Griffins' striker Alfred selected to represent Guyana at CONCACAF U-20 championship
Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Shanice Alfred will be adding international experience to her resume after being selected to represent Guyana at the 2020 CONCACAF Women's U-20 championship next week in the Dominican Republic.
The MacEwan Griffins' striker will be trying to help Guyana qualify during the Feb. 22 to March 8 tournament for this summer's FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Costa Rica and Panama.
"I'd say it's a dream come true," said Alfred, who completed her rookie Canada West season with the Griffins last fall. "I've worked so long for this. It's everyone's dream growing up to be in the World Cup and be on TV and have people look up to you.
"Being selected to this team means the world to me. I get to go out and represent my country and make my family and friends proud, while representing MacEwan as well."
Actually, she was eligible to represent any one of three countries – St. Lucia (her birthplace and where her mother is from), Canada (she became a Canadian citizen last year) and Guyana (where her father is from). Alfred attended a Canadian U-17 selection camp, but didn't advance any further in the program.
It was well watching the Women's World Cup last summer that she realized she might have other options.
"Over the summer when there was the women's World Cup, I heard of a Thai player who was eligible to play for Thailand because her father was from Thailand," she explained. "So, I was like 'I'm eligible to play for Guyana because my dad's Guyanese.' I made a few phone calls and they got back to me and said I was eligible to play."
Alfred has joined the team for a training camp in Toronto before they head to the Dominican Republic for Group D stage games on Feb. 23 vs. Nicaragua, Feb. 25 vs. Puerto Rico and Feb. 27 vs. Mexico. The top-three teams out of that competition advance to the Round of 16 on Feb. 29-March 1 with playdowns continuing until the top two, who qualify for the World Cup, are determined.
Canada is also in the tournament in Group E.
"It's definitely really exciting for Shanice, in particular, and for our program," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "It's great to have one of our players released to international duty. We're extremely happy for Shanice; we think it's going to be a great experience for her, and we think she's going to pick up a few things she can bring back here and help elevate her game to another level."
Alfred agrees that the experience will benefit her upon her return to MacEwan.
"I definitely feel like it will give me confidence moving forward, knowing I've been at that level and can bring a different perspective to the game here when I come back, as well as maturity," she explained. "Being in that type of situation grows you as a player and a person. It gives you a different outlook of what people do and different experiences."
The experience of competing in a short tournament where every game is life or death is not unlike the Canada West playoffs.
"I think just having to be in that type of intensity where everything means so much in a short period of time, there's a lot that can be learned from there," said Cordeiro. "For a playoff run, you've got to come together at the right time. I think her being a first year, she's just scratching at the surface with us.
"Having that type of international experience – some of our other girls have had it as well – it's always massive when they come back and help calm things down here."
