Rise Higher

It’s NWSL draft time again and there are plenty of Canadians who have declared to take part in the hope they may begin their professional careers. Of course, whilst we all wish that Canadian players could have the opportunity to play at home (roll on 2025), the NWSL remains an attractive option for many college graduates. One notable absence here is Jayde Riviere, who reportedly has interest from multiple clubs across Europe, following in the footsteps of other CANWNT regulars such as Deanne Rose, Julia Grosso and Jessie Fleming.

Though there are a few players on the draft list who have involvement with the Canadian senior team, there are also a lot who will not be so familiar to CANWNT fans. Below, we explore the achievements and skills of the CANWNT-eligible players taking part.

 

Emily Amano

Position: MID/DEF

College team: Colgate Raiders

International experience: None

Amano amassed 70 appearances for the Raiders across five years, becoming a staple in their midfield. Additionally, she was a member of the Ontario Provincial Team for four years, guiding Team Ontario to the final of the 2017 Canada Summer Games, earning herself a spot on the tournament’s All-Star team.

Tanya Boychuk

Position: FWD/MID

College team: Memphis Tigers

International experience: CANWNT U-20 (8 caps)

Boychuk is likely one of the more familiar names on this list to CANWNT fans, as she was called up to the Arnold Clark Cup squad, though did not see the pitch. Since then, she hasn’t gotten another look-in, but a successful move to the NWSL may prompt Priestman to reconsider if she can put in a decent showing. 

Boychuk is a midfielder/forward who played for the Memphis Tigers. She was a reliable part of their attack, accruing 21 goals and nine assists in 74 appearances. An injury kept her out for the majority of the most recent NCAA season, but in 2021 she was honored for her efforts with a place on the AAC All-Conference First Team. Her youth international credentials are also impressive – a 2019 Canadian Youth International Player of the Year candidate, she has extensive experience on the U-20 team. At the 2020 U-20 CONCACAF championship, she scored four goals in five matches, illustrating her eye for the back of the net. 

In a fairly crowded forward class, Boychuk may find herself further down the rankings than she deserves, but her proven experience still makes her a good option for the later rounds of the draft. 

Samantha Chang

Position: MID

College team: South Carolina Gamecocks

International experience: CANWNT U-15 (6 caps), CANWNT U-17 (5 caps), CANWNT U-20 (3 caps), CANWNT (1 cap)

As evidenced above, Chang has been with the Canadian youth program for a long time, making her first appearance for the U-15 team back in 2014. She made her debut for the senior team in February 2021, coming on in the 61st minute during a friendly against Argentina. Like Boychuk, opportunities on the national team front have gone quiet for Chang since then, but she has continued to grow at collegiate level, playing a staggering 1900 minutes for the Gamecocks in her senior season. Chang remains a great prospect in a difficult position to find (CDM) should Priestman choose to call on her again.

Sydney Collins

Position: DEF

College team: California Bears

International experience: USWNT U-17, USWNT U-23

Despite her US youth involvement, Collins remains eligible for Canada if she ever chooses to make the switch. Born in the US to an American father and a Canadian mother, the centre-back attended the Portland Thorns development academy and was a two-time state champion with her high school team, before continuing her success at college. Collins was a go-to starter for the Bears from the offset, with 85 appearances during her time there, becoming team captain in her Junior year. Her attacking abilities are also of note, as she led the team with four assists in 2021. Collins’s American citizenship gives her the advantage of not needing an international slot, which may work well in her favour in terms of getting drafted over some of the other names in this article.

​Jessica De Filippo 

Position: FWD/MID

College team: Arkansas Razorbacks

International experience: CANWNT U-17 (6 caps), CANWNT U-20 (2 caps)

After an insanely impressive final year with the Arkansas Razorbacks, De Filippo has to be considered one of the favourites of this list to be drafted. In the most recent NCAA tournament, De Filippo ended as the joint highest goalscorer, sharing the accolade with MAC Hermann winner Michelle Cooper – esteemed company to say the least. Her final regular season with the Razorbacks was equally productive, as she finished with 12 goals and eight assists in 22 games. De Filippo has definitely peaked at the correct time; she has been attracting interest from English clubs due to her performances over the past year, giving her multiple options regardless of the result of the draft. 

Perhaps De Filippo’s breakthrough senior season should have been anticipated; after spending two underwhelming seasons at the University of Louisville, her first season as a Razorback was cut short by injury – yet, she still managed two goals and three assists in just nine games. On the international stage, De Filippo made her debut for the U-15 program at the age of 13, before going on to play in the U-17 Women’s World Cup and the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship at just 16 years old. Her endeavours earned her a nomination for the Youth International Player of the Year at the 2019 Canada Soccer player awards, as well as a senior NT callup to a training camp in November 2019.

Shana Flynn

Position: DEF/MID/FWD

College team: Arkansas Razorbacks

International experience: CANWNT U-15 (6 caps), CANWNT U-17 (4 caps), CANWNT U-20 (8 caps)

Despite her lack of experience for the senior team, Flynn began her youth international career remarkably young, playing in the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship at just 15 years old, starting all four games for the team despite her age. Since 2018, her involvement with the programme has waned, but the versatile midfielder/defender/forward (at this point, just call her ‘an outfield player’) still amassed 18 caps between the youth national teams in just four years. Flynn’s experience covers four CONCACAF Championships (U-15, U-17 and U-20), as well as multiple camps and invitationals. In the 2016 U-17 tournament, she scored the winning goal against Haiti to secure Canada a third place finish.

By contrast, Flynn’s college career was initially disappointing – a place on a stacked UCLA Bruins team led to just 235 minutes played across three seasons, though this was partially due to injury. A move to Arkansas for her senior year was a wise move, as she finished the season with 12 starts in 21 appearances for the Razorbacks. Her versatility should hopefully make her a prospect for NWSL teams to consider. 

Tianna Harris

Position: DEF

College Team: Kent State Flashes

International experience: None

A star for the Kent State Flashes, Harris dominated the Mid-American Conference in her four years with the team. One of just sixty players across the country to be named to the MAC Hermann watch list, Harris also claimed a spot on the All-MAC First Team two years in a row, winning the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021. The centre-back also contributed to the Flashes attack, tying for the team’s lead in goals in 2022, including a game-winner against Bowling Green. She totalled eleven goals in her four years there, starting all 64 games she played in, including a team-high 1620 minutes in her final season.

Sabrina McNeill

Position: FWD

College team: Auburn Tigers

International experience: None

Despite attending Auburn as a graduate student, the majority of McNeill’s college career took place at Eastern Michigan University, where she was a standout both for the university and for the wider conference. She played 77 games for the Eagles, tallying 27 goals and 13 assists, earning her a place on the All-MAC First Team three seasons in a row. A move to the Auburn Tigers saw her impact dissipate rapidly, as she saw just 372 minutes off the bench – a stark contrast to her dominance at her former team. Whatever the reason for her lack of playtime in her graduate years, McNeill still boasts the accolades of her undergraduate successes.

Ida Miceli

Position: DEF

College team: Niagara Eagles

International experience: None

A pacy, attacking full-back with an eye for goal, Miceli has been a standout in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference over the past couple of seasons, making the All-Conference First Team for two consecutive years. With 74 appearances over her career with the Eagles, Miceli has been a staple of the team – her goals in both the quarter-final and semi-final of the most recent MAAC Tournament further indicate her importance to the side.

Reese Moffatt

Position: DEF

College team: Oregon Beavers

International experience: CANWNT U-15 (training camps), CANWNT U-17 (training camps)

Moffatt began her college career at Louisiana State University and was a mainstay on their backline for four seasons, helping the team to win the 2018 SEC Championship, before moving on to Oregon for her graduate year. The centre-back started every match for the Beavers in the 2022 season, registering the full 90 minutes in seventeen out of nineteen matches. Prior to college, Moffatt played for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Elite REX and was part of the National Team youth pool, attending U-15 and U-17 training camps, though she did not play a tournament during her time with either team.

Emma Regan

Position: DEF

College team: Texas Longhorns

International experience: CANWNT U-15 (6 caps), CANWNT U-17 (7 caps), CANWNT U-20 (15 caps), CANWNT (1 cap)

Regan is a full-back for the Texas Longhorns and was capped in 2018 for the senior Canadian National team in the CONCACAF Championship. Impressively – especially considering the Longhorns’ standing within college soccer – she was on the pitch for the team for all but 11 minutes of her senior season. Her endeavours across her college career led to multiple accolades, including spots on the 2019 and 2021 All-Big 12 Second Team and the 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Third Team. In combination with her skills as a full-back, Regan also has experience as a holding midfielder, boosting her value in a position that can often be hard to come across.

As a youth international, Regan amassed 28 caps between the U-15, U-17 and U-20 teams. She made her debut for the U-15 team in the 2014 CONCACAF U-15 Championship, being named a tournament all-star. She then went on to debut with the U-20 team at just fifteen years old. Across six years, Regan competed in six FIFA tournaments between the three youth teams. 

Since 2020, however, Regan has dropped off the radar at international level, having aged out of the youth teams – as many players do, in the absence of either a Canadian league or an U-23 programme. A professional move right now could change things for the 22 year old, who has said she will be pursuing professional soccer regardless of the outcome of the draft. Her accolades and experience speak for themselves; hopefully she will get the pro contract she deserves, regardless of where this may be.

Madelyn Robbins

Position: FWD/MID

College team: FDU Knights

International experience: None

Robbins was a regular for the Knights during all five seasons with the team, notching 81 starts, nine goals and 14 assists. A standout in the Northeast Conference, she earned All-Rookie Team honours as a freshman, before going on to be named to the All-Conference First Team as a senior.

The draft will be hosted at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m. ET in Philadelphia. The draft will air on CBS Sports in the US. Fans tuning in outside the US can watch on NWSLSoccer.com and the NWSL’s YouTube channel.

Please note: two further Canadian players, Malikae Dayes and Mikayla Dayes, have declared for the draft. We wish them both the best, but as they have both been capped for the Jamaican National Team, we have left them out of this round-up.