Goalkeeper Erin McLeod, 42, embracing challenge and enjoying life in Northern Super League

Neil Davidson · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Apr 24, 2025 12:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

Having played for clubs successful the United States, Germany, Sweden and Iceland, seasoned Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod has been astir the shot block.

And portion the Northern Super League is conscionable taking its archetypal steps, the 42-year-old McLeod -- the oldest subordinate successful the league -- likes what she sees arsenic a subordinate of the Halifax Tides.

In her different leagues, it often came down to players against the owners. Not successful the NSL, she says.

"It's much of a collaborative mindset that I've ever seen before," McLeod said successful an interview.

Given that, she is optimistic the Canadian pro league tin go a satellite person and a spot "where the players consciousness seen and valued and heard."

And portion the league is inactive building, McLeod says the instauration successful Halifax is precise promising.

"The facilities are nice," she said. "We've got a mates of meals a time being provided to us. They're truly trying to link with section sponsors that are going to get down us. I deliberation from a fiscal perspective, [league co-founder] Diana Matheson has done the numbers right. I don't ever consciousness similar we're a nine without."

"The information that we're starting astatine this place, a batch of the leagues astir the satellite that person been nonrecreational for a agelong clip are not adjacent determination yet," she added.

The Halifax players were grooming astatine an indoor analyzable but present are moving retired of Dalhousie University which has acceptable up a dressing country for them.

The NSL had a palmy motorboat successful Vancouver and Toronto past week with much than 14,000 astatine each of the opening games astatine B.C. Place Stadium and BMO Field.

WATCH | McLeod reinvigorated by accidental to play successful Canada:

Tides unfastened play Saturday astatine home

All six teams are successful enactment this play with Halifax hosting Calgary Wild FC astatine Wanderers Ground connected Saturday. On Sunday, it's AFC Toronto astatine Ottawa Rapid FC astatine TD Place Stadium and Montreal Roses FC astatine Vancouver Rise FC astatine Swangard Stadium.

McLeod announced her status from planetary shot successful January 2023, aft 119 caps. But the autochthonal of St. Albert, Alta., continued her nine career, astir precocious with Iceland's Stjarnan FC.

McLeod had been transitioning to a coaching relation but says her tendency to support playing was reinvigorated by quality of the NSL.

McLeod's wife, Icelandic midfielder Gunnhildur (Gunny) Yrsa Jonsdottir is besides connected the Halifax roster. The mates person a six-month son, Baldwin Leo McLeod.

"It's the astir rewarding happening I've ever done connected my life," McLeod said of parenthood. "The archetypal small spot was rather challenging with the slumber deprivation and figuring retired however to bid and person energy, those benignant of things. But he's the airy of our lives, I think. It's been a full gift."

WATCH | Christine Sinclair on NSL's momentous launch:

McLeod says determination are 2 different mothers playing successful the NSL.

With NSL players successful the process of mounting up a players' association, McLeod hopes provisions for parents volition go much formalized. But successful the meantime, she says Halifax caput manager Lewis Page, a seasoned of 25 seasons with the UPEI Panthers. has been "extremely understanding" astir having parents connected the team.

Halifax's different goalkeepers are 23-year-old Anika Toth and 24-year-old Sophia Guilmette. McLeod calls them "spring chickens compared to me" but says the learning goes some ways.

Born successful Oakville, Ont., Toth is simply a Slovak planetary done her household bloodlines. Guilmette is simply a erstwhile Canadian younker international.

"I deliberation the extremity is to person 3 'keepers that tin play astatine immoderate moment," McLeod said. "Of course, selfishly I ever privation to beryllium playing. But clip volition tell."

WATCH | Vancouver Rise FC's Quinn scores 1st extremity successful NSL history:

'I've been pushing myself and it's exciting'

She credits goalkeeping manager Mark Haynes for pushing her.

"He's challenged maine a batch already and I emotion it," she said. "I've been uncomfortable each time successful training. I've been pushing myself and it's exciting. I don't mean this successful an arrogant consciousness but astatine my property and with my experience, you don't expect to travel into an situation and larn a bunch. It's conscionable astir refining. But I've been capable to larn a lot. And speech from the people, that's wherefore I'm inactive doing it."

Haynes calls McLeod a pupil of the crippled "always consenting to learn."

"It's been insightful due to the fact that she's been consenting to assistance the younger goalkeepers. But she's besides consenting to larn from them too," helium said. "The full group, arsenic a goalkeeping dynamic, has been fantabulous due to the fact that they provender disconnected 1 different and look to propulsion 1 another, which is ever bully to person successful your group."

Halifax is simply a household matter with McLeod's sister besides calling it home.

And Jonsdottir has ties successful Nova Scotia though her precocious aunt Gunn Baldursson, who was 15 erstwhile her household moved to Canada. A prima subordinate with the Acadia University shot team, Baldursson was invited to a Canadian nationalist squad campy successful 1987. But 4 days earlier leaving, the third-year pupil was killed successful a car accident.

The Gunn Baldursson Memorial Tournament was created successful her memory.

"I deliberation it's truly chill that she's representing much than conscionable herself," McLeod said of Jonsdottir, who doubles arsenic the Iceland nationalist women's squad spot and conditioning coach. "She's wearing her [aunt's] fig [No. 9] that was retired astatine Acadia University."

There is besides speech of reviving the tournament.