The Western New York Flash of the NWSL unveiled their 2015 pre- season roster this week, as the team looks to begin improving on their 8-12-4 record in 2014.
After a busy winter which saw a complete overhaul, the Flash return just five players from its 2014 roster. On the backline, Brittany Taylor begins her third season with the club and will be joined by U.S. Women’s National Team allocation Whitney Engen. The Flash acquired Engen in October in a trade with Houston that also brought Becky Edwards to Buffalo for midfielder Carli Lloyd. Recently, the Flash also acquired center back Toni Pressley, who played for the club in 2012, from the Washington Spirit.
Amber Brooks and Jordan Angeli will join Edwards, who with Engen was a member of the Flash’s 2011 WPS Championship team, in the midfield. Brooks was acquired by the Flash in a November trade with Portland, while Angeli is a former member of the Washington Spirit.
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On the offensive end of the field, the Flash has again been allocated Rochester, NY native Abby Wambach. After setting the record in 2013, Wambach remains the world’s all-time international goal scorer with 177 goals to date. Jasmyne Spencer, who scored three times in 2014, will also return at forward. Western New York has also brought in two international attackers, signing Denmark’s Camilla Kur-Larsen and Cameroon’s Ajara Nchout Njoya in January.
The 2015 NWSL College Draft will have a large impact in the Flash’s preseason roster as the club welcomes UCLA products Abby Dahlkemper and Samantha Mewis as well as Texas Tech defender Jaelene Hinkle and Pepperdine forward Lynn Williams.
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Defender Haley Palmer, who was a member of the Flash during the 2014 season, will not be participating in preseason as she continues to heal from injury. Tatiana Coleman, who was drafted 18th overall by the Flash in the 2015 NWSL College Draft, has opted to play overseas, however, the Flash will retain her rights.
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All these moves are an intense effort to shake things up and revive what was a lackluster 2014, which saw the Flash finish seventh overall. Whether or not the team can return to its championship form of 2013 largely hinges on the health of Wambach upon her return from the World Cup and how quickly this new roster can gel together. For Western New York it’s an exciting but uneasy time.
Complete Western New York Flash Preseason Roster by Position:
GOALKEEPERS (3): Sabrina D’Angelo1, DiDi Haracic2, Chantel Jones
DEFENDERS (11): Megan Brigman2, Abby Dahlkemper1, Kristen Edmonds, Whitney Engen3*, Jaelene Hinkle1, Shanna Hudson2, Haley Palmer*, Toni Pressley, Chelsea Stewart2, Brittany Taylor, India Trotter
MIDFIELDERS (6): Jordan Angeli, Amber Brooks, Dominika Conc2, Becky Edwards, Samantha Mewis1, Mami Yamaguchi2
FORWARDS (7): Kristen Hamilton2, Camilla Kur-Larsen*, Ajara Nchout Njoya*, Pia Rijsdijk2, Jasmyne Spencer, Abby Wambach3*, Lynn Williams1
1 2015 NWSL College Draft pick
2 Non-roster invitee
3 Allocated player
* Not currently in camp