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FURY RELEASE 5 PLAYERS TO CANADA'S NATIONAL TEAM RESIDENCY CAMP

17th January 2007   

From a Fury Press release

The Ottawa Fury Soccer Club are proud to announce that they have released 5 players to the Canadian Women’s National team residency camp in Vancouver. The camp starts January 21st and runs through to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in China this September, 2007. Fury players Diana Matheson (55 caps), Rhian Wilkinson (32 caps), Taryn Swiatek (21 caps), Robyn Gayle (10 caps), and Amy Vermeulen (3 caps) form part of a squad of 24 players named by National Team Coach, Even Pellerud.

Rhian Wilkinson and Robyn Gayle are among the 6 nominees for the 2006 CSA Female Player of the Year Award. To vote, please go to the Soccer Canada webpage and click on the top banner.

“Our World Cup team is entering a new era in Canadian soccer,” says Pellerud, "We are extremely thankful to the W-League franchises that have agreed to release their players for this program. September 2007 may seem like a long way away, but it will come quickly.”

 “This is a strategic moment in time for our National team. A strong performance in the upcoming World Cup can have a tremendous impact on the future growth and development of women’s soccer in Canada”, commented Fury CEO and Owner, John Pugh. ‘It is also a bittersweet moment as these players have been instrumental in the tremendous success of our W-League team and we are incredibly proud of their achievements.  The residency camp will clearly afford the squad the best possible preparation for China.”

The Fury have put together an impressive record over the past four seasons. They have qualified for the W-League Championship Finals in each of the last 4 years losing in the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 and in the final to New Jersey and Vancouver in 2005 and 2006. The club was the W-League regular season champion in 2005 and has amassed a remarkable 47-5-2 regular season record under head coach Frank Lofranco.

“We wish Diana, Rhian, Taryn, Robyn and Amy well and look forward to their future return to the Fury” added Lofranco, “We have been more active than ever in building a squad to challenge for the championship. Many of our 2006 players are returning and we are very excited about the international players who will join us in 2007”.