The North Leeds U18 Girls Soccer Team has been showcasing their talents in the Eastern Soccer League, competing against teams from Cornwall, Russell, and Ottawa South. This season, they boast an impressive record of six wins, zero losses, and one draw.
Kieran Hannah, one of the team’s players, explains their strategy: “We like to push up a lot and catch a lot of people offside. That’s kind of our power move there. We have really fast strikers up top, so they’re getting some goals for us, which is pretty nice.”
Their success on the field has created a positive atmosphere both on and off the pitch. “This is an amazing group to play with,” Hannah says. “I’ve played with a lot of these girls for about three years now. Everyone gets along great. It’s a great group of girls.”
Gemma Caron, another player, adds, “I like that we all have so much fun together. Win or lose, we’re always spending time together, chatting no matter what. We have fun.”
The team’s camaraderie and dedication will soon take them halfway around the world as they gear up for the ultimate road trip to Sweden.
“It’s the world’s largest youth soccer tournament,” Coach Scott Halladay said, highlighting the significance of the trip. “There are over 1,800 teams from 79 countries and over 4,800 games in a week. That’s going to be crazy.”
The girls, many of whom also play together on their high school team, are excited to face new competition. Caron anticipates the challenge, saying, “I think the teams are definitely going to be a lot more technical and probably very quick-paced, good passing, stuff like that, probably aggressive.”
“We’re gonna have fun. That’s the expectation,” Halladay said. “(If we) Score a couple of goals. If we win a game or two, bonus. If not, it’s more for the experience, right?”
The team has spent the past year preparing and fundraising for the trip, an effort made possible by community support.
“Just to thank all of our community members that have got us this far, lots of money being raised and we appreciate every dollar that’s gone into us,” Hannah said.
The North Leeds U18 Girls Soccer Team is guaranteed three games at the tournament, two against teams from Sweden and the third from Norway. Their long trip to Sweden begins this Thursday.