Newly signed to Ottawa Fast FC, former Swedish youth worldwide Mollie Eriksson is seeking to assist construct the Northern Tremendous League from the bottom up.
And with a level in neuroscience behind her, the PhD pupil could possibly be doing it as physician/goalkeeper.
“I certain hope so,” Eriksson, who grew up in Ottawa, stated cheerfully.
Eriksson is the primary goalkeeper introduced by Ottawa, whose largest signing to this point has been 37-year-old midfielder Desiree Scott, a veteran of 187 Canadian caps.
“I can not wait to study from her,” stated Eriksson.
In selecting to play for Ottawa, Eriksson is reunited with Fast technical director Kristina Kiss, a former Canadian worldwide who coached her on the West Ottawa Soccer Membership.
“Probably the greatest coaches I’ve ever performed for,” Eriksson stated of Kiss. “She has a fully wonderful means to encourage her gamers and actually assist them obtain their utmost potential.”
At 24, Eriksson has already packed quite a bit in on and off the soccer pitch.
Born in Stockholm to a Canadian mom and Swedish father, the household got here to Canada when Eriksson was younger — shifting round earlier than finally settling in Ottawa in 2008.
Accustomed to new teammates
Her father, a former member of the Swedish navy who now could be an Air Canada pilot, met her mom, a local of Revelstoke, whereas on a ski journey in B.C.
Eriksson attended the identical highschool as Ottawa teammate Liv Scott and the 2 represented Ontario together with fellow Fast gamers Melanie Forbes and Emily Amano. Eriksson can also be no stranger to Ottawa teammate Julia Benati, having performed in opposition to the previous League1 Ontario MVP with FC London.
She performed collegiate soccer at DePaul in Chicago the place she made 75 appearances, all begins, with 19 shutouts and a 1.11 goals-against common. She was named to the Large East freshman staff after ending with an 0.86 GAA throughout 19 video games.
Eriksson has spent the final three years with North Mississauga SC in League1 Ontario, the place she was a finalist for goalkeeper of the yr the final two seasons. In 2024, she was named to the Ladies’s Premier Division Second Staff All-Stars.
Eriksson additionally performed for Darby FC in League1 Ontario in addition to NDC Ontario, which beforehand was a part of a regional improvement program often called REX.
Earlier than the unique REX program misplaced funding, Eriksson was known as into two Canadian under-17 camps. When she was not picked for the under-17 staff, she began to look to Sweden together with her household contemplating shifting again there.
In 2016, she went in Sweden to pursue her soccer dream and hung out with a number of native groups earlier than a coaching stint with Rosenborg. A coach with the nationwide program noticed her and Eriksson discovered herself enjoying for each the Swedish under-16 and under-17 groups.
Off the sector, it was a crash course in bettering her Swedish, which is now fairly good.
When the REX program resurfaced as NDC Ontario, Eriksson returned and subsequently attended three Canadian under-20 camps earlier than attending DePaul. Her subsequent invitation got here from the Swedish under-23 aspect, her final worldwide camp.
Distribution glorious as ‘keeper
Eriksson hopes her play within the NSL will open extra worldwide doorways, both with Canada or Sweden.
Whereas a goalkeeper by commerce, Eriksson has performed at centre again in League1 Ontario reserve video games. Consequently, her distribution as a goalkeeper is superb.
Kiss calls her an “unwavering presence between the posts.”
“An ideal shot-stopper who instructions her space with confidence, she additionally excels in enjoying out from the again, seamlessly transitioning from defence to assault,” Kiss added in a press release. “Her composure and tactical consciousness make her a useful asset to the staff.”
Eriksson brings loads of mind energy as nicely.
After finishing a level in neuroscience at DePaul, she began a grasp’s degree in psychology and neuroscience at McMaster College in Hamilton. After her first yr, she was promoted to the PhD program and is now finding out how persona influences psychological well being in adolescent populations.
She has three years left in this system.
Eriksson will not be the one Ottawa participant increasing her horizons outdoors of soccer. On Monday, the membership introduced the signing of former Norwegian youth worldwide defender Susanne Haaland, who has a grasp’s degree in regulation and has been working half time with a think-tank, focusing totally on environmental points and authorized and human rights.
Whereas it’s early days, Eriksson has nothing however good issues to say in regards to the six-team NSL, which kicks off April 16.
“It is unimaginable to see all of the assets, and, fairly frankly, all the cash being put towards this,” she stated. “And it is actually thrilling, as a result of we stay in a world the place cash speaks. So I feel it speaks quite a bit, the funding in ladies’s sports activities and this having a future. To this point I am actually impressed.”
