By Ottawa Sports Pages, for Ottawa South United Soccer Club
Long-time teammates Taylor Cassidy and Ashlee Delaney say Ottawa South United Soccer Club has shaped their friendships, their sports paths and their lives.
The future varsity athletes’ experiences at OSU also inspired their choice of university programs for next year. Delaney will study human kinetics so she can always keep her connection with sport, and Cassidy picked education – a product of her experience coaching 8 and 9-year-olds getting their first taste of competitive soccer at OSU.
“I love coaching,” underlines Cassidy, who was proud to serve as captain for OSU’s U17 girls’ Ontario Player Development League team in her final season of youth soccer. “When I was younger, I used to be at same level as them, and seeing them improve each day is just the best. If you see someone struggling and you’re able to help them, it’s honestly the best feeling.
“I just love being around the kids and their energy and everything. They were the #1 reason why I wanted to become a teacher.”
Cassidy coaches OSU’s 2014 and 2015 Iron/Steel teams alongside Delaney. The pair have played and practiced at each other’s side 4-5 times each week since they first linked up almost a decade ago.
“We’ve been together ever since then really,” reflects Delaney, who lines up at midfielder like Cassidy. “Taylor and I are pretty close with a few of the girls on our team, so we spend a lot of time together outside of soccer too. We’ve got such a good bond.”
Cassidy and Delaney are just two of many OSU players who recently signed with varsity soccer programs.
Others include Annabelle Chukwu (Notre Dame), Sofia Cortes-Browne (Arizona), Rosa Maalouf (Texas), Ella Kettles (Arizona State) and Sophia Meireles & Laura Salgado (both Ottawa), with more in the works.
“I’m always so excited when I see people’s posts,” notes Cassidy, also a Team Ontario player the past two seasons. “Half of them I’ve been playing with since I was probably eight or nine years old, so just seeing them becoming the player that you know they’ve always wanted to be is amazing.”
Cassidy is a defensive midfielder known for her tackling and her knack for winning the ball back to create opportunities. Once she finishes Grade 12 this spring at Osgoode Township High School – where she was also a champion basketball player – she’ll be headed to Louisiana Tech University.
Cassidy fell in love with LA Tech’s beautiful campus and the welcoming team. There are also some local links to the program in OSU PLSQ player Flavie Dube and another past teammate of hers with Ottawa TFC, where LA Tech’s Steve Voltz used to coach.
“There was that immediate connection because they’re from where you’re from. I feel like that’ll be a nice strong bridge to have,” says the future Lady Techster. “I’m definitely a little nervous because I’ve never really been away from home, but mostly excited. Especially because the girls from Ottawa said they were very happy with their decision.”
Delaney will leave St. FX to join St. FX
Delaney, meanwhile, will be going from St. Francis Xavier Catholic High School to St. Francis Xavier University.
“Not intentional, but it’s kind of funny,” smiles Delaney, who was a champion cross-country runner for her high school, though soccer has always been her top sport since she started playing at age 3.
Once she decided she wanted to shoot for varsity soccer, Delaney was pleased to receive guidance on the university recruiting process from OSU leaders like Craig Stead, the 20-year-old club’s first player to receive a college soccer scholarship back in 2007.
OSU outlined what prospects should aim to do every few months, such as making and sharing highlight reel videos, and contacting coaches to encourage them to watch their games at university/college showcase and combine events.
There are a full 10 players from the nation’s capital already on the reigning Atlantic conference-champion X-Women, which helped Delaney feel comfortable with the idea of moving to Antigonish, N.S.
The Force midfielder isn’t the biggest or strongest player on the pitch, but her speed, quick changes in direction, technical prowess and attacking mentality have allowed her to excel nonetheless. Another key to success was working on personal fitness independently and spending extra time in her basement training (yes, there was a lot of that during COVID shutdowns).
“I’m so proud of all of us,” Delaney highlights. “It just shows how hard we all worked together to get to this point.”
That includes OSU’s coaches, she adds, noting that their strong work ethic rubs off on players. Coaches spend a lot of time preparing for games and planning training, the field is always setup for players upon their arrival, practices are different so they can improve all around, and they provide individual support as well, Delaney indicates.
“I’ve really enjoyed it – like, every second. I’m always excited to get to practice,” echoes Cassidy. “Everyone’s so close. When you arrive, you get all excited to see your teammates. I’d have to say that’s my favourite memory – just the environment we have.”
Cassidy and Delaney were part of highly successful teams at OSU in recent years. They won three-quarters of their premier provincial division games, and twice reached the OPDL Charity Shield final. Though their Force squads lost both in heartbreaking fashion, Cassidy says the rush of adrenaline she got from competing for a championship alongside her best friends remains unforgettable.
Likewise, Delaney says one of her favourite memories was her team’s trip to England around five years ago. It was a great soccer experience to be in a country where the sport is part of its culture, but she also just treasured the time she got to spend with teammates on their tour bus.
Both players imagine it will be “tough” and “sad” when they head their separate ways for university, but their teammates have pledged to stay in touch, get together when they’re back home, and hopefully continue playing together in future summers.
“It helps keep everyone in the game to have such a good support system around you with your teammates. It’s awesome,” signals Delaney. “My teammates are all my closest friends and I think they’ll be my closest friends for a really long time.”
Find out more about Ottawa South United Soccer Club at osu.ca.
