After nearly two months of mostly playing against each other in the Prince George Women's Soccer Association, the women of Prince George FC are about to see what can happen when they combine chemistry in a united effort.
The Selects will start practicing together in earnest over the next few weeks so the players get to know their roles once their tournament season begins.
Last year, the women's travel team made the trip south to the Kamloops Invitational tournament and captured the competitive division trophy. Knowing defence of that title is high on their wish list for 2011, the players have been drawing double duty in the PGWSA to get ready.
In addition to the Selects' commitment to play in the league's spring exhibition schedule, playing for either Subway FC or the Prince George Youth Soccer Association Under-18s, several of those players have signed up to play on other teams in the women's league Group 1.
Until the end of the month, players like forward Danielle Lavallee will have as many as four games a week with their two teams. That's a lot of soccer, but Lavallee wants the overtime to get her in shape to take on the best the Interior of the province has to offer.
"It's nice to have a good group of girls to travel and go to tournaments and play against new teams because in our league we're playing the same teams all the time," said Lavallee, 29, a Subway player who also plays for Brotto Holdings." It's competitive and it's a good challenge, better than the regular stuff we're used to.
"There's a just a big gap between competitive players who take it more seriously and people who just want to have a good time. It does get frustrating playing the same people over and over again."
The PGWSA's First Division has suffered from a lack of competitive players the last couple seasons and that forced the league to put off forming its top division until the start of the summer schedule, July 7. Subway FC and the U-18s are now playing an exhibition schedule against the PGYSA U-15s and the PGWSA Selects.
Although plans for PGFC to play in Revelstoke were cancelled, the team is considering entering an Edmonton tournament in July as a lead-in to the Kamloops tournament, July 30-Aug. 1. The team is also talking about a trip to California next year for a spring break tournament.
"We're definitely hoping to win in Kamloops again, we have a good enough team," said Lavallee.
Now in their third season, the Selects have a forward crew includes Lavallee, Emily Kwitkowski, Caitlyn Lamble (who played this past season in Iowa for Ashford University), Sidney Hall and Camilla Lemoine.
The team's strength is at midfield. Veterans Holly Miller, Andrea Bertulli of UNBC, Corey Rossi, Sidney Wilson, and promising youth soccer recruits Alex Childs and Jessica Manning give coaches Mato Mikic, and Frank Rossi plenty of options when they pencil in their lineup.
Jodi Godwin, Sarah Gomes (Thompson Rivers University), and Carmen Fu form the last line of defence in front of goalies Roxy Solmonson and Jordan Hall. Carissa Rossi (Cory's twin sister who also attends Central Arkansas) plays fullback but she's now sidelined with an ankle injury. (See other story). Also on the roster are Megan Christenson, Julie Martin, Sarah Gomez, Ashley Warner, Tanya Grob, Jessie McDougall.
"They get along really well and you can tell by the way they play -- everybody shares the ball, which is what coaches encourage them to do," said Mato Mikic, who co-coaches PGFC with Frank Rossi. "Possession, direction and discipline is the way to win the games and when you see them play it's developing in that direction. They trust each other and they respect each other.
"Hopefully we'll get somebody behind us as a sponsor, because we are trying to take this team to some bigger tournaments to expose the players to different areas and have some fun."
