BMO Featured Players

Whitecaps FC and BMO share a commitment to developing young soccer talent through a coast-to-coast network of Whitecaps BMO Academy Centres.
With World Cup 2026 fast approaching, get to know below some of your future Canadian stars with our Whitecaps FC BMO “Ones to Watch” and “Players of the Month”

Ones to Watch

Nyema Ingleton – Whitecaps FC Girls Elite

Players of the Month – March

Airdrie
Name: Liam Bentley
Birth Year: 2014
What his coaches say: “Liam is a clever and hard working young player. When Liam plays it is evident that he finds great joy in the game. He is keen to learn new skills and solve whatever problems the game presents. He loves a challenge and loves to compete. Liam has quality footskills and enjoys trying creative ways to beat opponents with the ball at his feet. Keep up the great work Liam! We are thrilled to congratulate Liam on winning the Player of the Month award!”
Canmore
Name: Ryan Orchard
What his coaches say: “Ryan is on of our older players in our first group and shows up with a great mentality to create the right environment for himself and everyone else. Ryans ball mastery is improving every week and his mindset to attack is starting to really take a hold of his play. Although Ryan is a strong defender as he reads the game well and is athletic, his decision making on the ball is starting to show that defenders can’t forget him! We are excited to congratulate Ryan on Player of the month!”
Name: Celia Pearse
Birth Year: 2013
What her coaches say: “Celia is a strong and intelligent young player. She brings focus and a high work rate to every session. Celia’s understanding of the game shows in her decision making. She takes advantage of moments to dribble or moments to find a teammate with a pass. Celia is coachable and her effort to apply the coaching points to each activity and game is evident. Keep up the great work Celia! We are thrilled to congratulate Celia on winning the Player of the Month award!”
Name: Rhys Solis
Birth Year: 2010
What his coaches say: “Rhys brings a top mentality to every session and shows a real maturity to the way he approaches his training. His work ethic is tough to match and that helps him challenge the group to keep up. Rhys shows strong technique in tight spaces and a desire to attack and get to goal! With a strong idea of how he wants to attack, Rhys also shows that his work rate applies to both sides of the game when he works defensively We are thrilled to congratulate Rhys on winning the Player of the Month award!”
Name: Elizabeth Henry
Birth Year: 2009
What her coaches say: “Lizzy’s work rate and determination in every session is top notch. She shows up to every training session with the intention to improve and raises the standard for the players around her. She is a technical player who is dangerous with the ball at her feet. She does well to impact the game in 1v1 situations as well as combining with teammates on the attack. Lizzy’s work rate and quality shows on both sides of the game. She puts in strong tackles and recovers to defend with pace when necessary. Keep up the great work Lizzy! We are thrilled to congratulate Lizzy on winning the Player of the Month award!”
Kootenays East
Name: Findlay Whittick
Birth Year: 2008
What his coaches say: “Findlay has taken massive strides in his development since his enrollment in the Caps to College program this year. As a first time player in the program, he has established himself as a model athlete as a result of his quality as an athlete and his leadership. He is always willing to work hard to improve himself and those around him. His stunning performance taking charge of the back line over the Mayor’s Cup in Surrey was very notable, catching the eye of the coaching staff and his peers. Great job Findlay, keep up the amazing work!”
Kootenays South
Name: Sophie Veitch
Birth Year: 2007
What her coaches say: “Sophie was an instrumental part of her Caps to College team’s success over the weekend at Mayor’s Cup in Surrey. Sophie was an irreplaceable part of the team and worked tirelessly in midfield. She battled hard in and out of possession to both regain the ball and look to play it into our forwards. Sophie is also such a fantastic presence off the field and is so friendly and welcoming to all others. Very well done Sophie, congrats on a great weekend!”
Kootenays West
Name: Emma Wouters
Birth Year: 2007
What her coaches say: “Emma and her Caps to College just got back from the Mayor’s Cup in Surrey where she performed incredibly well in leading her team to success. Emma was our MVP for the weekend and was a huge presence both on and off the field. Emma patrolled midfield with dominance in her ability to break up play and regain possession, as well as her range of passing and ability to connect defense with attack. Off the field she was inclusive and welcoming to all players and making everyone feel part of the team. Overall, a very great weekend for Emma. Congrats on the well-deserved award!”
Name: Brynn Leschert
Birth Year: 2009
What her coaches say: “Brynn works tirelessly at her game. She has a great attitude to learning the game and puts everything into all of the prospect sessions. Her constant smile is infectious to others, and you can really tell she loves playing soccer and being in the Whitecaps environment”
Name: Ty Stang
Birth Year: 2009
What his coaches say: “Ty is a fantastic person to have in the sessions. Gives 100% non-stop, will always go outside of his comfort zone to try things and be creative. Always first to volunteer and/or helping with the session setup Ty is a credit to his family and himself. He is a joy to work with and really see Ty having a bright future in the game”
Name: Heidi Miles
Birth Year: 2006
What her coaches say: “Heidi has been in fantastic form this month as showing excellent improvement as we parepare for the season ahead. Her athleticism and finishing in the final 3rd has been great to watch”
Name: Mateo Marek
Birth Year: 2006
What his coaches say: “Mateo has been an exemplary athlete and a great teammate with his positive attitude, work ethic and strong performances in training. Keep up the great work!”
Mainland – Girls
Name: Daniela Salvestro
Birth Year: 2013
What her coaches say: “Daniela is a fantastic young player in our academy that always shows a passion for the game. She works hard to apply herself to the theme and has shown intensity in all aspects of development. We enjoy working with Daniela as a player who is always driving to become better on the pitch. Congratulations on this achievement, Daniela!”
Mainland – Boys
Name: Ben Toohill
Birth Year: 2008
What his coaches say: “Ben has really been working hard over the last couple of months, his forward passing and dynamic dribbling have gotten a lot better this month. Ben has a great attitude at training and is always excited to get on the pitch! We love working with Ben and he really deserves this play of the month”
Name: Millie Janes
Birth Year: 2009
What her coaches say: “Millie’s hard work and effort to improve her technical skills over the last several months has been very good. She is a very coachable young person. Her ongoing consistent good performances impressed all of the coaching staff and she was invited to train up an age group. Her performance in this age group was also very good and she has been selected to represent NLSA in the upcoming Umbro showcase tournament in Ontario in May with the U15 NLSA team”
Name: Olivia Gillis
Birth Year: 2006
What her coaches say: “Olivia has steadily improved since she joined REX, growing into one of the most consistent performers in the program in recent weeks. Olivia has demonstrated great training habits and solid performances in games against university women’s teams and local boys’ teams. A strong left-footed defender who can win tackles and balls in the air, Olivia is also consistent in possession, receiving and connecting passes under pressure and helping the team build out of the back. Olivia will be part of the Atlantic Canada Development Centre girls’ group traveling to the Whitecaps FC National Combine in April”
Kamloops
Name: Kate Covacueszach
Birth Year: 2011
What her coaches say: “Kate is new to our academy but has quickly shown her enthusiasm and work ethic. She continually want to learn and develop and has been a great addition to our program. The coaching staff is happy to work with Kate and help her in her development and love for the game! Great work Kate!”
Name: Aston Irwin
Birth Year: 2014
What his coaches say: “Aston has been in our academy for our last 2 phases but has shown very quickly his willingness to work hard and learn as a GK. He is showing very good growth and development. As a coaching staff we are very happy to work with Aston and help in his development and growth and love for the game. Great work Aston!”
Kelowna
Name: Ethan Britton
Birth Year: 2013
What his coaches say: “Ethan is a fantastic young player and has been a great addition to our programs in the Okanagan. Throughout our winter futsal program, Ethan stood out in his group with top performances and attitude in training. He excels on 1×1 attacking and defending, however, his most prominent attributes are his game awareness and passing abilities. Ethan loves to assist his teammates to score goals in the games! In addition, Ethan has won 1st place in his group for our Winter Skill Challenge, showing a great work ethic toward his skill development. His scores were excellent! Well done, Ethan! If you keep training like this you will turn into a top player!”
Name: Sydney Baltzer
Birth Year: 2011
What her coaches say: “Sydney has really improved technically and shown more consistent player habits. She demonstrates good composure on the ball, which is improving her decision making and range of passing. Sydney always has a positive attitude in training and she has a great desire to keep developing her game”
Name: Robert Li
Birth Year: 2011
What his coaches say: “Robert has great technical ability and a competent level of awareness and vision where he demonstrates consistently good decision making. He always gives his best at practice and has a strong work ethic. Robert has really improved overall since he started the program”
Name: Khoi Tran
Birth Year: 2008
What his coaches say: “As one of the younger members of the team, Khoi often has his work cut out to maintain is ability against more physical players. Khoi does this and more, committing to every moment 100% and always stretching what we think is possible. In addition, Khoi has an exceptional attitude which is going to help him grow into the incredible potential he possesses. Keep it up Khoi!”
Name: Ben McPherson
Birth Year: 2006
What his coaches say: “Ben has been a part of the SK MLS Academy for a number of years, growing into a senior member of the team and one of the most reliable. You can always count on Ben to provide a helping hand to a teammate, but a positive voice and raise the quality of a session. Ben is the absolute pinnacle of what a team player stands for, and our program would not be the same without him”
PLAYER BMO ACADEMY CENTRE
Addis & Semegn Atkinson Kootenay BMO Academy Centre
Alessandro Calado Manitoba BMO Academy Centre
Alesandro Comita Kamloops BMO Academy Centre
Alexis Tsaprailis London BMO Academy Centre
Anyang & Athiei Achiek Newfoundland and Labrador BMO Academy Centre
Brandon Tam London BMO Academy Centre
Camren Strang Newfoundland BMO Academy Centre
Ebalo Amuri Manitoba BMO Academy Centre
Elizabeth Hanson Saskatchewan BMO Academy Centre
Ellie Lancaster Nova Scotia BMO Academy Centre
Iba Oching Whitecaps FC Girls Elite BMO Academy
Ire Awosokanre Nova Scotia BMO Academy
Isaac Boehmer Okanagan BMO Academy Centre
Jacqueline Cardy London BMO Academy Centre
Joe Hanson Yukon BMO Academy Centre
Kimia Kassanda Alberta BMO Academy Centre
Kyle Steenstra Alberta BMO Academy Centre
Mihail Gherasimencov BMO Whitecaps FC MLS Academy
Molly Mertin Northwest BMO Academy Centre
Owen Antoniuk Alberta BMO Academy Centre
Riad Jaha PEI BMO Academy Centre
Sarina Tait Kelowna BMO Academy Centre
Senna Olivier Okanagan BMO Academy Centre
Taya Short Kootenays West BMO Academy Centre
Thomas Hasal Saskatchewan BMO Academy Centre

Click here and find a Whitecaps FC BMO Academy Centre program near you.