Joined Spokane Velocity FC on loan from Hartford Athletic on August 3rd, 2024. Former memver of the U.S. under-14 and under-15 youth national teams.
Joseph Schmidt
Midfielder
Marley Canales
San Diego product Marley Canales has extensive experience with the U.S. Women’s National Team, competing on the U-17, U-18, U-20 and U-23 squads. After a standout career at UCLA, where she earned All-Pac 12 honors twice, she was drafted by the Seattle Reign FC in 2022. She made 10 appearances over two seasons with the Reign.
Marley Canales
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: San Diego, California
Age: 26
Read More about Zephyr FC’s first player Marley Canales here!
Wayny Balata
Wayny Balata of Montreal competed extensively in the Canadian national program, helping the squad take fourth at the U-17 World Cup in Uruguay. She also represented Canada at the 2020 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship in the Dominican Republic. She played college soccer at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, where she was named to the AAC All-Rookie Team in 2019 and the All-Conference Second Team in 2021.
Wayny Balata
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Age: 22
Taylor Aylmer
Taylor Aylmer played for the NWSL teams the NJ/NY Gotham, the Washington Spirit and Racing Louisville, as well as in Finland’s top women’s league, before signing with the Spokane Zephyr FC. During her collegiate career at Rutgers, she was named to the Big Ten’s All Freshman Team and earned All Conference Academic honors. She led the Scarlet Knights with 9 assists her senior season.
Position: Midfielder
Jersey: 2
Hometown: Garnerville, New York
Age: 25
Emma Jaskaniec
Emma Jaskaniec scored 37 goals in 91 matches for the University of Wisconsin and was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year in 2022. In her five seasons at Wisconsin, she earned multiple conference honors and helped the Badgers reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2023. She was drafted in the second round by the Utah Royals in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League Draft.
Emma Jaskaniec
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Age: 23
Mollie Rouse
Mollie Rouse has extensive international and professional soccer experience. After two seasons at the University of Louisville, Rouse was recalled home and helped England win bronze in the 2018 U20 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She finished her college career at the University of Central Florida before returning to Europe, where she played professionally for Lewes and London City. After two seasons with FFC Turbine Potsdam in Germany, Rouse returned home to play for Sunderland Women’s FC in Women’s Championship, the second tier of England’s women’s soccer pyramid.
Position: Center Midfielder
Hometown: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
Age: 25
Read More about Mollie Rouse on our news page!
Katie Murray
Katie Murray’s professional experience includes tenures with the top-tier Dutch club PEC Zwolle and the Washington Spirit of the NWSL. As a standout at the University of Illinois, she earned spots on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team as well as the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Katie Murray
Position: Midfielder
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Age: 27
Read More about Zephyr FC signings on our news page!
Emina Ekić
Ekić most recently played forward for Melbourne City of the A-League Women this past season, making 21 appearances and scoring eight goals. The Louisville, Kentucky, native was selected fifth overall in the 2021 NWSL Draft by her hometown club, Racing Louisville FC. In Ekić’s debut, she scored Racing’s first NWSL regular-season goal in a 2–0 win over the Washington Spirit, the club’s first victory.
Position: Forward
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Age: 25
Read More about Zephyr FC signings on our news page!
Sophia Braun
Sophia Braun comes to Spokane Zephyr FC with a decorated career, including multiple All-Conference First Teams in her collegiate career for Gonzaga University, and 29 appearances for the Argentinian national team, and will also play in the 2024 Paris Olympics for the South American country as well. Her biggest game for Argentina came in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup against South Africa, where she scored the country’s first goal of the tournament. She also has experience playing for Mexican club León Femenil, playing in 18 matches.
Sophia Braun
Position: Center Midfielder
Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon
Age: 24
Read More about Zephyr FC signings on our news page!
Collin Fernandez
Collin Fernandez, 26, has been a professional soccer player since he was 17 and signed with his hometown club, the Chicago Fire of MLS. He made his professional debut in 2015 while on loan to Louisville City FC of USL Championship. He spent the 2017 season on loan to the Tulsa Rednecks of USL Championship, where he played in 25 games and helped the club reach the Western Conference playoffs for the first time in team history. The following year, he signed with Phoenix Rising of USL Championship, played in 26 matches and won the Western Conference Championship. After stops with Saint Louis FC and Tacoma Defiance, he made 30 appearances with Austin Bold in 2021, and 22 Sporting Kansas City II in 2022. This past season he returned to Tulsa FC, where he had 17 starts in 32 matches and a passing accuracy rate of 83.2. He also has significant international experience, playing with the U.S. Men’s National Team U18 and U20 squads, as well as Peru’s U20 squad.
