Women's soccer kicks off in Montreal
Xtreme makes its W-League debut Sunday with a roster full of international experience
John Meagher
The Gazette
Friday, May 21, 2004
A new era for women's soccer in Montreal begins Sunday at 5 p.m. when the expansion Montreal Xtreme makes its W-League debut against the Toronto Inferno at the Catalogna Soccerplexe in Lachine.
The Xtreme, technically an amateur club, is hoping to fare better than its semi-pro predecessors, the Laval Dynamites, who fizzled a few years ago.
The Xtreme bolstered its lineup this week with the addition of two national team players: goalkeeper Karina Leblanc from Vancouver and defender Isabelle Morneau of Longueuil.
Leblanc, who played the past few seasons with the Boston Breakers of the WUSA professional ranks, is excited about rejoining three of her former University of Nebraska teammates in Montreal: namely Morneau, Sharolta Nonen and Amy Walsh.
"The whole team is on a mission to build women's soccer in Montreal," said Leblanc, who will be backed up by 'keepers Marie-Pier Bilodeau and Sabrina Mariani.
Another factor that drew Leblanc to Montreal is that her fiancee, former Cornhusker football player Dion Booker, is currently trying out for the Alouettes. The couples plan to marry in the fall.
Xtreme head coach Alexandre Da Rocha, who earned his coaching stripes provincially with FC Rive Sud, said his immediate task is to bring cohesion to the city's newest elite women's soccer club.
"We're new, but our goal is to make the playoffs," said Da Rocha. "It's a 37-team league, but the top two teams from the Northern Conference get in. So we have to do well against teams like Toronto and Ottawa."
Although the Xtreme is a work in progress, its roster is rich with international experience. Combined, the players total 241 caps (or games). Morneau leads with 68 caps, followed by Nonen (58) and Walsh (56).
Other players to watch include midfielder Veronique Maranda and forwards Kelly Hemsley, Jose Belanger and Melissa Lesage.
The Xtreme posted a 1-1-1 record in preseason play, but Da Rocha isn't reading too much into those results.
One game was a 3-3 draw with the Ottawa Fury, in which both teams fielded less than their
'A' lineups; another match was a 10-1 romp over the FC Rive Sud senior women's side; the only loss was to an elite under-16 boys team from the South Shore.
"We'll know better where we stand on Sunday when we meet Toronto," Da Rocha said. "It's our first real test."
Tickets for Sunday's opener are $5 for adults, $3 for children.
jmeagher@thegazette.canwest.com
© The Gazette (Montreal) 2004
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