Canada Soccer has named a 24-player roster for a February camp in Spain ahead of the CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship Qualifiers in March.
Melyna Alexis, Gabriela Istocki, Lacey Kindel and Reed Tingley return from the squad that made the quarterfinals of last year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco before losing to Brazil in a penalty shootout.
Alexis, from Mascouche, Que., was just 15 at that tournament.
Kindel, meanwhile, comes from a B.C. sporting family. Father Steve Kindel and mother Sara Maglio both played soccer for Canada, while Lacey’s brother Ben is a rookie forward with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The roster, which includes two training players, draws on players born on or after Jan. 1, 2009.
The Canada camp, which runs Feb. 2-14 in Salou, will include three international matches at Futbol Salou Stadium. The young Canadians will face Andorra on Feb. 7 before facing Finland twice, on Feb. 10 and 13.
Jesse Acteson will lead the team, stepping in while head coach Jen Herst, who doubles as Canada Soccer’s Women’s Youth Excel Program lead, recovers from a medical procedure. Acteson was part of Canada’s technical staff during last year’s U-17 Women’s World Cup and most recently led the women’s U-16 team during its December identification camp.
“This camp gives us the opportunity to integrate both returning players and new talent while continuing to shape the team’s identity and set standards for the cycle,” Acteson said in a statement. “With CONCACAF qualifiers just around the corner in March, every session and match matters.
“We look forward to working with the players, seeing how they respond in an international setting and take meaningful steps toward representing Canada on the world stage.”
Thanks to a bye, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. avoided the first round of CONCACAF qualifying, which sees 28 countries competing for the remaining eight spots in the final qualifying round. The 28 teams were divided into six groups, with the six group winners and two best runners-up moving on.
The 12-team final round will determine the four representatives from North and Central America and the Caribbean at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup slated for October-November in Morocco.
Canada has taken part in eight of the nine previous editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, missing out only in 2024. Its best finish was fourth in 2018 when the Canadian team included Jayde Riviere, Jade Rose and Jordyn Huitema.
Canada Roster (x- denotes training player)
Goalkeepers: Kellyane Dumas, Montreal, CF Montreal; Megan Lemieux, Montreal, CF Montreal; Samantha Powell, Burnaby, B.C., Vancouver Rise FC academy.
Defenders: Christ-Mayron Brou, Quebec City, CF Montreal; Myla Ewasiuk, Langley, B.C., Vancouver Rise FC academy; Iris Oppong, Whitby, Ont., NDC-CDN Ontario; Elizabeth Proulx, Saint-Constant, Que., CF Montréal; Paige Rueffer, Mississauga, Ont., NDC-CDN Ontario; Sloane Southcombe, Ottawa, Ottawa South United.
Midfielders: Brady Burtnett, Dallas, Sting Royal; Samantha Cardoso, Mississauga, Ont., NDC-CDN Ontario; Gabriela Istocki, Mississauga, Ont., NDC-CDN Ontario; Isabella Lanzillotta, Mississauga, Ont., NDC-CDN Ontario; x-Josemichikoayo Olaco, Dartmouth, N.S., Villarreal academy (U.S); Brooklyn Schwartzberg, San Diego, Legends FC; Chloe Scicchitano, Laval, Que., CF Montreal.
Forwards: Melyna Alexis, Mascouche, Que., CF Montreal; Bridget Asekomhe, Katy, Texas, Albion Hurricanes FC; Brooklyn Boldt, South Surrey, B.C., Vancouver Rise FC academy; Adrianna Giese, Burnaby, B.C., Vancouver Rise FC academy; Lacey Kindel, Coquitlam, B.C., Vancouver Rise FC academy; x-Maya Rudic, Charlottetown, P.E.I., SC Heerenveen; Rylee Struyk, Montgomery, Texas, Albion Hurricanes FC; Reed Tingley, Atlanta, Concorde Fire.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2026
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
