VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Friday that the club has re-signed left back Deklan Wynne and striker Thomas Sanner to Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) for the upcoming 2017 USL season, pending league and federation approval.

The team also exercised the club option on right back Chris Serban.

Whitecaps FC 2 now have 10 returning players from a successful 2016 season, and 11 players on the USL roster as preseason training continues.

“We’re looking forward to getting three important players back from last season’s team,” said Whitecaps FC 2 head coach Rich Fagan. “I worked with Chris for a brief time in the Residency program, and I’m excited to work with Deklan and Thomas.”

Wynne, 21, has made eight starts in 14 regular season appearances for WFC2 since joining the side late in their inaugural season in 2015. Last year, the left-footed defender started five of his 10 regular season appearances in his first full season in Vancouver, after missing the first 16 matches due to injury. He also made one postseason appearance, playing the full 90 minutes versus Swope Park Rangers in the Western Conference Final.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa before moving to Auckland, New Zealand, Wynne has tallied two assists in six senior international appearances for the All Whites. Wynne earned his first cap for New Zealand in November 2014, and most recently featured for his national side in a pair of Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) World Cup qualifying matches in November 2016.

Sanner, 22, joined WFC2 midway through the 2016 season and proceeded to score four goals in 17 regular season appearances, tying for a team-high with 15 substitute appearances. He was named USL Player of the Week after scoring three goals in the last 10 minutes of the 3-1 comeback win over Arizona United SC in Week 22, recording the first-ever hat trick in WFC2 history. He also appeared as a substitute in each of the 'Caps three playoff matches.

Selected by Whitecaps FC with the 36th overall pick from Princeton University in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Sanner scored 32 goals and 15 assists in his four years playing NCAA Division I soccer.

Serban, 21, has 16 starts in 23 regular season appearances in two seasons for WFC2, recording a goal and an assist. He also previously featured for Whitecaps FC U-23 in the USL Premier Development League, and for Whitecaps FC U-18 Residency in the US Soccer Development Academy.

In university competition, Serban played two years with the UBC Thunderbirds, earning CIS Rookie of the Year honours in 2014. Internationally, the defender from Calgary, Alberta has donned the Red and White for Canada's U-20 and U-23 national teams.