With 2 national trophies under their belt, this N.L. soccer team plans on keeping their streak intact
Keisha Younge is player in the Holy Cross women's team. She and her team are playing in the 2024 Toyota National Championships. (CBC)
The Holy Cross women's soccer team is off and running in the Toyota National Championships, the highest amateur-level soccer competition in Canada.
The team, which represents Newfoundland and Labrador, has scored the previous two national championships, and the team's captain says they're focused on maintaining their winning streak.
"We're kind of using that as a motivation to try and take home a third title now this year as well and defend that championship," said Abby Evans, the team's captain and centre midfielder.
Currently, the team and five other teams representing Newfoundland and Labrador are competing in Surrey, B.C., at Newton Athletic Park. The tournament kicked off Oct. 9, with the team securing a 5–1 victory against Scarborough GS United in their opening match. The final match is scheduled for Oct. 14.
LISTEN: Holy Cross captain Abby Evens speaking on the St. John's Morning Show from BC:
On Thursday, they played against the host team Surrey United, which ended in a loss of 0–2. However, they've secured their spot in the semi-final, which is scheduled for Saturday.
Evans says their strategy this year remains largely unchanged from previous years: They plan to look at each of their player's strengths and weaknesses and adjust. But most importantly, she says, they will approach each game with confidence they can win again.
"We don't want to think too much about the past, but we definitely don't want to forget it."
The Holy Cross women's soccer team won their first match in the tournament and have qualified for the semi-finals. (NLSA/Facebook)
Keisha Younge has been playing in the team for a decade. The year they first won the national trophy, back in 2022, she says it felt surreal.
"Everyone always knew we could win a medal. And then being the first Newfoundland women's team to ever do it in history was huge," Younge said.
"It was probably the most surreal feeling of my soccer career."
Being a two-time champion comes with pressure to take on the next trophy, but she says the team has great support from family back home and fans in the province, which they used as fuel to keep going.
"We know how to win and come together in big games and pull out ... any hard work we need to do to get it done," she said.
"It just goes to show that just because we are from a smaller province, smaller population, it doesn't necessarily mean that we can't compete."
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