Talent across all position groups has Griffins poised for a big season in 2025

EDMONTON – As vivid and joyous the celebration of winning the 2021 U SPORTS Championship was for the Griffins women's soccer team, the memory has now aged four years.

As the Griffins aim to create a new chapter in their storied history, they still have five players from that championship squad, who can lead, teach and mentor what it takes to be great.

Grace Mwasalla, Anneke Odinga, Alyx Henderson, Nikki Brodeur and Raeghan McCarthy will be key for the 2025-26 team as they attempt to qualify for nationals for the first time since winning it all at Cape Breton University.

Odinga, Mwasalla and Henderson will wear the captain's armband during the season, fronting a seasoned leadership group that includes Selynna Simao, Amelia Russo, Sophie Lavallee and Ella Fownes.

"Anneke leads by example," said head coach Dean Cordeiro. "Every time she's on the pitch, you're getting a top performer, giving it everything she has every single time, and I think that's contagious within the group. Everyone else rallies around that and everybody elevates their game."

Fullback Odinga is a three-time Canada West first team all-star, while forwards Mwasalla and Henderson are the two of the three most prolific scorers in the program's Canada West history with a combined 50 regular season goals.

Add in McCarthy – the team's all-time leading playoff goal scorer – and things are looking up ahead of their home opener on Friday vs. Manitoba (12 p.m). The teams will also meet on Saturday (12 p.m., both Clarke Stadium, Canada West TV).

"I'm very excited about this team this year, especially having Raeghan back," said Odinga. "That's pretty killer. The kids right now, seeing them in their first preseason games, I'm very excited for them to get some minutes. It's another strong team."

The Griffins scored 41 goals in 14 games last season, the second-highest offensive clip in program history, and they look to have a strong ability to do much of the same in 2025.

 Alyx Henderson goes against Manitoba last season. Third in career goals in Griffins' history, the fifth-year forward is primed for another big season (Norman Bo photo).

"Lots of quality, lots of finesse, lots of clinical finishers up there in our forward corps, who are all older and wiser," said Cordeiro. "Obviously, we have a core group who won the national championship playing in their senior year now. What we saw Sophie do last year (eight goals), Alyx and Grace are a year older now and Nikki Brodeur has been such a key contributor. And to sprinkle in some of the young amazing talent that's come in, we're very excited about what our front three is going to be able to do and all the support they're going to have underneath them.

"I think you're going to see a team that's exciting to watch and get people out of their seat."

At midfield, the Griffins are as strong as they've ever been with McCarthy bolstering a group that already featured rookie of the year Paige Colby, the gritty Brynn Hobal, technician Bryn Mortensen and others.

"It might be the strongest position group we've had in years here at MacEwan," said Cordeiro. "With Raeghan's return, we're excited about so many different partnerships we can have within that group, which is exciting. There's a lot of top talent in there. They all bring something different. I think they complement each other with the things they do. That's a group that will drive play. We have a lot of players who will link up, make quality final passes, break lines on the dribble and create overloads in central areas. 

"Then when we're out of possession, you'll see an extremely hard-working team that's going to press to win balls back right away, intercept balls, stick tackles and win aerial battles." 

 Selynna Simao is a big part of the Griffins' stingy back line (Norman Bo photo).

The Griffins' back line is traditionally the backbone of their success, and this year is no different with strong returners such as Fownes, Odinga, Simao and Russo.

"It's something we pride ourselves in, for sure," said Cordeiro of strong defensive teams over the years. "There's a certain skill set and profile we look for at the centre-back and fullback position. We're really happy with that group. We're finally healthy. We had a few people injured last year. Now with the group coming together, we like how it's shaping up as well. 

"Our centre backs are amazing 1 v 1 defenders and are a focal point in how we want to play and build our attack in the four different zones, linking up with all the different units on the pitch. Our fullbacks play like wingers, they get up and down the pitch. The amount of kilometres they're covering is incredible. It is such a strong group, including a couple of incoming freshmen that are ready to make their mark. 

"We're excited. The back four is looking strong."

In goal, only Sabrina Alexander returns from last season, but rookies Carly Uchacz and Addison Manegre are both high-end recruits, capable of playing minutes right off the bat.

"All three of our goalkeepers are very poised, great shot stoppers with the ability to distribute at a very high level in our game model," said Cordeiro. "The way we play the game, we need our goalkeepers to be a quarterback for us to break lines, skip and bypass when necessary to avoid different teams and how they press us. We like all of their ability to distribute at a very high level. They're very poised in the area. 

"We are very happy with where the group is at."

 Sabrina Alexander clears the ball away under pressure against Manitoba last season (Norman Bo photo).

The goal will be peaking at the right time to make the Canada West Final Four and nationals, which are set to be held Nov. 7-10 in Hamilton, Ont., hosted by McMaster University. 

But that's the big picture. At the moment …

"I think this year we're focusing on one game at a time and making sure we complete every weekend by every weekend – focusing not on the future, but right now," said Odinga.