The Kingston Clippers look forward to their home opener in the Ottawa Carleton Premier Women’s Soccer League.
On Sunday, June 2, the Clippers will play Ottawa West at George Richardson Memorial Stadium.
Kickoff time is 1 p.m.
“There’s always something special about a home opener,” Clippers striker Breanna Burton said.
Burton, a former Queen’s University standout, is entering her third season with the Clippers, coached by Marco Giacamello. She won the league’s scoring title last year with 16 goals.
“This might be our best team ever,” said Burton.
“We’ve got some young, talented Kingston girls that mesh really well with some university players from Queen’s. I’m just playing for the love of the game and I’m fortunate to still be able to play at a high level.”
One of those Queen’s players is midfielder Jamie Foot. The Ontario University all-star says playing for the Clippers helps her prepare for the Ontario University Athletics season, which starts in late August.
“It’s a great league with a lot of great players,” said Foot, who hails from North Vancouver, B.C.
This is Foot’s first year with the Kingston squad, and so far, she likes what she sees.
“We’ve got a lot of university players on the squad so we all know what it takes to practise hard and prepare for games. This is a good team, and we’re off to a good start at 2-0,” Foot said.
The Clippers, at least on paper, are the squad to beat the eight-team Ottawa Carleton loop. Last year, they won the league championship for the first time in the club’s history. General manager Bob Machin believes this is the best team he has ever assembled.
“We had a really good team two years ago and failed to reach the top,” Burton said. “Last year, I didn’t think we were as strong but we found a way to win.
“This year, we’ve got another solid club. Right now, our main focus is playing our own game and playing the best we can. If things fall into place, a second straight league championship would be icing on the cake.”