Ottawa Fury News Release - www.ottawafury.com
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
OTTAWA, Ont. - For this first time in their history, the Ottawa Fury do not enter the season as championship chasers, rather as championship defenders. After a veteran-laden lineup led them to the W-League Championship in 2012, and several members of the squad joined the professional ranks, the Fury will begin their 14th W-League season with many new faces.
The Fury's ability to develop talent continues to garner attention worldwide, so it comes as no surprise the head coach Dom Oliveri has been able to attract some top international players. The 2013 squad will feature a pair of Australians in Emily Gielnik and Gema Simon; New Zealand international Liz Milne, and Katie Brussel from England, who just completed the 2012/13 season with Liverpool Ladies FC.
Ottawa's American contingent includes a pair of players from Penn State in Britt Eckerstrom and Kori Chapic, University of Michigan defender Holly Hein, Syracuse striker Alexis Koval, and a pair of NCAA veterans in Tessa Gavilsky and Karen Gurnon.
Another American that is new to the roster for 2013, but familiar to Fury fans, is 2011 W-League Defender of the Year Amanda Fancher.
Oliveri's returning cast includes a pair of veterans - captain Jasmine Phillips and defender Gillian Baggott - as well as Fury Youth Academy grads Lauren Hughes and Breanna Burton, who return for their second year of W-League action. Graduates from the Fury Youth Academy Emma Donnelly and Kayla Adamek will begin their first W-League season, as will Carleton University players Briana DeSouza and Veronica Mazzella.
Two new faces that boast plenty of W-League experience are Alysha Mottershead and Kinley McNicoll, who join the Fury from the Toronto Lady Lynx, along with Canadian U20 National team player Shelina Zadorsky.
The final new look for the Fury this season will be their logo, which will feature a star set above the crest to signify their W-League Championship - a reminder of more than a decade of hard work and commitment to success and development.