Outstanding ‘team dynamic’
Local Acadia defender prepping for CIS play in Wolfville
Emily Nickerson has been playing soccer on Acadia’s Raymond Field for many years.
But this year will be different. The 21-year-old, fourth-year defender is about to see her university’s home turf in an entirely new light come November.
Acadia University is slated to host the 2016 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women’s Soccer Championship in Wolfville from Nov. 10 to 13.
The Acadia Axewomen will be counted among eight teams vying for the national championship title in an 11-game tournament featuring squads from four regional conferences.
Nickerson, a two-time CIS All-Canadian and AUS All-Star who has also competed at the Canada Games level, can’t wait. It’ll be her first time playing in the CIS championship.
“We have a very solid squad. Our team dynamic is the best I’ve seen yet,” she said.
Nickerson feels right at home at Acadia’s field, a turf she first dug her cleats into seven years ago while playing tier one soccer for Valley United.
“It’s kind of cool to see that I can play at the university level on that same field,” she said.
The Coldbrook native expects to see fast paced, physical play from opponents battling Acadia for CIS glory.
“There’s no weak links in any team… it’s a whole new level.”
Kevin Dickie, Acadia’s director of athletics, is confident soccer enthusiasts in and around the Annapolis Valley will be impressed by the skilled teams that advance to the CIS championship.
“It’s going to be the best soccer that they’re probably going to see in their lives,” he said.
As the host school, Dickie said Acadia has an opportunity to introduce more student athletes to its campus and culture.
“I don’t think that there’s the immersion of community and a university athletic program like there is here,” he said.
“It’s a full-on university town. Game day here, there’s a magic in the air.”
Acadia is partnering with BMO to bring the CIS women’s soccer championships back to Wolfville for the first time since the Axewomen last hosted in 2000. The two organizations will be working with Sports and Entertainment Atlantic (SEA) to make the event a memorable championship experience.
SEA will be leading the charge on a “Celebration of Soccer in Nova Scotia” day event planned for Nov. 12 at the BMO Centre in Bedford.
“One of the key areas of being a top program in the CIS is the ability to host, and host great championships,” said Dickie.
The weekend is set to kick off with a CIS Women’s Soccer Championship banquet at Wolfville’s Festival Theatre Nov. 9. Sportsnet’s Ken Reid and Evanka Osmak have signed on to host the event, which will include the CIS Major Awards presentations.
In the meantime, Nickerson said the Axewomen will be training hard in hopes of making the most of their CIS experience.
“It doesn’t feel like work to me because I enjoy it so much,” she said. “It’s a passion.”