The nation known for hockey is making a name for itself in the soccer world with two freshmen on the University of Dayton women’s soccer team.
Freshman forward Ashley Campbell, from Bradford, Ontario, Canada and midfielder Nicole Waters, from Terra Cotta, Ontario, Canada have been used to being successful in their respective soccer careers and have continued the trend at Dayton.
Both Campbell and Waters were members of the Canadian National Training Center from 2011-2012. The girls’ future plans are to work hard in order to get called up to play for the Canadian Under-20 team in two years for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, which will be hosted by their native country.
In high school, Campbell was a two-time Athlete of the Year and MVP in both her junior and senior years at Holy Trinity High School. She was head captain of the Newmarket United Soccer Club, who was also three-time Ontario Cup Champions. Campbell helped lead her team to the championship of the BMO Canadian National Championship in 2008, Crossroads of America Showcase Championship in 2009 and two consecutive Disney Showcase Finalists finishes in 2010 and 2011.
“I am really trying to improve individually,” Campbell said. “Every year I want to win more and in order to get farther in the NCAA games each year.”
Campbell scored her first collegiate goal against the University of Texas San Antonio on Aug. 19. She also scored the game-winning goal in the closing seconds of a double overtime match against Boston University on Aug. 23.
She has four goals and one assist this season thus far. She was also named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week for the week of Aug. 27.
Waters attended Christ the King High School, where she was named Christ the King’s Most Promising Athlete in 2009. She was also honored with Junior Athlete of the Year in 2010 and was the recipient of the Christ the King Sportsmanship Award in 2011.
Her club team, Burlington Heat, was Ontario Cup Finalists in 2007 and 2011 and in the Ontario Youth Soccer League Championship in 2008. She also helped the Heat win a Gold Medal in the 2008 Canadian National Championships.
Waters scored her first collegiate goal against Northwestern on Aug. 26. She has two goals and one assist so far this season and also earned the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week title for the first time on Sept. 10.
“I want to focus on improving individually and to win an Atlantic 10 Championship this year and the next three years,” Waters said.
When asked what the differences are between Canadian and United States soccer, both girls agreed that the women players in the U.S. are more competitive, fit, skilled and stronger. The duo also said with the amount of the players wanting to compete here being such a large group, it makes it harder to compete.
When asked what their favorite part about being a member of UD’s women’s soccer team, both girls could not have enough good things to say.
“The entire team and along with the coaches are all really close,” Campbell said. “The coaches work really hard to make us the best we can be and to support us.”
The Flyers are scheduled to face their first A-10 opponent of the season in the University of Massachusetts at 4 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 28 in Amherst, Mass.
