria teammate Liz Hanson (Cortes Island, B.C.) as well as Carlee O’Brien (Nanaimo) of Trinity Western and the University of Manitoba’s Desiree Scott (Winnipeg). O’Brien led Canada West in scoring with 14 goals in 2006. Natalie Swain (Fort McMurray, Alta.) of the University of Alberta and Renae Hunter (Calgary) of the University of Calgary round out the Canada West selections. McConville leads an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) contingent that includes Wendy Donaldson (Ottawa), Alex Perischino (Thunder Bay) and Katarina Vulic (Oakville) of the CIS bronze medallist Ottawa Gee-Gees and Cara Smith (Sudbury) of Laurentian University.
Atlantic University Sport (AUS) will send Laura Breen (St. John’s) from Memorial University and Dalhousie University’s leading scorer, Leanne Huck (Hatchet Lake, N.S.). Laval’s Caroline Vaillancourt (Quebec City) rounds out the players representing the Quebec Student Sport Federation (QSSF). “I think we have all the necessary parts to put together a very good team”, said Johnson. “This year's team is certainly our best ever representation of talent from across the country. Our attack has a lot of different possibilities, with all the top performers from last season included in the team. Defensively, we will need to work hard in training camp to coordinate our efforts in a very short time.” The team selection was finalized following three training camps hosted across the country.
Canadian Women’s Football Roster
GOALKEEPERS (Year of Eligibility, University, Hometown) Marie-Pier Bilodeau (5th, Laval University, Beauport, Que.) Katarina Vulic (3rd, University of Ottawa, Oakville, Ont.) DEFENDERS Amy Bobb (5th, UBC, Vancouver, B.C.) Wendy Donaldson (4th, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.) Renae Hunter (5th, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alta.) Emilie Mercier (2nd, University of Montreal, Longueuil, Que.) ^ Alex Perisichino (3rd, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ont.) Cara Smith (3rd, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont.) Natalie Swain (5th, University of Alberta, Fort McMurray, Alta.) ^ MIDFIELDERS Laura Breen (3rd, Memorial University, St. John’s, Nlfd) ^ Francine Brousseau (4th, Laval University, Québec City, Que.) ^ Carey Gustafson (5th, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C.) ^ Carlee O’Brien (4th, Trinity Western University, Nanaimo, B.C.) Desiree Scott (2nd, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Man.) Anja Sigloch (5th, UBC, Kamloops, B.C.) FORWARDS Sandra Couture (5th, University of Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Que.) ^ Liz Hanson (5th, University of Victoria, Cortes Island, B.C.) ^ Leanne Huck (4th, Dalhousie University, Hatchet Lake, N.S.) ^ Ellish McConville (4th, Queen’s University, Ottawa, Ont.) ^ Caroline Vaillancourt (2nd, Laval University, Québec City, Que.) STAFF Steve Johnson – Head Coach (University of Ottawa) Marc Mounicot – Assistant Coach (McGill University) Beth McCharles – Team Manager (University of Toronto) (^ = 2006 all-Canadian)
