Playing in Canada’s net Labbe’s ‘ultimate goal’
When Stephanie Labbe’s contract with KIF Orebro expired, so too did the likelihood that she’d have regular starts in net.
Still, the Stony Plain native willingly walked away from the Swedish club last October so she could make a full-time commitment to the Canadian women’s soccer team.
The sacrifice, she says now, just one month out from the World Cup, was definitely worth it.
Canada will begin its run in soccer’s showcase on June 6 against China at Commonwealth Stadium, and Labbe is one of three goalkeepers on the roster, joining veterans Karina LeBlanc and Erin McLeod, the St. Albert-born, Calgary-raised goalie who has held the No. 1 spot since the 2007 World Cup.
Labbe has made 20 appearances for Canada, starting in 15 games.
“You go play club to gain a lot of confidence and to get your experience, to basically develop,” said the 28-yearold. “I know the success I’ve had in Europe has been a huge factor to the position I’m in with the national team now. Now I’m pushing for that starting position.
“It was a bit of a difficult transition, but at the same time, you play pro to play for the national team. That’s the ultimate goal,” continued Labbe.
She was speaking from Canmore, where she was revelling in a few days of rest and relaxation interspersed, of course, with her strength and fitness workouts.
Following last week’s unveiling of the 23-player roster, the team was given 10 days off before the final stage of preparation.
“When I do get games, I’ve done really well — and I’ve gotten a lot more playing time in the last year just because I have changed my mindset in that sense,” she said. “It’s kind of funny, as soon as you stop worrying about playing time, you end up getting more.”
For the last 10 years, Labbe has been living out of three bags — bags that are often stuffed and overweight — but since she headed to the University of Connecticut in 2004 to play for the Huskies, she has been on the move.
After earning a bachelor of science in early childhood development and education, the former Huskies captain began her professional career with Pitea IF in Sweden, moving to Orebro three years later. This past season, Orebro finished in second place in Sweden’s highest division and, in the process, earned a berth in the UEFA Champions League for 2015-16.
Labbe was a nominee for goaltender of the year.
“It’s been a constant rearrangement of those bags. You would think I’d travel light, but I don’t,” she said. “Even coming here for three days, I have this big bag. I should know how to pack, but it just gets worse.”
She doesn’t know what will happen after the World Cup final is played on July 5. It will be the middle of the season in Sweden, so there are no guarantees there will be a team in need of a goalie at that juncture. There are, of course, other countries and seasons that start in August.
There’s also a chance Labbe may not go overseas, depending on the national team’s calendar. The Summer Olympics in Rio de Janreio get underway on Aug. 5, 2016.
Soccer had started out as a summer diversion for Labbe, who, in her more formative years, was a hockey player — a forward who was the lone girl playing with the boys.
But when she reached that age where she was going to require her own locker-room, her soccer friends convinced her to try the indoor game one winter. She never looked back.
She also ended up in net by chance. Labbe was 12 and trying out for the Spruce Grove Saints rep team when she got her first look at life from between the sticks.
“The coach said ‘we’re going to do a shooting drill. I just need people to be in goal. Can you guys just rotate?’ ” recalled Labbe, who attended her high school grad with Edmonton Oilers goalie Ben Scrivens and has stayed in touch with the goaltender.
“After the tryout, he said, ‘We want you on the team.’ I was all excited, thinking great, I get to play with my friends, then he said but if you’re on the team, you have to be a goalie.
“I guess I had something. I don’t know if it was my big hands or my long arms, but I’ve been playing there ever since.”
Now she’s just weeks away from playing a World Cup in her backyard.
“What are the chances of that? No. 1, just to go to a World Cup, but No. 2 to have it in the city you grew up playing in. It’s going to be a pretty cool experience.” Jireland@edmontonjournal. com Twitter: @jirelandEJ