Melbourne Victory have signed NPLW Victoria goal machine Catherine Zimmerman for the upcoming Westfield W-League season.
The American import arrives at the club following successive stand out seasons in the NPLW for Calder United SC - proving integral to the club's historic Premiership and Championship double in 2019.
Zimmerman slotted an impressive 78 goals in her 56 outings for Calder, earning her back-to-back NPLW Victoria Golden Boots in 2018 and 2019, and bringing her to the attention of Victory coach Jeff Hopkins.
Prior to arriving in Australia in 2018, the 26-year-old played for Sky Blue FC in her home state of New Jersey.
Zimmerman told melbournevictory.com.au that it was an honour to sign with Victory, who finished runners up in last season’s Westfield W-League Premiership race to derby rivals Melbourne City.
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“I’m extremely proud and excited to have the opportunity to play for Melbourne Victory this season,” said Zimmerman.
“The past two seasons in the NPLW have really fuelled my hunger and belief to take the next step up to the W-League and I’m really driven to perform for the club.
“Victory is a such a well-respected club. They have a fantastic program and I can’t wait to help the team build on the progress they’ve made in recent seasons.
“Jeff (Hopkins) has spoken to me about the style of game he wants Victory to play. He’s outlined the expectations and the standards of myself and the team.
“I can’t wait to start training as we countdown to the start of the season on December 27,” she concluded.
Hopkins, who holds the record for the most wins as coach in the Westfield W-League, welcomed Zimmerman to the Victory family.
“It’s wonderful to have Catherine sign on for the season ahead,” Hopkins said.
“Catherine has been the standout striker in the NPLW for the previous two seasons, she’s got plenty of pace, is dynamic and is a proven goal scorer, as her record shows.
“We look forward to watching Catherine put in the hard work over the coming weeks as we aim to improve and build on the foundations we’ve established with this group.”
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