Ottawa Fury News Release - www.ottawafury.com

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

OTTAWA, ON -- The Ottawa Fury have announced the signing of six players from their 2006 W-League Eastern Conference champion squad for the 2007 season; Kelly Parker, Leah Robinson, Stacy Stocco, Marie-Eve Nault, Carmelina Moscato and Annie Hamel will all return.

“We are delighted that Kelly, Leah, Stacy, Marie-Eve, Carmelina and Annie will be back with us for 2007. They are all enormously influential players who have a proven record of accomplishment in the W-League” said Fury Head Coach, Frank Lofranco.

Kelly Parker, now the assistant coach of the Women’s program at the University of Texas – El Paso, has been a W-League standout for the past four seasons. The 2004 W-League Most Valuable Player has a four year total of 37 goals and 30 assists and is a three-time member of the W-League All-League team.

Leah Robinson, from Nova Scotia, returns for her fifth year with the Fury, having completed an outstanding varsity career at Virginia Commonwealth University. The midfielder played for Canada in the July 2004 game against Japan and was a member of the Canadian team which took silver at the 2003 Pan Am Games. Leah spent the 2006-7 winter season with Jitex BK in the Damallsvenskan, the Swedish Womens League.

Stacey Stocco, a 23 year old Australian, played every game for the Fury in 2006. She was the W-League Rookie of the Year during the 2003 season with the Boston Renegades. Stacey has experience in the Australian National Soccer League with the Adelaide Sensation and Canberra Eclipse and spent the 2006-7 winter season with Jitex BK in the Damallsvenskan, the Swedish Womens League.

Marie-Eve Nault, a 26 year old defender from Trois Rivieres, returns to the Fury for a fourth season. Marie-Eve has 8 caps for Canada having played all four games in 2004 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament and all three games in the Four Nations Women’s Tournament held in China. She played for St. Etienne in the French League in 2005-6.

Carmelina Moscato, a 22 year old from Mississauga, returns for her fourth season with the Fury. The versatile player previously played for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Moscato has been capped 19 times for Canada including her most recent appearance in August 2006 in the 1-1 draw against China. Carmelina played her varsity soccer at Penn State University.

Annie Hamel, returns for her fourth season with the Fury after scoring 7 goals in both 2005 and 2006 in 12 regular season games. A left sided forward, Hamel was a two-time America East First team selection in a varsity career at the University of Maine which saw her play 60 games for the Black Bears.

The Fury have put together a tremendous record over the past four seasons. They have qualified for the W-League Championship Finals in each of the last 4 years losing in the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 and in the final to New Jersey and Vancouver in 2005 and 2006. The club was the W-League regular season champion in 2005 and has amassed a remarkable 47-5-2 regular season record under head coach Frank Lofranco.

The Fury will be without the services of five Canadian national players for the 2007 season. Diana Matheson (55 caps), Rhian Wilkinson (32 caps), Taryn Swiatek (17 caps), Robyn Gayle (10 caps), and Amy Vermeulen (3 caps) have all been released to the Canadian women’s national team residency program in preparation for the 2007 FIFA World Cup in China this fall.

The Fury open their 2007 W-League campaign with a home game on Saturday, May 26th when the Fury host the Hamilton Avalanche at Carleton University’s Keith Harris Stadium, kick off 3:30 p.m. For ticket information visit the Fury web site at www.ottawafury.com