Player Highlight: Elizabeth McLeod, Women’s Soccer/Futsal

Good attitudes breed good results through adversity, something that Elizabeth McLeod has shown in a Rustlers uniform.

The third-year goalkeeper, known as Lizzy to her teammates and instructors at Lakeland, first came to the Border City in the winter of 2024, after competing for the Portage Voyageurs. She has since become a mainstay in the women's program, helping contribute to a fourth-place finish in futsal last year.

McLeod credits her sister as being part of the decision to become a keeper. As she grew, she delved into gaining flexibility to supplement her length.

"I was inspired by her when I was little and I also liked the challenge of it," McLeod said. "As I got taller, then I began to cover a lot more space."

"During the pandemic, when we were all stuck at home, I did a bunch of flexibility work, along with other training to keep my endurance up."

She further delved into her fitness after suffering a significant injury as a rookie. During a particular chilly outdoor contest, McLeod tore her hamstring, sidelining her for seven months.

"I did the splits, as I often do and it popped," she said. "It was a very cold day."

"Now, I put a lot of emphasis into training and preparing for the game, but I build it on my own in practice and put more emphasis on warming up. You'll see me off to the side doing my own thing, stretching, activation and then doing the team warmup as well."

At the beginning of her rehab, McLeod made the transfer to Lakeland, joining the team during their futsal season while she worked diligently on recovery.

"I had heard about a lot of good experiences, so I was drawn to the fun an inclusive environment I had heard about," she said.

"I've really enjoyed myself here, being able to rebuild myself post-injury. It's shown me that it's not about how things end, but how you bounce back, start again, and keep going. That's what really matters."

"Lizzy's one of the most motivated people I've ever met," Head coach Doyle Church said. "Her growth from when she joined us two years ago has been a joy to watch."

Despite the women's team going through a rebuilding year on the soccer pitch, McLeod said she appreciates the growth it's provided for herself and her teammates. Heading into their first regional tournament this weekend in Keyano, the team's focus has been on defending and structure, before transitioning into finding better connections between players on the other end.

"It's been valuable seeing how we can improve, get broken down and respond resiliently and bounce back from adversity," McLeod said.

"Her skill set bodes very well for futsal competition, and we'll need all her strengths on display if we are to do well," Church said.

Lizzy McLeod is taking the University Transfer program for Kinesiology at Lakeland in her third year as a collegiate athlete. She and the rest of the Rustlers will be in action in Fort McMurray starting Saturday morning.