Hawaii success validates next wave of Griffins talent as program moves into promising new era

Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Dean Cordeiro knew internally that his next wave of talent is going to be good.

But if anything, their recent trip to Hawaii provided some confirmation to the external audience: the Griffins women's soccer team isn't going to miss a beat.

Among the most dominant programs in Canada West over the last decade, the Griffins are facing a large turnover from their 2025 roster with some of the best players the program has ever had graduating.

They will no longer have all-time leading scorer Grace Mwasalla, the only four-time Canada West first team all-star in MacEwan history, fullback Anneke Odinga, and three others in the top 10 in program history in career points Alyx Henderson (third), Raeghan McCarthy (sixth) and Nicole Brodeur (tied for ninth).

Not one player is left from their 2021 U SPORTS national championship roster.

But, as the saying goes, the kids are alright.

In a recent exhibition tour to the Aloha State, the Griffins beat Hawaii Pacific University (NCAA Div. II) 5-0 and tied the University of Hawaii (NCAA Div. I) 0-0.

They had only four subs and none of their 2025 graduates, letting the next wave of talent show their ability.

"Seeing our athletes, back to full health and stepping into these big roles is so exciting," said Cordeiro. "I knew we were strong, but I was ready for it to take time integrating so many new faces. The core of this group is so strong, and they have been working tremendously hard for these opportunities. To see them go out there and maintain our standard in terms of performance on the pitch, it's really awesome. 

"Once we can sprinkle in some of the new incoming players – and it's a big class – we are going to be a tough group to play against. I can't wait for the season to come because it's going to be an exciting year for us."

The Griffins are now 1-0-3 in exhibition matches against the University of Hawaii since they began making the trip in 2019, which is impressive considering the Rainbow Wahine are a competitive Div. 1 side.

"University of Hawaii is a fantastic program, and Michelle (Nagamine) does a great job with the group," said Cordeiro. "It's always a tough challenge when we play them. 

"We're still early days in our spring season and the same for them. I thought we defended really well. Sabrina (Alexander) had a game. She was our player of the game, bar none. She made a couple critical saves at key points to help preserve the clean sheet and also the result. And we picked our opportunities. We had some good moments to potentially win the game."

With four of the Griffins' top 10 all-time scorers graduating, Sophie Lavallee will be the offensive leader of the team heading into the 2026 Canada West season. She scored twice in MacEwan's 5-0 win over Hawaii Pacific University on Feb. 22 (James Maclennan photo).

While many of the Griffins' top players from last season were on the trip like Sophie Lavallee, Ella Fownes, Brynn Hobal, Amelia Russo, Paige Colby, Emma Clark, Kiera Inglis, and Selynna Simao, the emergence of others was big for the Griffins. Lillie Pearson, Keyanna Charpentier, Marina Simao, Ella White and Hannah Corrigan all showed they'll be in the mix for more playing time next fall.

"With us having a very small roster down there – we only had four subs and we didn't bring any of our senior graduating players – it was an opportunity for other players to step up into prominent roles and really show us where they're at leading into next season," said Cordeiro. "So, I felt like we didn't skip a beat. The team was looking very good. We came off a strong performance versus Hawaii Pacific University a few days prior, and I think that really helped kickstart the trip."

Their 5-0 win included two goals by Lavallee – the first off a tremendous cross in from out wide by Inglis – and the second off a pass from Clark on a play that was started by Marina Simao switching the field. Inglis also added a goal off a Russo throw-in, Corrigan scored directly off a free kick and Pearson – a transfer from Thompson Rivers who red-shirted in 2025 – scored for the second time in two games (also tallying against Trinity Western on Feb. 5) after Colby intercepted a ball and slipped it through to her.

The Griffins returned enriched by the Hawaii experience, ready to tackle the final couple of games of their spring season – March 13 vs. Calgary (11 a.m., Scottish Dome) and March 21 at Alberta (12 p.m., Foote Field Dome).

"The team building we got out of the trip with everyone coming together, that's what it's all about," said Cordeiro. "It ticked a lot of boxes of what we wanted to accomplish in our spring season. We're really looking forward to seeing this team going into the fall."