Victoria Highlanders News Release -- www.victoriahighlandersfc.com
Thursday, May 12, 2011
VICTORIA, British Columbia – The Victoria Highlanders WFC side will make history at home this weekend when they kick off their first ever USL W-League match versus the Seattle Sounders Women at Bear Mountain Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Victoria Highlanders Women will kick off their first W-League season with back-to-back home dates on May 14th and 15th versus the Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps respectively. It’s a task which will give the team a good indication of where it stands in the W-League’s power structure given the performance of Seattle and Vancouver in the past.
The Seattle Sounders appeared in four consecutive final fours from 2006-2008 but had a tough 2010 season, amassing only 12 goals and managing only a draw in six of 10 matches. The Sounders will be looking to regain their prior form as they are hosting this year’s Championship Weekend, guaranteeing them a spot in the event.
The Vancouver Whitecaps Women, meanwhile, look to have picked up where the Sounders left off, appearing in four W-League Finals and winning two championships. The Whitecaps are looking to rebound from a tough loss to Buffalo in last year’s final with a rebuilt squad featuring several players who will be off on international duty as they compete for Canada in the Women’s World Cup held June 26th–July 17th in Germany. Assuming they can cope with the loss of some their strongest players during that stretch, the Whitecaps are once again pegged as one of the W-League’s top teams.
The Highlanders Women’s program has grown in leaps and bounds since the club took over operation of the Victoria Stars Women’s program just prior to the 2010 season. After just one season in the PCSL under the Highlanders banner, the club announced that they would be joining the USL’s W-League, one of North America’s largest female soccer leagues, in 2011. New Highlanders signings Kendra Flock, Keara Thompson, and Amelie Mercier will join returning players Liz Hansen, Mariel Solsberg, and Nicole Bates-Eamer in this year’s squad.