Whitecaps Women Sign Schmidt, Scott, Vermeulen

WHITECAPS ADD FOUR CANADIAN INTERNATIONALS
VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps have resigned midfielders Sophie Schmidt and Desiree Scott, along with striker Amy Vermeulen, to the Whitecaps women’s team. The club also signed striker Kendra Flock from the University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes. All four Canadian internationals have agreed to one-year contracts and join recently-signed Kara Lang as members of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) W-League club.

Schmidt, 22, returns for her sixth season with the Whitecaps, having started her W-League career with the club as a 16-year-old back in 2005. The versatile midfielder has scored four goals and tallied six assists in 34 total appearances with the ‘Caps. Since making her senior international debut on April 19, 2005, the native of Abbotsford, BC, has started 34 of her 43 senior appearances for Canada and contributed offensively with three goals. In 2008, the midfielder helped her country to the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship title in Puebla, Mexico, and captained the Canadian team at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Russia. Schmidt has also been a member of the University of Portland Pilots since 2006. In three seasons with the Pilots, Schmidt started 50 out of her 56 appearances, scored 33 goals and added 26 assists for 92 points. Her performances for the Pilots in 2009 earned her a spot on the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American First Team. She was also named Senior Female Player of the Year by BC Soccer in 2007.

Scott, 22, returns to the Whitecaps after completing a five-year career with the University of Manitoba Bisons. A two-time Most Valuable Player with the Bisons, Scott last played for the ‘Caps during their W-League championship season of 2006, having appeared in five matches for 450 minutes of action. During her time with the Bisons, Scott started in 68 out of 69 regular season games, scoring 32 goals and adding 26 assists. The native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, received several individual honours as a member of the Bisons. They include the 2005 Canada West Rookie of the Year award, two selections to the Canada West all-star second team in 2005 and 2006, and Canada West all-star first team honours in 2007 and 2009. The midfielder was also named Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) first team all-Canadian in 2009. Internationally, the young talent has four senior appearances for Canada, as well as 21 caps at the U-20 level.

Vermeulen, 26, returns for her third season with the Whitecaps after making 12 appearances and adding four assists for the club in 2009. In 18 matches with the ‘Caps, the striker has tallied three goals and added four assists for 10 points. The former University of Wisconsin star won a silver medal during her country’s hosting of the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship, while she has earned 12 senior international caps and scored one goal with Canada’s senior squad. The native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was also selected as a finalist for the 2009 Saskatchewan Sport Awards’ Female Athlete of the Year honour following her achievements with the Canadian women’s national team.

Flock, 24, joins the Whitecaps after a memorable 2009 campaign with UVic. The native of Calgary, Alberta, started all but one of her 14 regular matches with the Vikes, scoring 14 goals and recording two assists for 30 points. Not only did the striker account for 64 per cent of the Vikes’ offence last season, she was also named Canada West Player of the Year and a Canada West first team all-star. The striker’s outstanding performance for UVic last season earned her a call-up to the Canadian national team for the recent Cyprus Cup tournament. Prior to her spell with the Vikes, Flock spent two seasons playing NCAA Division I women’s soccer at the University of Central Florida. She started all 23 matches for the Golden Knights as a freshman, but was then forced to redshirt the 2005 season due to injury.

The Whitecaps will kick off the 2010 season on Sunday, May 30, at 2 p.m. PT, when they battle Colorado Force FC at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam, BC – hosted by Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club. The Whitecaps Women’s Soccer Series is in partnership with the Girls Metro Soccer League (GMSL) and presented by BC Hydro and Flight Centre. This series promotes the women’s regular season home matches at five different venues throughout the province of British Columbia; Coquitlam, Langley, Richmond, Burnaby, and Victoria. For a complete schedule of the 2010 Whitecaps Women’s Soccer Series and ticket information, visit whitecapsfc.com or call 604.669.WAVE (9283).