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CBC
a day ago
- Sport
- CBC
Joy of playing soccer returns for Canada's Jordyn Huitema after harrowing U.S. home invasion
Social Sharing The smile was wiped from Jordyn Huitema's face as quick as the forward's stride on a soccer pitch. She was discussing her and the Canadian national women's team's long-standing rivalry with the United States when a Toronto reporter asked Huitema about being victim to a home invasion last month. With a night off on May 1, the fourth-year member of the National Women's Soccer League's Seattle Reign FC locked all doors of her home in Mercer Island, Wash., at 8:30 p.m. PT and went to bed. Soon, Huitema heard noises downstairs but the home alarm didn't sound. She quickly entered survival mode, grabbing clothes, her phone and barricading herself in the bathroom by hiding in a locked water closet. WATCH | Huitema returning to normalcy after traumatic home invasion scare: CanWNT star Jordyn Huitema on finding her game after frightening home invasion 8 minutes ago Duration 1:56 "I was sitting on the floor with my back against the door and my feet on the toilet, pushing against the door," Huitema, from Chilliwack, B.C., later told the Seattle Times. "But then … there was one person that came into the bathroom with me, and his flashlight was shining, and I could see it going under the door. I knew he was right beside me, and I was just hoping that he didn't touch the door. "That's when I put my hand over my mouth and nose and was just trying to hold in all the tears, trying to hold in all the sounds, just trying to be as quiet as possible." Huitema called 911 and eventually reached a dispatcher, whispering details in a bid to stay hidden. She doesn't know whether the robbers realized she was home but was never spotted. They intruders stole nearly $200,000 US worth of belongings, according to court documents. Weeks later, Huitema and her Canadian teammates are preparing for Friday's Pride Celebration friendly against Costa Rica, a 7:30 p.m. ET start at BMO Field in Toronto. 'It's a journey' Huitema now has more jump in her step. She's having fun hanging out with her teammates on the national squad. And she's excited to play before a home crowd. "A work in progress," is how the 24-year-old Huitema described her return to soccer in a Zoom call this week with Signa Butler of CBC Sports. "It's a journey. I've got my routine back of sleeping and eating; the basics to be a professional [athlete]. "The joy being on the field brings me is something you don't feel anywhere else. I feel like a different person than where I was at [a few weeks ago]." Following the home invasion, Reign head coach Laura Harvey gave Huitema the option to sit out, but she chose to play. "I tried to give everything," the player said, "and that wore me down more without realizing I was slipping away from myself. I was exhausted. "I was struggling so much that when it was time to step on the field my head was in a different world. "I'm very bad at choosing myself in situations where I should," continued Huitema, "but I'm learning." After an "amazing" conversation with Casey Stoney, first-year head coach of Canada's national women's team, Huitema returned to Chilliwack and spent about a week with her parents and siblings. "She agreed I should step away," Huitema said of Stoney, the 42-year-old former England captain hired by Canada Soccer in January. "I never like to wave the white flag and say that I'm down. WATCH | Holly Ward, Evelyne Viens lead Canadian sweep over Haiti: A pair of goals by Viens leads Canada to another win over Haiti 23 days ago Duration 3:08 Made senior national team debut at 15 "[But] it was a good reset. Had I let [the situation] spiral, it could have turned into something where it needed to be a longer-termed [absence] but all I needed in that moment was a week." These days, Huitema is excited about the number of fresh faces with the national team. In March 2017, she made her debut with the senior club as a 15-year-old in Canada's 1-0 Algarve Cup final loss to Spain in Portugal. She was the third-youngest woman to play for Canada behind only record-holder Kara Lang and Jessie Fleming, who were also 15. "We need to start developing the future of Canada soccer," said the five-foot-10 Huitema, who won 2021 Olympic gold in Tokyo and was a member of last year's team in Paris. "You see yourself in [the younger players]. You can relate to them, so you try to give a helping hand or be supportive to make them feel comfortable." After Friday's friendly, the eighth-ranked Canadians travel to Washington to face the top-ranked U.S. on July 2 at Audi Field. Canada, which hasn't won in America since Nov. 11, 2000, has a 4-53-9 record against the U.S. that dates to 1986 when the Canadian women's program was established. "Yeah, we all hate [the U.S. team]," said Huitema, smiling. "It's the rivalry we have. It's funny because I've been playing with so many of [their players] the last three, four years. I'm close friends with 95 per cent of them. "I'll have brief conversations with them, and they'll say, 'We hate you guys. You're so nice, and we love you as people, but we hate you.' It's probably the most exciting game we get to play. It's the [one] you want to win, for sure."
CBC
17-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Is Canada ready to win the Gold Cup? Plus, Holly Ward talks her NSL journey
Andi Petrillo is joined by former CanMNT goalkeeper Craig Forrest to break down whether Canada can finally end a 25-year Gold Cup drought. Plus, Vancouver Rises star Holly Ward stops by to talk NSL and playing for the CanWNT national team.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Quinn excited by Northern Soccer League opportunity, says 'sky is the limit' for Canadian talent
When Quinn was a young and aspiring soccer player, they would scour the local newspaper to clock the next time the Canadian women's soccer team would play in Toronto. "Growing up, there weren't many opportunities to watch professional sports for women," Quinn told CBC Sports. "I was obviously really excited whenever the national team came into town, came into Toronto, and I got to watch. I absolutely begged my parents." Years later, Quinn has spent more than a decade on the CanWNT, winning two Olympic medals in the process and making history as the first-ever openly transgender and nonbinary athlete to medal at the Games. But now, they're knocking off one more bucket list item: playing professionally in Canada, for the inaugural Northern Super League (NSL) season. "I've always wanted to be in Vancouver. So it's exciting to see that finally come to fruition," they said following their signing announcement with Vancouver FC Rise. "I'm so excited to go to Toronto, beat Toronto, and then be able to go and have dinner with my family … having them come and watch me … that's just something that I wasn't sure I was ever going to see in my lifetime." WATCH | Quinn joins CBC Sports to describe excitement of NSL launch: The launch of the NSL in April will make history as the first Canadian pro soccer league for women — a milestone Quinn feels is long overdue. "I don't want to say embarrassing, but I think as Canadians, I think we should feel a little embarrassed of the fact that we haven't been able to support women's professional leagues for so long." Despite this, they call the launch of the NSL the turning of a "new leaf" for soccer in Canada and are excited for what it will do for the younger generation of footballers. "It's inspiring the younger generation to see that's something that they can achieve when they're older. That's such a cool thing, to give them another pathway of following their dreams," Quinn said. "The sky's the limit for the talent that we can bring through this country." League welcomes national players Other recent NSL signees include national team midfielder Emma Regan and forward Latifah Abdu, plus former national players like Desiree Scott, Erin McLeod, and Christabel Oduro. "As a national team, we've always talked about what we want the league to look like," said Quinn. "To have national team players joining the league is just proving that this is a league that we want to get at the highest level. We want to compete with the top leagues in the world, and we want to bring the best talent through Canada." Quinn's move to Vancouver comes just before the CanWNT is set to compete in the Pinatar Cup next month, where they'll face China, Mexico, and Taiwan. The tournament in Spain will be the first time the squad is led by Casey Stoney, the team's newly hired head coach after predecessor Bev Priestman was dismissed for her role in the drone-spying scandal. "There's been a lot of excitement and support around Casey Stoney being the new head coach," Quinn said. "It's definitely a new chapter with the new cycle coming up, and I think it will really give us a head start looking towards our major tournaments coming up in the future, and kind of setting that ground work." And with recent national team player retirements including Desiree Scott, Sophie Schmidt, and Chrisine Sinclair, Quinn is ready to step up as a veteran. "Understanding that we're the veterans now is a really exciting thing in welcoming that new generation of athletes," they said, "There's just so much incredible talent that's coming through with Simi, with Jade,…it's going to be a new team."
CBC
30-01-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Quinn excited by Northern Soccer League opportunity, says 'sky is the limit' for Canadian talent
Social Sharing When Quinn was a young and aspiring soccer player, they would scour the local newspaper to clock the next time the Canadian women's soccer team would play in Toronto. "Growing up, there weren't many opportunities to watch professional sports for women," Quinn told CBC Sports. "I was obviously really excited whenever the national team came into town, came into Toronto, and I got to watch. I absolutely begged my parents." Years later, Quinn has spent more than a decade on the CanWNT, winning two Olympic medals in the process and making history as the first-ever openly transgender and nonbinary athlete to medal at the Games. But now, they're knocking off one more bucket list item: playing professionally in Canada, for the inaugural Northern Super League (NSL) season. "I've always wanted to be in Vancouver. So it's exciting to see that finally come to fruition," they said following their signing announcement with Vancouver FC Rise. "I'm so excited to go to Toronto, beat Toronto, and then be able to go and have dinner with my family … having them come and watch me … that's just something that I wasn't sure I was ever going to see in my lifetime." WATCH | Quinn joins CBC Sports to describe excitement of NSL launch: Quinn ready to lead NSL's Vancouver Rise and 'beat' Toronto 1 hour ago Duration 0:53 The launch of the NSL in April will make history as the first Canadian pro soccer league for women — a milestone Quinn feels is long overdue. "I don't want to say embarrassing, but I think as Canadians, I think we should feel a little embarrassed of the fact that we haven't been able to support women's professional leagues for so long." Despite this, they call the launch of the NSL the turning of a "new leaf" for soccer in Canada and are excited for what it will do for the younger generation of footballers. "It's inspiring the younger generation to see that's something that they can achieve when they're older. That's such a cool thing, to give them another pathway of following their dreams," Quinn said. "The sky's the limit for the talent that we can bring through this country." League welcomes national players Other recent NSL signees include national team midfielder Emma Regan and forward Latifah Abdu, plus former national players like Desiree Scott, Erin McLeod, and Christabel Oduro. "As a national team, we've always talked about what we want the league to look like," said Quinn. "To have national team players joining the league is just proving that this is a league that we want to get at the highest level. We want to compete with the top leagues in the world, and we want to bring the best talent through Canada." The tournament in Spain will be the first time the squad is led by Casey Stoney, the team's newly hired head coach after predecessor Bev Priestman was dismissed for her role in the drone-spying scandal. "There's been a lot of excitement and support around Casey Stoney being the new head coach," Quinn said. "It's definitely a new chapter with the new cycle coming up, and I think it will really give us a head start looking towards our major tournaments coming up in the future, and kind of setting that ground work." And with recent national team player retirements including Desiree Scott, Sophie Schmidt, and Chrisine Sinclair, Quinn is ready to step up as a veteran. "Understanding that we're the veterans now is a really exciting thing in welcoming that new generation of athletes," they said, "There's just so much incredible talent that's coming through with Simi, with Jade,…it's going to be a new team."
