Former Ottawa Fury W-League midfielder Tameka Butt is set to join the Boston Breakers of the WPS. A member of the Australian Women's National Team with 23 caps to her credit will leave her Australia W-League team, the Brisbane Roar, for her first WPS season. The 20 year old has won two premierships and a grand final with Brisbane in the Westfield W-League and will looking to add a third championship to her resume in this weekend's W-League Grand Final as she closes out her career with the Roar.

It was a night to remember for the Ottawa Fury as a record crowd of 470 gathered at the 59th annual Ottawa Sports Awards to celebrate the city's finest amateur clubs and athletes. The evening highlighted the tremendous depth of talent and dedication in sport in the Nation's Capital that saw the Fury recognized on six occasions. Four Fury teams were recognized for capturing division championships, Christina Julien was honoured for her successes in soccer, but the biggest honour the Fury received was being named the Amateur Club of the Year alongside the Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club.

With close to 20 goalkeepers earning post-secondary scholarships in the NCAA and CIS, a select number chosen to National Team Programming and Professional Academies the Ottawa Fury Goalkeeper Program could very well be one of the best kept secrets in Ottawa. Led by Club Goalkeeper Coach David Bellemare the success of the goalkeepers coming out of the Fury Youth Academy is remarkable. This past month seven Fury keepers made headlines as they each continue to take their game to the next level. This week alone six Fury keepers made headlines as one pushes for a professional career, two push trials with professional academies, two others are about to join the provincial squad and one was recognized by her school. A great start to 2012!

The Canadian Women's National Team opened the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers with a dominant 6-0 victory over Haiti that saw Fury Alumni Christina Julien (follow her on Twitter @juliencm21)and Kelly Parker find the back of the net. Julien, a product of the Fury Youth Program and W-League striker, wasted little time putting Canada in the lead scoring in the 7th minute - a goal that would stand as the game winner. Canadian captain Christine Sinclair would take over from their netting her 10th career international hat trick before Kelly Parker was brought down in the box. Sinclair netted her fourth of the game converting on the penalty putting Canada ahead 5-0. Parker, the Fury Women's all-time leading point-getter would notch her second career international goal late to give Canada a convincing 6-0 victory.

The OSA's soccer and settlement project is seeking coaches to help them with their program of integrating new immigrants to Canada through soccer. Whether you are new to the coaching scene or have some spare time and experience to offer please get in contact with the OSA and get involved in this great project that is presently underway here in the Nation's Capital.

Since John Pugh joined the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group partnership the Ottawa Fury, NASL soccer and he have received considerable media attention. While the Ottawa Fury has proven itself to be one of the top caliber youth clubs in North America, the prospect of pro soccer coming to the Nation's Capital under Pugh and his partner's guidance has heighten interest in what the Club is doing now and when pro soccer will grace Lansdowne Park. John Pugh sat down with Eric Balnar of the Twenty Fifth Hour to talk NASL, Ottawa Fury, OSEG and Lansdowne Park.

Three members of the Ottawa Fury Youth Development Academy have been named to the Provincial squad of the Ontario Soccer Association. A pair of goalkeepers in Aidan Aylward (U14 Boys) and Margot Shore (U15 Girls) and a skilled midfielder in Emma Lindblad (U16 Girls). All three youth players played in the Super Y-League North American Championships last month in Tampa, FL with Aylward helping the Fury U13 Boys to the North American Semifinals and also being named to the U13 Boys All-Tournament Team. All three players were also named to the USL Super Y-League Olympic Development Program.

In honour of the Canadian Soccer Association's 100th anniversary a commemorative logo has been created. 2012 will feature the Canadian Women's quest to qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games, the Canadian Men's pursuit to qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil along with a host of youth and para soccer matches and events. The CSA also has weekly 'This Day in Soccer History' posts reflecting back the many memorable moments in Canadian Soccer history over the past 100 years!

Beginning January 19th at BC Place in Vancouver, BC Canada, along with seven other CONCACAF nations, will compete for two available berths in the London 2012 Women's Olympic Football Tournament. The Fury will be represented by Youth Program graduate and W-League striker Christina Julien (follow her on Twitter @juliencm21) along with former W-League veterans Kelly Parker, Melanie Booth, Rhian Wilkinson, Carmelina Moscato and Robyn Gayle. Canada will be without former Fury W-League standout Diana Matheson who is still returning to fitness from surgery in November. Canada opens against Haiti on January 19th. All games can be watch on Rogers Sportsnet or on the CONCACAF Online TV channel.

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced the twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list for 2011. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene.

Included in the list for 2011 is the Canadian Women's National team that included several players with Ottawa Fury ties includig Youth Graduates and W-League players Rachelle Beanlands and Christina Julien and former W-League veterans Diana Matheson, Kelly Parker, Melanie Booth, Carmelina Moscato, Rhian Wilkinson, Robyn Gayle and Marie-Eve Nault.

Consistent is a word that Robbie Sabadoz might want to adopt as a nickname as Mr. Consistent would seem quite fitting after the Fury Youth Program graduate completed his senior year at Merrimack College where he once again did what he's done every year - score goals and earn good grades! In his four years at Merrimack the Fury PDL striker has netted 45 goals and while the on-field accolades gain most of the recognition, it is the off-field accolades that should be most praised as Sabadoz was named to the Capital One All-Academic Second Team in addition to the All-Region Third Team and roster of the All-Star Game. Each and every season Sabadoz has be recognized for his academic standing which speaks volumes of the type of leadership and responsibility he shows as a player as well.

If breaking Fury scoring records and winning league MVP wasn't enough for Mallory Outerbridge in 2011 she then went on to league Western Kentucky in scoring, into the Conference Championships and with all of that also maintained a very high academic standard. The reigning W-League MVP was named to the Capital One All-Academic Second Team following what has no doubt been the best soccer year of her career. Outerbridge will graduate WKU
as their all-time leader in points and goals scored and also tied for the most goals scored in a season (14) - a feat that she accomplished this year.

Ottawa Fury parent Lindy Mertick has pieced together an online photo book that captures an amazing experience that the Fury U13 Boys enjoyed at the 2011 Plomelin Tournament in France. The Fury completed the tournament with a remarkable 3-2-3 record, there best ever result in Franche, that was highlighted by a 0-0 draw against the top Belgian Youth Academy from Anderlecht.

Three Ottawa Fury players received early Christmas gifts as they were recognized for their play at the 2011 Super Y-League North American Finals and throughout the SYL season and were named to the All-Tournament Team. Anisul Haque was named to the U17 Boys All-Tournament Team, Mitchell O'Brien, who is now on trial with several clubs in England, was selected to the U16 Boys All-Tournament team and the Fury U13 Boys were represented by their last line of defence - goalkeeper Aidan Aylward. Congratulations Boys!

Just prior to the Christmas holiday break the United Soccer Leagues announced the players nominated and selected for the 2011/12 Super Y-League Olympic Development Program National Camps. Each nominated players has been identified as one of the top players in their birth year, and among the top two percent of players in the Super Y-League. Thirteen members of the Ottawa Fury were selected, including nine boys which only highlights the Fury's ranking as the top boys team in North America among Super Y-League clubs.