Shutdown fullback Clark adds to Griffins' strong pool of stingy defenders
Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Griffins soccer head coach Dean Cordeiro throws out a comparable for Emma Clark – the latest addition to his 2023 recruiting class.
That certainly gets some attention.
The veteran centreback has been a workhorse on the Griffins' back line, and played a vital role to their 2021 U SPORTS national championship, consistently repelling top players from the opposition all tournament, while scoring the game-winner in the quarter-final against Queen's.
Clark, too, is someone who makes the opposing team's attack die at her feet.
"She doesn't get enough recognition for how important of a piece she is," said Cordeiro of the Archbishop O'Leary high school product, who has most recently played with Northwest United club after a youth career split between St Albert Impact and the Millwoods Selects. "She's not the flashiest of players … but she does all the things you need to win.
"She's always matched up against the other team's best attacking players. Her ability to take them out of the game is second to none."
Emma Clark split her youth career between the St. Albert Impact and Millwoods Selects.
Clark has helped O'Leary win two-straight Panda's Cup championships and won their least recognized player award two years in a row. She was a member of Team Alberta in 2018 and 2019 and has been a part of multiple provincial title winners in her youth.
Clark's versatility is also an asset. Not only has she played multiple sports – most notably winning a Div. 1 junior high basketball title in 2020 – she can play almost any position on the soccer pitch.
"Emma is such an important piece to the puzzle," said Cordeiro. "Fullback is probably her best position, with her elite fitness level and ability to create offence."
Also similar to Wright, Clarke has great vision and ability to build play from the back.
"Emma's ability to connect passes fits so well with our playing style. Clarkie leads by example and is a very strong 1v1 defender. We love how she gets around the pitch and the impact she has on a game."
