X-Women soccer shooting for back-to-back championships

White and Blue primed to defend AUS crown

By Corey LeBlanc

ANTIGONISH, NS – Defending champions. Those words are music to the ears of the STFX X-Women – and their fans – as the student-athletes and coaches get ready to shoot for a repeat as Atlantic University Sport (AUS) soccer title holders.

Although the White and Blue have "lost a couple of key players," Graham Kennedy – the 2023 AUS and USPORTS coach of the year – noted that everyone with the program is "very excited about our new and returning ones."

Despite the absence of 1^st-team All-Canadian forward and 1^st-team conference all-star, Amanda Smith, who has graduated; and AUS 1^st-team all-star center back and 2^nd-team All-Canadian, Abby Steen – lost for the season while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery – which he described as "massive, massive losses," the Antigonish native added, "We are really optimistic that we have the student-athletes on our roster to step up and fill the voids."

He predicted, "I believe we're one of the favourites, and our goal is to win a second consecutive AUS banner. But, it's a strong field this year, and it won't be easy.

Kennedy said his program realizes they need to be even better than they were in 2023.

"I think this could be the strongest season in AUS women's soccer history," he added. "I'm proud of how strong our league has become."

In their push for back-to-back crowns, Kennedy anticipates a pair of stellar sophomores – midfielder Cheyenne Bower (London, ON), a 2^nd-team AUS all-star and U SPORTS all-rookie team member, and forward Ava Elgood (Almonte, ON) will continue to build on their "remarkable rookie seasons."

"They both made major contributions as rookies and we think that they have more to offer," he said.

Kennedy also expects a continuing upward trajectory for junior forward Aidan Miller (Chilliwack, BC), who was "stellar" in what he described as a "breakout" season in 2023.

"If Aidan is healthy, she can have a big influence on our season," he offered.

Senior Brynn Jurus (Ancaster, ON) – in her first AUS season as a holding midfielder – garnered a spot on the first-team all-star unit for the conference.

"She was impressive," Kennedy said of his student-athlete's performance after the position change. "She's a brilliant player with exceptional game understanding."

Fifth-year senior forward Lauren Reid (Kanata, ON) is another key returnee.

"We are going to lean on her a little bit more," Kennedy said, when it comes to scoring, considering the loss of Smith, the second-leading scorer in the AUS and U SPORTS last season.

He offered that the 2024 X-Women boast roster depth, with several players having "something special to offer."

'Big ones'

When it comes to newcomers donning the White and Blue this season, Kennedy touched on the wealth of potential possessed by an incoming trio.

"They are big ones," he said of the recruits.

Kennedy called midfielder Ashlee Delaney (Ottawa, ON) an "exceptional technician."

"She is a really skilful attacking player," he added.

Kennedy noted that freshman defender Avery Rogers (Toronto, ON) is coming off an "exceptional" summer season in the highly competitive League 1 Ontario, where she earned minutes in the top flight as a U18 player.

"Avery plays with great intensity and she's got a big engine," he offered of the "talented" left-footed left back.

Homegrown product Brynn Canning (Antigonish, NS) follows in the X athletic footsteps of her older sister, Elise, a standout student-athlete with the STFX cross country and track and field programs.

"She has outstanding receiving and passing techniques," Kennedy said of the midfielder and Dr. John Hugh Gillis Regional High School product.

Kennedy expects those first-year players to make an "above average" contribution to the program this season.

Scoring touch

As for keys to success in 2024, the former X-Men soccer student-athlete pointed to STFX's offensive depth.

"We have a lot of goals to replace with the loss of Amanda Smith," Kennedy said, adding, "We'll likely have a more balanced approach this year, when it comes to scoring."

When the X-Women are playing at a championship level, he added, "We are especially effective in defensive transition."

Noting that he believes the X-Women were the top team in the AUS last season when it came to counter-pressure and "getting the ball back," Kennedy anticipates that will continue to be a strength.

He explained, "We can keep the ball and get it back quickly, when we lose it. It's a definite strength of our team."

Lessons learned

Kennedy was asked what type of role the 2023 championship run has in achieving the same success this season.

"It was great to win [an AUS banner], but the last [and lingering] memory of last season was a losing one," he offered of the X-Women's quarter-final loss at nationals.

He explained that setback "helped us identify what we must do" to hold their own at that level.

"It is our goal to compete with the best in the country," Kennedy said.

He suggested that the White and Blue must learn "to do the little things with greater consistency to advance on last's year's results."

"We are focused on learning from our mistakes."

Let's get started

The X-Women kicked off the 2024 campaign with a trio of pre-season matches; a 4-0 win over Moncton on Aug. 17, followed by a 1-0 loss to Acadia on Aug. 19 and a 2-1 loss to OUA opponent Brock on Aug. 24.

STFX starts its defense of their AUS crown on Friday, Aug. 30, in Halifax, versus the rival Saint Mary's Huskies, at 5 p.m. ADT.

In their first regular season home match, the X-Women will welcome the Dalhousie Tigers on Sunday, Sept. 8, at 1 p.m. ADT.

As defending AUS champions, STFX will host the six-team conference playoff tournament at STFX Stadium, October 24-27. Information on the conference championship can be found by clicking here.

For more information on everything StFX X-Women soccer, including the 2024 schedule, visit www.goxgo.ca.

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