Former Keilor Park junior Claudia Fruscalzo and speedster Stacey Papadopoulos have become the latest players to sign on for Calder United, with the club’s roster starting to take shape ahead of the 2016 NPLW Victoria season.
The duo takes United’s player list to a healthy 10 heading into their pre-season, with a host of other big names signing on with the club.
Fruscalzo spent two seasons with Keilor Park in her youth career, marking a homecoming of sorts for the technically gifted defender.
From there, she moved into the NTC system, before graduating and moving to Bundoora United in 2011 – another one of her former junior clubs.
The natural right-back Fruscalzo really came into her own in the 2015 WPL season, where she was one of the standout centre-halves in the competition, with her ability not only to stop attacks, but to start them a hallmark of her game.
Diminutive winger Papadopoulos joins Calder United, becoming her fourth club in the top-flight of women’s football in Victoria.
The 18-year-old began her journey as a Heidelberg United junior before breaking into the senior team with a bang, grabbing double figure goals in her debut season before securing a move to WPL powerhouses Box Hill.
READ MORE > Football Feature: Stacey Papadopoulos
Papadopoulos made the move to Bundoora in 2014, where she’s battled injuries and fought against a number of talented wingers for a spot in the senior line-up.
She follows coach Mark Torcaso to the club, who stated if the x-factor can stay fit, she’ll play a large role in any success Calder hopes to have.
“It’s exciting to team up with these two outstanding players, they have enormous ability and potential and will bring much needed quality to this club,” Torcaso said.
“Stacey if injury free will be able to win games on her own, her pace and confidence are what makes her stand out.”
The Calder head coach also had a ringing endorsement for his other acquisition Fruscalzo who he praised for her work ethic and willingness to learn.
“Claudia has worked hard on aspects of her game to go to the next level and those aspects will shine in a Calder top,” he said.
“We at Calder look forward to working with both these players in 2016.”
Club President Eric Psarianos echoed the sentiments of Torcaso, and mirrored the head coach’s excitement about the signing of the pair.
“ Calder United is very excited to have signed up both Claudia and Stacey to add to an existing high-calibre of players already signed,” Psarianos said.
“Claudia played some of her junior football at Keilor Park SC and has long been regarded by many involved at Calder United a prodigious talent, so we are very excited to have Claudia at club.
“Stacey is an extremely talented player we believe will thrive in this environment as she matures and believe she will make a very positive contribution to Calder over a long period of time.
“Mark with the help of all his coaching team is assembling a very talented and exciting squad, and both Claudia and Stacey are further evidence of the special environment the club is creating.”
In other potentially exciting news for the club, former Boroondara Eagles player and joint league Golden Boot winner Taryne Boudreau has been spotted within the pre-season training set-up of the NPLW club.