Ottawa Fury Website - www.ottawafury.com

Friday, May 2

OTTAWA, ON – The Ottawa Fury have announced the signing of two new players and one returning player to their 2008 W-League squad. Emma Mattsson (Sweden), Cecilie Henriksen (Denmark) and Zoe Avner (France) will all suit up for the Fury in 2008.

“It is always tremendous to add players with International experience to any teams roster. Zoe has experience at the W-League level, Cecilie has played for and against some of the top European clubs in the World, and Emma is coming off a stellar Collegiate season, “ commented incoming Fury Head coach, Craig Smith.

Emma Mattsson, a 22 year old forward from Helsingborg, Sweden has been a member of the Swedish national team pool and played with Division 1 club Stattena IF before coming to the USA to study. Currently a junior at Charleston Southern University she posted 10 goals and 24 points last season to finish fourth in the conference in both categories. Mattsson’s most impressive feat, however, was the three game-winners she scored in the dying moments of three Big South one-goal victories during 2007; not surprisingly she was selected to the Big South’s All-Conference first team.

Cecilie Henriksen, a 22 year old forward from Næstved, Denmark, has played for both the Danish U19 and U21 teams and has made 26 senior appearances scoring six goals for Fortuna Hjørring, one of Denmark’s most successful Women’s teams.

Pending her international clearance, the Fury will be looking for Henriksen, who has played against some of the leading teams in Europe, to make an immediate impact.

Zoe Avner, a 24 year old graduate of Rutgers University where she started in all 63 games over three seasons. A native of Paris, Avner has experience with the U19 and full French international squad and played for FCF Juvisy in the French First Division for 3 years. The versatile defender returns to the Fury for a 3rd season. She played for Bristol Academy in the English Premier League in 2006-2007.

The Fury have put together a tremendous W-League record over the past five seasons. They have qualified for the W-League Championship Finals in four of the last five years losing in the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004 and in the final to New Jersey and Vancouver in 2005 and 2006. In 2005 and 2007, the Fury were the W-League regular season champions. Last season, the club registered an unbeaten 11-0-1 record in regular season play and were defeated 1-0 by the eventual W-League champion Washington Freedom in the Eastern Conference final. The club has amassed a remarkable 58-5-3 regular season record over the past five years.

The Fury open their 2008 W-League campaign with a home game on Saturday, June 7th when they host the Western Massachusetts Pioneers at the University of Ottawa Athletic Complex, kick off 7:00 PM. For season ticket information visit the Fury web site at www.ottawafury.com.