Pellerud Announces Roster for Vancouver and Edmonton

Ottawa, Ontario – Canadian Women’s Senior Team head coach Even Pellerud has named his 17-player roster for the upcoming two-game series against the reigning World Champions, Germany. The Canadians will play the first international friendly against the Germans on Thursday, September 1 at 7pm at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC (presented by TELUS) before travelling to Edmonton to conclude the series on Sunday, September 4 at 2pm at Commonwealth Stadium (presented by CIBC). All times listed are local.



“We are very excited about returning home to play these games,” said Canadian Head Coach Even Pellerud. “It has been awhile since the team has had a chance to play in front of our home fans and they are really looking forward to the challenge of playing the World Champions.”



“Germany always fields their top team and this German squad will be no different. The fans will also get to see, in my opinion, some wonderful match-ups – (Randee) Hermus and (Sasha) Andrews versus Birgit Prinz; and (Diana) Matheson against the world-class German midfield.”



Germany recently won gold in the 2005 European Championships and is often referred to as the best team in women’s soccer today with Birgit Prinz, 2003 World Footballer of the Year, leading the charge.



Prinz actually made her debut for Germany in Montreal in July 1994 when Germany defeated Canada 2-1. Prinz scored the winner in the 89th minute – her first International goal for Germany. The 27-year-old has scored a total of 86 goals in 138 appearances.



Fourteen of the seventeen players listed on the roster for the two-game series against Germany were included in the squad that traveled to Scandinavia in late May.



The notable absentees are Christine Sinclair (University of Portland), Katie Thorlakson (Notre Dame), Candace Chapman (Notre Dame), and Tanya Dennis (University of Nebraska). All four were unavailable for selection due to commitments to their NCAA institutions.



Re-joining the squad however will be Rhian Wilkinson, who just finalized a move to Norwegian club Strømmen FK last week after another stellar season with the Ottawa Fury (W-League) in 2005. Wilkinson was an integral part of the Fury’s run to the W-League final in 2005 having led the W-league in scoring with 38 points. Despite her team’s 3-0 loss to the New Jersey Wildcats in the Championship match, Wilkinson was named to the 2005 W-League Championship All-Tournament.



Wilkinson was joined on the All-Tournament team by four of her Canadian team mates. The Fury’s Diana Matheson, New Jersey Wildcat Karina LeBlanc, and Vancouver Whitecap Amber Allen were all singled out for their superb seasons.



Allen’s two goals in the opening twenty minutes of the W-League Third-Place Match helped pace the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 3-1 win over the Central Florida Crush.



Christine Latham, who missed the final against the Fury due to immigration issues, will surely be looked upon to provide an offensive spark.



“Although it has been awhile since our trip to Europe in May, our players should be in top playing condition following the W-League Finals.”



Other notable additions to the Canadian team are Amy Apps and Martina Franko. Apps is in her fourth season with the Vancouver Whitecaps having left the Toronto Inferno (now called the Lynx) in 2001. She had played two seasons in Toronto (2000 and 2001) prior to the move west. In 2004 the veteran midfielder was named to the W-League All-Conference Team. Franko, also a member of the Whitecaps, has now been sworn in as a Canadian citizen and will hope to make her debut for the Red-and-White in front of her hometown fans.



“This will be our first opportunity to see Martina play for Canada and I am happy to be able to add someone of her stature to my team. She will certainly bring lots of experience with her and I hope that she can play an important role in our efforts to qualify for World Cup 2007.”



Friendlies



Thursday, September 1 @ 19:00 PST vs. Germany – Presented by TELUS

Swangard Stadium

Burnaby, BC



Sunday, September 4 @ 14:00 MT vs. Germany – Presented by CIBC

Commonwealth Stadium

Edmonton, AB



Ticket Information



Tickets are available through Ticketmaster outlets or by contacting the local Ticketmaster charge-by-phone center, or the Ticketmaster website, www.ticketmaster.ca.



Local Ticketmaster charge-by-phone numbers:



Edmonton – (780) 451-8000

Vancouver – (604) 280-4444



Canadian Roster

# Player Pos. DOB Caps G/S Club Hometown

1 LeBlanc, Karina GK 3/30/1980 47 17 New Jersey Wildcats Maple Ridge, BC

2 Latham, Christine F 9/15/1981 41 15 New Jersey Wildcats Calgary, AB

3 Schmidt, Sophie D 6/28/1988 8 1 Vancouver Whitecaps Abbotsford, BC

4 Andrews, Sasha D 2/14/1983 28 3 Vancouver Whitecaps/U. of Nebraska Edmonton, AB

5 Neil, Andrea M 10/26/1971 106 21 Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver, BC

6 Tancredi, Melissa D 12/28/1981 11 0 Atlanta Silverbacks/U. of Notre Dame Hamilton, ON

7 Morneau, Isabelle D 4/18/1976 76 6 F.C. Select Rive-Sud Longueuil, QC

8 Matheson, Diana M 04/06/1984 37 1 Ottawa Fury/Princeton U. Oakville, ON

9 Franko, Martina M/F 1/13/1976 0 0 Vancouver Whitecaps Squamish, BC

10 Hooper, Charmaine F/D 1/15/1968 122 63 Chicago Cobras Ottawa, ON

11 Hermus, Randee D 11/14/1979 61 5 Vancouver Whitecaps Langley, BC

13 Walsh, Amy M 9/13/1977 64 5 F.C. Select Rive-Sud Montreal

14 Allen, Amber F 10/21/1975 16 4 Vancouver Whitecaps Chilliwack, BC

15 Lang, Kara D/M/F 10/22/1986 48 21 Vancouver Whitecaps / UCLA Oakville, ON

16 Wilkinson, Rhian M/F 05/12/1982 16 3 Strømmen FK Baie D’Urfe, QC

17 Timko, Brittany M 09/05/1985 42 0 Vancouver Whitecaps / U. of Nebraska Coquitlam, BC

18 Apps, Amy M 05/08/1978 0 0 Vancouver Whitecaps Markham, ON

20 Swiatek, Taryn GK 02/04/1981 17 5 Ottawa Fury Calgary, AB



Staff

Even Pellerud – Head Coach

Ian Bridge – Assistant Coach

Shel Brodsgaard – Goalkeeper Coach

Judy Joseph – Manager

Dr. Cathy Campbell – Team Doctor

Dave Adolph – Athletic Therapist

Holly Mair Massage – Therapist

Dr. Saul Miller – Sport Psychologist



About CIBC’s support of Canadian amateur sports

CIBC is firmly committed to supporting amateur sports that matter to the people in the communities they serve. CIBC is a proud sponsor of both the Canadian Soccer Association and Alpine Canada Alpin.



CIBC contributes to many charitable organizations and community-based initiatives across the country and around the world. In 2004, the CIBC group of companies contributed more than $44 million worldwide, including over $28 million in Canada. For more information, visit www.cibc.com http://www.cibc.com/, CIBC In Your Community.