Introducing Vermont’s newest soccer team

BURLINGTON, VT – Not even two years removed from its first-ever match, the Vermont Green FC have announced an addition to the family – a women’s team.

“For us, the women’s team and having women representation in our club was always a goal,” said club co-founder Pat Infurna.

This year, the team – also called Vermont Green FC – will play just one game, an exhibition match against FC Laval of Ligue 1 Quebec on June 22.

So far, only five players have signed on to be part of the new Green FC. Each one is no stranger to wearing green and playing on Virtue Field, as part of UVM women’s soccer.

“It’s best that way,” said Infurna, on the Catamounts turned Green FC players. “We’ve got five great players, including Oliva White, who’s a Vermonter herself. Having that sort of representation in the team is really crucial for how we want this to look and feel and how we want it to grow.”

“This is something that I’ve always dreamed of and many Vermont girls have dreamed of,” said White, a a midfielder from Pittsford. “I’m really excited that the Vermont Green has taken this step to pursue a women’s team in the future.”

It’s a future that’s easy to get excited for. We’ve seen semi-pro soccer thrive in the state since 2008 with the Vermont Lady Voltage and most recently the Vermont Fusion. Bother teams are now inactive. The Green FC hope to improve upon that success, but they want to do it right.

“We’re gonna take the time we need to make sure that when this team is fielded for a full season that it is the best possible product for our fans, for the players who want to play for us,” said Infurna. “We want to make a splash. We want people to notice this community, this city, this state.”

A head coach has not been named yet, but UVM women’s soccer head coach Kristi Huizenga and U.S. Women’s National Team World cup Winner Sam Mewis are on the advisory committee.

“Being able to talk to her and associate with her and get to say that I’ve met Sam Mewis is truly a dream,” said White.

“I look up to her, my whole team looks up to her,” said Jill Brody, a forward. “So many little girls look up to her. So I think it’s going to be really awesome to have her as a person and an icon to jumpstart this [project] and maybe spread it.”

It all starts at the end of june, and the anticipation has already begun.

“I fundamentally believe that this will be one of the biggest games of the summer,” said Infurna. “I think this community understands what this club is trying to achieve and I think the appetite for women’s soccer is extremely high. This game is going to be pandemonium. It’ll be like nothing we’ve seen at Virtue Field and it’s going to be really fun.”

“I’m hoping that it’s loud, rowdy. I’m hoping that we see that green smoke,” said Brody, referring to the green smoke present following wins on Virtue Field for the Vermont Green FC men’s team.

As Vermont has only continued to prove its allegiance to the sport of soccer, it seems there’s no doubt the Green FC fanbase will bring the smoke for the Women in Green this summer.

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