Vancouver Whitecaps FC (women) explained

Clubname:Vancouver Whitecaps
Upright:0.8
Fullname:Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Nickname:Whitecaps
Founded:2001
Dissolved:2012
Stadium:Swangard Stadium
Capacity:5,288
Owner:Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Chairman:Bob Lenarduzzi
League:USL W-League
Pattern La1:_WHITECAPS_11h
Pattern B1:_WHITECAPS_11h
Pattern Ra1:_WHITECAPS_11h
Pattern Sh1:_STRICON_ONWHITE
Pattern So1:_3_stripes_on_white
Leftarm1:FFFFFF
Body1:FFFFFF
Rightarm1:FFFFFF
Shorts1:000030
Socks1:000030
Pattern La2:_WHITECAPS_11a
Pattern B2:_WHITECAPS_11a
Pattern Ra2:_WHITECAPS_11a
Pattern Sh2:_STRICON_WHITE
Pattern So2:_3_stripes_white
Leftarm2:FFFFFF
Body2:FFFFFF
Rightarm2:FFFFFF
Shorts2:000030
Socks2:000030

The Vancouver Whitecaps FC women was a Canadian soccer club based in Vancouver, British Columbia that played in the USL W-League, the second tier of women's soccer in the United States and Canada. The team was formed in 2001 under the name Vancouver Breakers following a merger of the Vancouver Lady 86ers and Vancouver Angels. In 2003, they changed their name to the Whitecaps to match the men's team.

History

Pre-formation

Vancouver Lady 86ers

In 2000, the Vancouver Lady 86ers played an exhibition season over the summer along with three other new Pacific Northwest teams: Portland Rain, Spokane Chill and the Seattle Sounders Select Women, with the four teams planning to join the USL W-League for the 2001 season.[1]

Vancouver Angels

See main article: Vancouver Angels. In 2000, the Vancouver Angels were established to play in the Women's Premier Soccer League.[2] [3] During the 2000 season, the Angels finished in fourth place in the eight team division.[4]

Breakers years

In 2001, David Stadnyk, the owner of the Angels, purchased the Vancouver 86ers and merged the Angels with the Lady 86ers under the name Vancouver Breakers, while renaming the male 86ers to their former name Vancouver Whitecaps[5] The team joined the USL W-League for the 2001 season.[6]

In their debut season, they finished first in the Western Conference advancing to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the Breakers needed a 104th minute overtime golden goal from Andrea Neil to advance on a 1–0 win over the host Hampton Road Piranhas. After a two-and-a-half hour thunderstorm delay that resulted in the cancellation of the 3rd place game, the championship final was played at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. When the skies cleared, despite a goal from Vancouver’s Tammy Crawford, the Breakers were defeated 5-1 by the Boston Renegades.[7]

In 2002, the Breakers had another strong season, losing only one match (in overtime) during the regular season. However, in the playoffs, they lost in the semi-finals to the Charlotte Lady Eagles on penalty kicks. After the 2002 season, following a complaint from the WUSA's Boston Breakers, the Whitecaps held a contest to determine a new club name.[8] [9]

Whitecaps years

In 2003, both the men's and women's teams were purchased by Greg Kerfoot and the Breakers were renamed as the Whitecaps to consolidate the men's, women's, and youth teams under a single name.[10] [11] The team won the 2004 and 2006 championships, and was runner-up in 2001 and 2010. Vancouver played in the Western Conference against the Colorado Force, Colorado Rush, LA Strikers, Pali Blues, Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Seattle Sounders Women and Victoria Highlanders Women.

In 2010, the Whitecaps played their home games at Swangard Stadium in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia, east of Downtown Vancouver. In 2011, the women played each home game in a different city in British Columbia.[12] The team's colours were blue and white.

The club announced that it will not field a team for the 2013 USL W-League season. They stated it was because many of the best players in Canada are going to play in the National Women's Soccer League, involving the United States Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association, and Mexican Football Federation.[13] The Whitecaps continued fielding an under-18 team, their girls elite program, in the 2013 Pacific Coast Soccer League.

REX Program

In 2015, in collarboration with BC Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association, the Whitecaps launched the first Women's Regional EXCEL Centre (REX) in Western Canada, for top Canadian women soccer prospects.[14]

Northern Super League

In December of 2022, it was announced that the Vancouver Whitecaps would be an inaugural member of the planned Northern Super League (then known as Project 8), a proposed fully-professional women's soccer league in Canada. They are scheduled to start play in 2025 alongside five other clubs.

Former head coaches

Head coaches
YearsNameRef
2001–2003David Dew[15]
2004–2005Chris Bennett[16]
2005Patrick Rohla[17]
2006-2008Bob Birarda[18]
2009Alan Koch[19]
2010–2011Hubert Busby, Jr.[20]
2012Jesse Symons[21]

Seasons

as Vancouver Breakers

SeasonLeagueRankPlayoffsRef
2001USL W-League12–1–11st, WestRunners-Up[22]
200211–0–11st, West3rd

as Vancouver Whitecaps Women

SeasonLeagueRankPlayoffsVoyageurs CupRef
2003USL W-League10–1–11st, WestQuarter-finalsNot held
200413–1–01st, WestChampionsWest Champions
200513–0–11st, West3rdWest Champions
200611–1–01st, WestChampionsWest and Super Cup Champions
20076–3–33rd, Westdid not qualifyNot held
20087–3–2Quarter-finals
20092–4–65thdid not qualify
20106–4–01st, WestRunners-Up
20118–4–22nd, West3rd
20123–6–56th, Westdid not qualify

Top Goalscorers

Top goalscorer
YearNameGoalsRef
2001Diana Artuso10[23]
2002Christine Sinclair7[24]
2003Phebe Trotman13[25]
2004Martina Franko19[26]
2005Amber Allen16[27]
2006Christine Sinclair12[28]
2007Tiffany Milbrett11[29]
2008Tiffany Milbrett5[30]
2009Jodi Ann Robinson7[31]
2010Melissa Tancredi6[32]
2011Sydney Leroux12[33]
2012Mele French5[34]

Awards and honours

West titles: 2004, 2005, 2006

Super Cup titles: 2006

Notable players

Famous Players

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Howells . Emily . June 9, 2000 . Seattle has select group of players . C8 . Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
  2. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20050717094030/http://soccer.loop48.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1761. Canadians In Soccerdom: Tammy Crawford. dead. August 24, 2004. July 17, 2005. Nuke Soccer.
  3. Web site: Meet the Director. Nexstar Soccer.
  4. Web site: The Year in American Soccer, 2000. Dave. Litterer. Soccer History USA.
  5. Web site: Whitecaps roll in, 86ers roll out of A-League. October 25, 2000. CBC.
  6. Web site: Vancouver Breakers to be Featured in Three Soccer Double-Headers at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium . Vancouver Breakers . Alan . Douglas . February 14, 2001 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20010702003807/http://www.breakerssoccer.com/news/feb142001.html . July 2, 2001 .
  7. Web site: A Recap of Past W-League Final Four Appearances for Whitecaps FC. Vancouver Whitecaps. Brandon . Timko. July 29, 2011.
  8. Web site: Vancouver Breakers Announce Contest For Re-Naming Team . whitecapssoccer.com . November 13, 2002 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20021211215553/http://whitecapssoccer.com/news/nov132002b.html . December 11, 2002 .
  9. News: Ewen . Steve . November 13, 2002 . Ownership computes for Kerfoot . A54 . The Province . . December 27, 2022.
  10. Web site: Chapter 3: Rebirth of the 'Caps . Brandon. Timko . 7 June 2010. Whitecaps FC.
  11. Web site: Community Forum: Whitecaps FC USL PRO Proposal for Queen’s Park Stadium. https://web.archive.org/web/20210510182657/https://www.newwestcity.ca/database/files/library/WFC_Community_Forum_Boards_web___Final.pdf. live. 2021-05-10. New West City.
  12. Web site: 2011 Women's Schedule . Vancouver Whitecaps. https://web.archive.org/web/20110420093613/http://club.whitecapsfc.com/women/schedule/ . April 20, 2011 . dead.
  13. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps FC announce W-League team status for 2013 season. Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  14. Web site: Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX Program in Partnership with BC Soccer and the Canadian Soccer Association. Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  15. Web site: Whitecaps FC women play Canada Day match against provincial rivals Victoria Highlanders FC . Alan . Douglas. 30 June 2011. Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  16. Web site: Bennett headed to Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. Andy. Prest. August 31, 2014. North Shore News.
  17. Web site: Whitecaps Women solidify 2010 coaching staff. December 14, 2009. Vancouver Whitecaps.
  18. Web site: Former Whitecaps women's coach arrested on sex charges. December 11, 2020. Patrick. Johnson. The Province.
  19. Web site: Koch named women's head coach. https://web.archive.org/web/20110813184048/http://club.whitecapsfc.com/archive/feature04200901.aspx. August 13, 2011. April 20, 2009. dead.
  20. Web site: Whitecaps women's team appoints Hubert Busby Jr. as new head coach. December 14, 2009. CP24.
  21. Web site: Symons to lead Caps' women . Marc . Weber . 19 January 2012. The Province.
  22. Web site: USA – United States Women's Interregional Soccer League (W-League). David. Litterer. June 16, 2011. RSSSF.
  23. Web site: Vancouver Breakers 2001 Stats. https://web.archive.org/web/20020810111819/http://www.vancouverbreakers.com/2001stats.html. August 10, 2002. dead. Vancouver Breakers.
  24. Web site: Vancouver Breakers 2002 Stats. https://web.archive.org/web/20021004035054/http://www.vancouverbreakers.com/stats.html. October 4, 2002. dead. Vancouver Breakers.
  25. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2003 Stats. https://web.archive.org/web/20040202020038/http://www.whitecapssoccer.com/Teamwomenfiles/wstats.html. Vancouver Whitecaps. dead. February 2, 2004.
  26. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2004 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205713/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2004/roster/22395.html . August 12, 2014 .
  27. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2005 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812204242/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2005/roster/22395.html . August 12, 2014 .
  28. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2006 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221042959/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2006/roster/22395.html . December 21, 2014 .
  29. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2007 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221041101/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2007/roster/22395.html . December 21, 2014 .
  30. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2008 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221035402/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2008/roster/22395.html . December 21, 2014 .
  31. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2009 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221033708/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2009/roster/22395.html . December 21, 2014 .
  32. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2010 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141221034134/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/roster/22395.html . December 21, 2014 .
  33. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2011 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205540/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2011/roster/22395.html . August 12, 2014 .
  34. Web site: Vancouver Whitecaps 2012 Stats . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140812210149/http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/roster/22395.html . August 12, 2014 .