On July 1, Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee revealed the names of the 18 athletes set to represent Canada at the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament as part of Paris 2024. 

An unprecedented number of Made in Ontario athletes have been selected for the upcoming Olympic games, with 12 players making up 67 per cent of the roster. This incredible and historic representation underscores our province’s rich soccer talent and continuous development, which contributes significantly to the National team’s success. 

*The names of Made in Ontario athletes appear in bold*

GOALKEEPERS: Sabrina D’Angelo (Welland), Kailen Sheridan (Whitby) 

DEFENDERS: Kadeisha Buchanan (Brampton), Vanessa Gilles (Ottawa), Ashley Lawrence (Caledon East), Jayde Riviere (Markham), Jade Rose (Markham), Sydney Collins (Beaverton, Oregon, USA) 

MIDFIELDERS: Jessie Fleming (London), Quinn (Toronto), Simi Awujo (Atlanta, Georgia, USA), Julia Grosso (Vancouver, B.C.) 

FORWARDS: Cloé Lacasse (Sudbury), Adriana Leon (King City), Nichelle Prince (Ajax), Janine Beckie (Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA), Jordyn Huitema (Chilliwack, B.C.), Evelyne Viens (L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que.) 

ALTERNATES: Shelina Zadorsky (London), Deanne Rose (Alliston), Gabrielle Carle (Lévis, Que.), Lysianne Proulx (Boucherville, Que.) 

For six players – Kadeisha Buchanan, Jessie Fleming, Ashley Lawrence, Nichelle Prince, and Janine Beckie – this will be their third consecutive Olympic Games, after winning bronze at Rio 2016 and gold at Tokyo 2020. Kailen Sheridan, Vanessa Gilles, Jayde Riviere, Adriana Leon, Sabrina D’Angelo, Julia Grosso, Jordyn Huitema, and Evelyne Viens will each make their second Olympic appearance. 

Cloé Lacasse, Jade Rose, Simi Awujo, and Sydney Collins are making their Olympic debuts. 

“It is truly an honour and a privilege to be named to the squad and to get to play in my first Olympics,” said Rose. “We speak on this often but the connection and trust amongst this team is unmatched...Overall, we’ve been able to create an environment in which players can be brave, brave in challenging themselves day to day in practice, brave in their choices on the field and brave in trusting themselves to bring what they do best. And it is that bravery that will get us where this team was 3 years ago. I can’t wait to get started, let’s go Canada!” 

Fleming, a seasoned player with 132 international appearances, will captain the team. She assumed the leading role after Christine Sinclair’s retirement late last year. Reflecting on her journey, Fleming shared, "It is always an honour to be a part of this team and an even bigger honour to represent the wider Team Canada in Paris. We have grown a lot in the last year as a team and are confident we can repeat the success we have had historically in this tournament."  

CANWNT’s success is also supported by dedicated support staff from Ontario, including: 

• Joey Lombardi (Brampton) – Analyst 
• Dr. Lee Schofield (Wallaceburg) – Team Physician 
• Dr. Melissa Tancredi (Hamilton) – Chiropractor 
• Joseph Vecchione (Toronto) – Sports Science Support 
• Melanie Evens (Toronto) – Athletic Therapist / Massage Therapist 

Ontario Soccer wishes the entire CANWNT team the best of luck as they aim to defend their Olympic title in Paris. Go, Canada, go! 

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games soccer tournament will feature 12 participating nations. The competition will take place from July 24 to August 10 and be held across various notable cities in France. Canada’s group stage schedule includes matches against New Zealand, France, and Colombia. For more information, visit the Canada Soccer website.