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Date: Monday, December 16, 2024
WELCOME HOME, SHANNON WOELLER
Vancouver Rise FC announce first player in club history
VANCOUVER, BC – Welcome home, Vancouver’s own.
Vancouver Rise FC announced on Monday the signing of Canadian international defender Shannon Woeller as the first player in club history.
"We are thrilled to welcome Shannon back home to Vancouver,” said Stephanie Labbé, sporting director of Vancouver Rise FC. “Prior to the Northern Super League, this type of opportunity to play at home hasn’t existed for Shannon and many others. She is the first player we’ve signed to have played for Canada at the highest level, and certainly not the last. Shannon is an experienced professional with over 10 years of playing overseas, which will make her a key member of our backline, and a leader in our team."
Woeller, 34, returns home to Vancouver after spending the past 11 years playing abroad in Norway, Iceland, Germany, Sweden, and Spain. Most recently, the experienced defender played for Vittsj&.ouml; GIK in the Damallsvenskan, the highest division of women’s football in Sweden.
“I am really excited for the opportunity to join Vancouver Rise FC and help build the Northern Super League,” added Woeller. “I am so grateful to all those who have worked incredibly hard to build this league and provide this missing piece in Canadian football. I left overseas so many years ago, and I never really dared to imagine that coming back to Canada could be a reality, so it’s incredibly special and really means the world to me to come full circle and return to Vancouver.”
From 2008 to 2012, Woeller kicked off her career playing for Vancouver Whitecaps in the USL W-League, appearing in 48 matches.
Following her time with the ‘Caps, she continued in the W-League for one season with Seattle Sounders before beginning her journey playing overseas. Over the past decade she has suited up for IK Grand Bodø (Norway), Stjarnan (Iceland), FF USV Jena (Germany), Eskilstuna United DFF (Sweden), Valencia CF (Spain), Växjö DFF (Sweden), IF Brommapojkarna (Sweden), IFK Norrköping (Sweden), and Vittsjö GIK (Sweden).
Collegiately, Woeller played four years at Rutgers University from 2009 to 2013.
At the international level, Woeller has made 21 appearances for Canada’s senior women’s national team and was a part of the Canadian team at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Woeller first took part in the Canadian program at the U-15 level in 2005, and also represented her country at the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
For more information on Vancouver Rise FC, visit vanrisefc.com .
Shannon Woeller
Pronunciation: Wel-ler
Position: Defender
Height: 5-08
Date of Birth: January 31, 1990 in Vancouver, BC
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Citizenship: Canada
Status: Domestic
Previous Clubs: Vancouver Whitecaps FC (Canada), IK Grand Bodø (Norway), Stjarnan (Iceland), FF USV Jena (Germany), Eskilstuna United DFF (Sweden), Valencia CF (Spain), Växjö DFF (Sweden), IF Brommapojkarna (Sweden), IFK Norrköping (Sweden), and Vittsjö GIK (Sweden)
Instagram: @shannonwoeller
About Northern Super League
Northern Super League is a new Canadian professional women’s soccer league, which currently consists of six clubs in key Canadian markets and is set to kick off in spring of 2025. The league is built by players and supporters of the beautiful game with best practices from around the world and aims to further Canadian excellence in sport, equity and inclusion. For more information and updates on the Northern Super League, please visit www.NSL.ca.
- www.vanrisefc.com -
For more information contact:
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Communications
communications@whitecapsfc.com
Nathan Vanstone
Vice President, Broadcast & Communications
778.228.7177
Brandon Timko
Director, Communications
604.355.1245
Jessica Gauci
Manager, Corporate Communications
416.801.7735
Sebastian Pereira Pabon
Coordinator, Communications
604.440.5742