University of Victoria Vikes women's soccer player #Jaclyn Sawicki# is one of 22 players selected to train with Canada in hopes of playing on the 20-player national team roster at the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship in Ciudad Panama, Panama.

"When I was younger, I took pride playing for any time I was a part of - whether it was for Archbishop Carney, the City of Coquitlam, our province of B.C. - I was honoured to play," Sawicki said. "And of course, I am extremely proud to be a UVic Vike. Now, being given the opportunity to represent Canada, you can only imagine how great it feels."

Sawicki, a sophomore midfielder with the Vikes from Coquitlam, B.C., will join Canada at an extended 14-day pre-tournament camp in San Jose, Costa Rica, before they travel to Panama two weeks later on Feb. 27.

"If I'm selected for the final roster for CONCACAF, I know I will come back with some great experiences," Sawicki said. "I am prepared to learn different aspects of the game from the new coach in order to improve and develop. Having said that, I guess I hope to come back to the team (UVic) as an improved, more knowledgable player who can assist the Vikes toward our upcoming goal of winning the 2012 CIS National Championship."

"Any time you an get an opportunity to play with the national team says a lot about who you are as a soccer player and what your abilities are like," said Vikes head coach #Tracy David#. "It's pretty exciting and any player who has been in that situation wants to take the upmost advantage of the opportunity. You never know when an opportunity like this may arise again, so when you're there you have to show your stuff."

"We are very proud of Jaclyn Sawicki, representing the Vikes, and representing the CIS," David said, noting the performance of fellow CIS product and Manitoba Bisons alumna Desiree Scott during the senior women's CONCACAF tournament in Vancouver. "Certainly in the past, it's been encouraged to players to attend university in the States but this shows young players they do not have to go south of the border to play - you can stay at home and have a good career here and play for the national team."

The Vikes 2010-11 rookie of the year, Sawicki led the Vikes with nine points in 12 games on three goals and six assists. She was named as a second-team CIS All-Canadian and first-time Canada West all-star last November.  She also earned her first  senior women's national team cap in the fall during an exhibition tour in the U.S.

This will be the first tournament for newly-appointed Canadian U-20 head coach Andrew Olivieri. Sawicki is the only CIS player selected and one of four B.C. players.

"It will be exciting to see the future of our women's program as we work towards the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship," said coach Olivieri. "This is the type of highly competitive environment in which our players must perform if they want to make regular appearances with the national A team."

The final 20-player roster must be submitted 48 hours before Canada's opening match on March 1. The eight-team CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship will qualify three teams to the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. Both U-20 tournaments will feature players born 1992 or later.

"The team hasn't been together since December of 2010 in Sao Paolo, Brazil," Sawicki said. "Therefore, we haven't had the opportunity to discuss what we hope to achieve. However, the U-20 team did not qualify for the World Cup in 2010, so as of right now, I think it's safe to say the team's main goal is to perform at CONCACAF and qualify for the World Cup."

As part of the championship preparations, Canada will face Costa Rica's "B" side as well as club champions Arsenal Coronado. (Costa Rica did not qualify for this year's Under-20 competition). Canada has chosen Costa Rica as the base for its camp to simulate similar conditions that can be expected in Panama.

The 2012 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship runs March 1-11 in Ciudad Panama and La Chorrera, Panama. Canada's three group opponents are Haiti on March 1, Jamaica on March 3 and Mexico on March 5. The semi-final matches are scheduled for March 9 while the championship final is scheduled for March 11. Since 2004, Canada has won two CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championships (2004 and 2008).

More information is available at www.canadasoccer.com.

CANADA
GK- Rachelle Beanlands | USA / University of Maryland
GK- Dayle Colpitts | USA / Virginia Tech
GK- Sabrina D'Angelo | USA / University of South Carolina
D- Christine Exeter | USA / University of Louisville
D- Lauren Granberg | USA / Ohio State University
D- Nicole Hill | USA / University of Georgia
D- Vanessa Legault-Cordisco | USA / Marquette University
D- Rachel Melhado | USA / University of Louisville
D- Nicole Setterlund | USA / Washington State University
D- Shelina Zadorsky | USA / University of Michigan
M- Catherine Charron-Delage | CAN / Comètes de Laval
M- Olivia Colosimo | USA / Butler University
M- Kylie Davis | USA / University of Memphis
M- Constance de Chantal-Dumont | CAN / Champlain College Saint-Lambert
M- Jaclyn Sawicki | CAN / University of Victoria
M- Diamond Simpson | CAN / Hamilton FC
M- Erin Uchacz | USA / Oregon State
M- Danica Wu | USA / Ohio State
F- Nkem Ezurike | USA / University of Michigan
F- Christabel Oduro | USA / University of Memphis
F- Amélia Pietrangelo | USA / Rutgers University
F- Jenna Richardson | USA / Oregon State University

CANADA A-Z
Player | Birthyear | Hometown | First/active start
Beanlands, Rachelle | 1993 | Ottawa, ON, CAN | Gloucester Hornets
Charron-Delage, Catherine | 1992 | Longueuil, QC, CAN |
Colosimo, Olivia | 1992 | Thunder Bay, ON, CAN |
Colpitts, Dayle | 1992 | Nasonworth, NB, CAN | New Maryland United SC
D'Angelo, Sabrina | 1993 | Welland, ON, CAN | Welland Wizards
Davis, Kylie | 1994 | ïle-Bizard, QC, CAN | ïle-Bizard (les Phoques)
de Chantal-Dumont, Constance | 1992 | Sainte-Alexandre, QC, CAN |
Exeter, Christine | 1992 | Pickering, ON, CAN |
Ezurike, Nkem | 1992 | Sackville, NS, CAN |
Granberg, Lauren | 1992 | Sherwood Park, AB, CAN |
Hill, Nicole | 1992 | Phoenix, AZ, USA |
Legault-Cordisco, Vanessa | 1992 | Boisbriand, QC, CAN | Ste-Thérèse
Melhado, Rachel | 1992 | Brampton, ON, CAN |
Oduro, Christabel | 1992 | Brampton, ON, CAN | Brampton United Flames
Pietrangelo, Amélia | 1993 | Laval, QC, CAN |
Richardson, Jenna | 1992 | Vancouver, BC, CAN | Semiahmoo
Sawicki, Jaclyn | 1992 | Coquitlam, BC, CAN |
Setterlund, Nicole | 1993 | White Rock, BC, CAN | Semiahmoo Rascals
Simpson, Diamond | 1993 | Mississauga, ON, CAN | North Mississauga SC
Uchacz, Erin | 1992 | Port Coquitlam, BC, CAN |
Wu, Danica | 1992 | Edmonton, AB, CAN |
Zadorsky, Shelina | 1992 | London, ON, CAN | Kitchener Spirit