A massive search is underway in Ottawa's southwest Barrhaven community for a teenager who vanished without a trace late Thursday night.

The father of Jennifer Teague is clinging to the hope that the 40 strangers helping authorities scour the area will find clues as to the disappearance of his 18-year-old daughter.

"We're heartbroken" says Ed Teague. "We don't know where she is and someone does."

Jennifer was last seen with a girlfriend at a nearby convenience store after completing her late-night shift at Wendy's on Wednesday night into the early hours of Thursday morning.

"No one has seen or heard from her since," said her friend Alisa Blais.

Suspicions were raised when Jennifer failed to show up for a crucial soccer match on Saturday morning. Neither her cell phone nor bank card has been used since she disappeared.

Police sense foul play and have brought in reinforcements from the OPP and RCMP to assist in the search.

"Obviously we're looking in the whole area grid, hasty search of all the bushes, backyards, things like that" says Sgt. Brad Hampson of the Ottawa Police.

Dozens of volunteers have signed up to assist police in the search.

"I volunteer because I can't believe this is happening" says Kelly Fuoco. "Anything we can do."

"I have four kids and I know how I'd feel if it was one of mine" says Andrew Bruce.

Jennifer attends Elizabeth Wyn Wood, an alternate school where she is known to be a leader.

The last time police undertook a search of this magnitude was for Ardeth Wood -- whose body was found five days after her disappearance in 2003. However, police are careful not to draw comparisons from case to case.

As the dragnet expands, her father has not lost hope. "I'm trying to stay positive, that a miracle will happen and she'll walk through the door and say hi, I'm home."