Matildas international goalkeeper Lydia Williams is one of a dozen players confirmed for Canberra United’s squad for Season Four of the Westfield W-League, the club announced today.
Matildas international goalkeeper Lydia Williams is one of a dozen players confirmed for Canberra United-s squad for Season Four of the Westfield W-League, the club announced today.
The shot-stopper is one of only two players, the other being Ellie Brush, who has played in all thirty-four matches that United has competed in since the club became founder members of the Westfield W-League in 2008. In that time Williams has kept eleven clean sheets and now has 33 international caps for Australia.
“We are delighted that Lydia has committed to the club for season four of the competition,” Canberra United CEO Heather Reid commented. “As you would expect there was plenty of interest in Lydia from other clubs around the league but her signing on for a fourth successive year confirms her allegiance to the team and we look forward to, once more, having the pre-eminent goalkeeper in the women-s game in our ranks.”
Lining up alongside Williams and Brush in the United squad for Season Four will be a host of familiar names to those who follow the team in green, including Tradies Premier League Golden Boot winner Caitlin Munoz. Matildas internationals Sally Shipard and Ellyse Perry are included in the squad as are last season-s top-scorer Michelle Heyman and her former Central Coast Mariners team mate Caitlin Cooper.
The Sykes twins, Nicole and Ashleigh and local product Kahlia Hogg, recently selected for the Australian under-20 tour of Vietnam, complete the thirteen along with New Zealand international goalkeeper Aroon Clansey who was unveiled last week.
A further overseas signing is likely to be revealed within the next fortnight as the club continues to build its roster ahead of the October 22nd season opener away to Adelaide United, a match that doubles as a curtain raiser to the Reds Hyundai A-League match with Sydney FC.
Seven more contracts are up for grabs with Head Coach Jitka Klimkova set to make a decision on the remaining squad members next week.
CANBERRA UNITED
WESTFIELD W-LEAGUE SQUAD – CONFIRMED PLAYERS
SEASON FOUR
Lydia Williams (Canberra United Appearances: 34, Canberra United Goals: 0)
Leah Blayney (Canberra United Appearances: 3(1), Canberra United Goals: 0)
Ellie Brush (Canberra United Appearances: 34, Canberra United Goals: 8)
Aroon Clansey (new for 2011/12)
Caitlin Cooper (Canberra United Appearances: 11, Canberra United Goals: 1)
Michelle Heyman (Canberra United Appearances: 11, Canberra United Goals: 7)
Kahlia Hogg (Canberra United Appearances: 10(9), Canberra United Goals: 1)
Caitlin Munoz (Canberra United Appearances: 18(1), Canberra United Goals: 8)
Ellyse Perry (Canberra United Appearances: 18, Canberra United Goals: 2)
Sally Shipard (Canberra United Appearances: 11, Canberra United Goals: 0)
Ashleigh Sykes (Canberra United Appearances: 20(8), Canberra United Goals: 4)
Nicole Sykes (Canberra United Appearances: 22(3), Canberra United Goals: 0)
Numbers in brackets after appearances indicated substitute appearances