New Jersey Wildcats news Release - www.njwildcats.com
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
LONG BRANCH, N.J. - The New Jersey Wildcats (2-1-2, 8 points) announced today that Canadian National Team defender Candace Chapman will join the team for its next two matches, with her first appearance for the club coming on Wednesday night at TCNJ in Ewing. That game will be an 8 p.m. hosting of the New Jersey Rangers (1-3-0, 3 points), and she will again play for the Wildcats next Thursday when the team welcomes the Long Island Rough Riders to Lions Stadium.
"It is great to have quality leadership and a winner coming into your team," Wildcats head coach Jim Gabarra remarked. "Granted, she will only be here for a brief time, but every game and training session that she is here will certainly elevate our club. She is a quality leader, and she will make everyone around her better. She will help out our defense right from the start, not only with her presence but also her organization."
While Chapman may only be able to play two matches with the Wildcats before returning to national team duty, the impact of having such a class player with the team is certain to leave a lasting impression on the club once she leaves.
"Anytime players can train with a top international player, they get to see in person the level of play that she brings," Gabarra continued. "That is one of the great things about having international players with your team. They make the unit as a whole better, and, at the same time, they also benefit from the quality environment that we present as well."
On the international level, Chapman began her career with the Canadian U-19 side before being called up to the full team at the age of 19, and the Notre Dame alumna has since been capped more than 100 times for her nation. On the professional platform, she played the previous three seasons in Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), winning a pair of league championships. After suiting up for the Boston Breakers in 2009, she helped anchor the defense of FC Gold Pride and then the Western New York Flash, earning back-to-back league titles.
Chapman began her club career with the Toronto Inferno of the USL W-League in 2001 and then joined the Atlanta Silverbacks in 2005 before spending three seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps. In her first year with the Canadian club, she helped bring the Whitecaps their second title in three years.
Don’t miss your chance to see Chapman play with the Wildcats! Tickets for all home matches are now available and can be attained by calling 732-720-9163. Individual game tickets as well as team and family packages are available, and more information about the Wildcats can be found online at www.njwildcats.com.