OTTAWA – Ottawa Fury FC announced on Thursday that goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau had been selected in the Canada Men’s National Team squad for the country’s opening game of 2018-19 Concacaf Nations League Qualifying that kicks off Sunday, September 9 against the U.S. Virgin Islands at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The call-up is Crépeau’s first under new Head Coach John Herdman.

Crépeau joined Fury FC at the beginning of the season on loan from Montreal Impact and has been one of the standout goalkeepers in the USL this season, seeing his level of play constantly improved with regular match minutes. The 24-year-old is tied for the league-lead with 12 shutouts this season and has made 62 saves while posting a 72.1 save percentage for Fury FC over 25 appearances for Fury FC.

“This was one of Max’s objectives as a player to represent the National Team, this is something we had discussed before he arrived here. He’s accomplished this,” said Ottawa Fury FC General Manager, Julian de Guzman. “We’re very proud and honored to have a Fury FC member represent with the National Team in a very important match. With what he’s done this season, he’s definitely proved to have the qualities of a National Team player who can make a difference. We’re happy and support him and the National Team with what we’re doing with ‘The Project’.”

The squad will gather on Monday, September 3rd during the international window in preparation for the opening match against US Virgin Islands on Sunday, September 9 in Bradenton, FL, USA. It is the first of four matches in the series, with Canada back at home on October 16 against Dominica, away against St. Kitts and Nevis on November 18, and then back home on March 26, 2019, against French Guiana.

“It’s a great time and this is a talented group: it’s a period in time where every match matters, adding the sort of pressure that will help bind the group tighter,” said Herdman. “There is no life in between anymore, that line was burned brightly into the culture in our first camp in March 2018. We know what we are here to do and as a group we will either choose to take this team to another level or we won’t, it’s that clear. This is a talented group who have a real shot at qualifying for Qatar 2022.”

This will be Crépeau’s eighth camp with the senior national team, during which time he has made two appearances. He made his international debut in February, 2016 against the United States in an international exhibition, and then made a substitute appearance against French Guiana in the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup.