Hoping to build on their first winning season in five years, the SFU Women’s soccer team has added five new players to their roster this offseason. Coach Annie Hamel, in her second year in charge of the program, has added three midfielders, one striker, and one defender in an attempt to bolster the team in time for the season in the fall.
One of the midfielders, Kaely Biring, already has experience playing at the university level, though not in the NCAA, but rather the Canadian CIS league with the Calgary Dinos. With the Dinos she made it to the CIS Championships in 2015, and hopefully that success will rub off onto SFU. In a press release, coach Hamel spoke to how Kaely will contribute to the team, stating, “we will look to her to bring experience and leadership to our young squad. She can be utilized in various defensive roles and is a player who possesses all the right intangibles to be successful.”
Carmen Brown is another midfielder who was signed by SFU, and she has spent the last couple of years playing in the United States. She played in the ECNL, an American league which concentrates on building up future female superstars, and Carmen played in this league when she lived in Arizona. The Clan will be hoping that all she can adapt quickly to the change of scenery, and become a vital cog for the team.
The final three players signed all played for the same BCSPL youth team, Mountain United FC. While playing for that team, they won the Provincial Championship three times, and won the national title once. With a long history of success, the local girls will surely be an integral part of any future successes for the Clan.
Lauren Fuerderer is the lone striker signed by SFU, and will be looking to start right away. Coach Hamel spoke very well of her in the release, saying, “Lauren is a player who possesses remarkable athletic abilities. Her skill-set will transfer very well to the NCAA game. Her size, speed, and strength are qualities that will help lift our team. She will create havoc in the final third and we look forward to her contribution in front of goal.”
When looking at the final two players signed by SFU, it is fascinating to see the many similarities they share. Emma Lobo and Emma Pringle not only have the same name, but they played for the same club team (Mountain United FC) and went to the same high school (Windsor Secondary).
Coach Hamel had high praise for both, saying that Lobo “brings a rich combination of technical skills, soccer IQ and pure speed to our back line,” and that Pringle “is a highly disciplined person and has demonstrated an unwavering desire to succeed on and off the field.”
With all five of these new additions to the squad, it looks like there is a real chance at SFU continuing their winning form in the 2016 season.
