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Leah Robinson of Sackville, Nova Scotia has been invited to participate in the inaugural USL W-League combine. This combine is used to identify potential players for the newly formed Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS). The league is set to start play in 2009 and is predicted to become the premier women's soccer league in the world. Robinson is a former member of numurous Nova Scotia provincial teams, and played most recently in the NSSL 2007 Indoor league.

128 Women’s Professional Soccer prospects to gather in Tampa September 4-7

TAMPA, FL (Aug. 27, 2008) -- United Soccer Leagues announced Wednesday the full list of 128 players who will be participating in the upcoming inaugural USL W-League Combine. The first-year event will give the players the opportunity to showcase their abilities for Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) general managers and coaches at the Ed Radice Sports Complex in Tampa, FL September 4-7.

The combine player list features participants who played for 31 different W-League teams in 2008, attended 97 different universities and represent 13 different nationalities.

W-League Combine Player List By:

“Since the league was founded in 1995, the W-League has been the cornerstone for women’s elite club soccer for 14 years, providing a home for the world’s best players and developing the stars of the future,” said W-League Director of Operations Melanie Fitzgerald.

“The players gathering for the combine are among the best in the league over the past few years and include many that may become household names with WPS clubs or beyond in the near future. History has shown USL’s dedication to development of the female player and the women’s game to be of the highest caliber and we are confident the WPS coaches, general managers and scouts on hand will be in agreement in September.”

The inaugural WPS season kicks off in April 2009 with play in seven cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. W-League players will have their first opportunity to be selected by WPS teams when the WPS General Draft is held on Oct. 6. The new professional league will hold another player draft the week of January 14, 2009, which will be followed by team tryouts in each market.

With many current and former internationals among the Combine attendee list, as well as collegiate standouts, it is expected that numerous players drafted and signed by WPS will hail from the W-League. Historically, the same occurred with the launch of the Women’s United Soccer Association in 2001. A total of 92 current and former W-League players were allocated or drafted by the WUSA leading up to the first of its three seasons.

Numerous W-League players went on to find success in the WUSA, including several that also found a spot with the US National Team. Recent Olympic gold medalists Shannon Boxx and Angela Hucles are two such players. Boxx, a member of the Boston Renegades, was drafted by San Diego and would later debut for the US in 2003. A former Hampton Roads Piranha, Hucles was drafted by Boston and would go on to join the US squad in 2002.

Thirty players from the W-League Championship final four will also be on hand from the FC Indiana Lionesses, Seattle Sounders, Washington Freedom and league champion Pali Blues. In addition to the WPS general managers and coaches in attendance, coaches and scouts from the Football Association of Ireland and W-League teams will observe the combine.

Recent Leah Robinson News:

Jersey Sky Blue added an international element to its roster with Sky Blue Soccer announcing today that Leah Robinson of Canada and Stacey Stocco of Australia will join the squad for the 2008 W-League season. Longtime veterans of the W-League, both Robinson and Stocco played for the Ottawa Fury for the past two seasons.

Between the two of them, the duo combines for 12 seasons of W-League participation. They also boast international experience with Robinson having appeared for the Canada Women’s National Team and with Stocco having starred for Australia on the Under-19 level.

The two should be in uniform when Jersey Sky Blue opens its second season in the W-League on May 10 on the road against the Boston Renegades. Sky Blue will make its 2008 home debut on Saturday, May 31 when it hosts the Renegades at 7:30 pm at Drew University.

“Leah and Stacey are established W-League veterans and we’re very excited to have them join us this summer,” said Jersey Sky Blue Head Coach Denise Reddy. “They’re coming from a very successful Ottawa Fury program and their winning ways will fit right in with our team.”

A former member of the Canada Women’s National Team, Robinson appeared for her country in both the Algarve Cup (2001) and the Pan Am Games (2003). The Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia native spent the past five seasons playing for Ottawa, which ended Sky Blue’s first season in the W-League last year with a victory in the semifinals of the Eastern Conference playoffs. She racked up 24 goals and 13 assists for 61 points in her 65 regular season appearances with the Fury. Ottawa reached the W-League Championship semifinals for four straight years during Robinson’s tenure including runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006. She also played for the W-League’s Vancouver Breakers (2001) and Memphis Mercury (2002).

Robinson, who also spent time with Jitex BK in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan in 2006, put together a standout career on the collegiate level at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2000 to 2003. She still ranks on the school’s career lists with 21 goals (fifth) and 20 assists (second) for 62 points (fifth). While at VCU, she was named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team four years straight and also earned CoSida Academic All-America first team honors in 2002 and 2003.

“Leah is a solid all-around player with the ability to contribute on both sides of the ball,” Reddy said. “We’re looking for her to provide stability in the center of the midfield for Sky Blue.”

Stocco boasts on her résumé a trip to the inaugural FIFA Under-19 Women’s World Championship in Canada in 2002. The former co-captain guided the Young Matildas to the quarterfinals at the FIFA World Championship taking the field against players like Marta and Cristiane of Brazil as well as Heather O’Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, and Lori Chalupny of the United States.

In the W-League, Adelaide, Australia native played with the Boston Renegades from 2003 to 2005 before joining Ottawa for the past two seasons. She was named the W-League Rookie of the Year in 2003 and went on to notch 17 goals and 10 assists for 44 points in 40 regular season games with the Renegades. Stocco recorded three goals and one assist in 16 matches with Ottawa and also played for Jitex BK in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan in 2006.

“Stacey is a creative player that can affect the pace of a match,” Reddy said. “Her playmaking qualities and her offensive ability will strengthen Sky Blue’s offense this season.”

“I’ve seen Leah and Stacey first-hand numerous times over the past four seasons and the two of them will be solid additions to Sky Blue in the midfield,” said Jersey Sky Blue General Manager Patric Santo Pietro, who served in the same position with the New Jersey Wildcats from 2004-2006. “Leah is very steady as a center midfielder and is dangerous on free kicks while Stacey will bring attacking flair to our lineup.”

Season tickets and group packages are available now through the Sky Blue Soccer website for Jersey Sky Blue’s second season in the W-League. Sky Blue will open the season on May 10 when it travels to Framingham, MA to face the Boston Renegades. Jersey Sky Blue opens its home schedule on May 31 when it hosts Boston in a return match at 7:30 pm at Drew University's Ranger Stadium in Madison, NJ.

• Hometown: Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia
• Birthdate: May 5, 1982
• Former member of the Canada Women’s National Team and Canada Under-21 National Team
• Appeared with Canada at the Algarve Cup in 2001, the Pan American Games in 2003, in two friendlies in Japan in 2004
• Joins Sky Blue for her eighth season in the W-League in 2008
• Played for the Ottawa Fury from 2003-2007 logging 65 regular season appearances over five seasons with 24 goals and 13 assists for 61 points
• Led Ottawa to four straight W-League Final Four appearances from 2003-2006 including runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2006
• Posted one goal and four assists in seven games for the Memphis Mercury in 2002
• Posted one assist in seven games for the Vancouver Breakers in 2001
• Played for Jitex BK in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan in 2006
• Starred on the collegiate level at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2000-2003
• Currently ranks second on the VCU career lists with 20 assists and fifth with 21 goals and 62 points
• Named to the All-Colonial Athletic Association first team all four years at VCU (2000-2003)
• Named to the CAA All-Tournament team in 2001
• Earned CoSida Academic All-America first team honors in 2002 and 2003
• Named the 2003 CAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s soccer
• Served as an assistant coach at VCU in 2004
• Named the Soccer Nova Scotia Women’s Soccer Player of the Year in 2000

• Hometown: Adelaide, Australia
• Birthdate: April 3, 1984
• Former member and co-captain of the Australia Under-19 National Team
• Led the Young Matildas to the quarterfinals at the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship
• Member of the Australia Women’s National Team pool (2000-2001)
• Joins Sky Blue for her sixth season of W-League experience in 2008
• Played two seasons with the Ottawa Fury (2006-2007) posting three goals and one assist in 16 appearances
• Played three seasons with the Boston Renegades (2003-2005) racking up 17 goals and 10 assists for 44 points in 40 regular season games
• Named the W-League Rookie of the Year in 2003
• Earned W-League All-Eastern Conference honors in 2004
• Played for Jitex BK in Sweden’s Damallsvenskan in 2006
• Also has experience in the Australian National Soccer League with the Adelaide Sensation and Canberra Eclipse