From campus to club: the OUA’s role in shaping the NSL’s first pro class
Burlington, Ont. (via AC Lang / wsoccer.ca) – In October 2024, Queen Gaels goalkeeper Kristin Tynan stepped off the field for the last time on a frosty night in North Bay, after an extra-time loss in the OUA quarterfinals. Just months later, she would step into a new chapter – signing with her hometown club as one of the first professionals in Canada's inaugural women's league, the Northern Super League (NSL). Now, she trains alongside national team players like Quinn and Samantha Chang, with the Vancouver Rise. Coincidentally, she'll face off against one of her former Gaels teammates, Christie Gray, in the historic first match this evening (Kickoff 10pm ET/ 7pm PT, watch on TSN 1 & 3 or CBC Gem).
Her journey from Ontario University Athletics to the NSL was something she couldn't have imagined only a few years earlier when she began her career with the Gaels in 2020. An OUA champion in her rookie season and a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian in 2023, Tynan established herself as one of Canada's top young keepers over her five-year OUA career. But it was a training spell with WSL club Everton during an exchange that sparked her ambition to go pro.
"When I went on exchange in my third year in England, I had the opportunity to train with a professional team, and that experience truly ignited the goal within myself, in hopes of signing a professional contract upon graduating from Queen's." - Tynan via Queen's Athletics
With the NSL launching in 2025, Canada's soccer landscape finally offers its domestic talent a home grown professional pathway. While the league's creation is a long-awaited milestone, it also shines a spotlight on a pipeline that has been quietly growing in Ontario for years.
This article explores how the OUA has become a proven route to the professional game and why its role will only grow stronger as the NSL takes root and encourages athletes to stay in Canada while pursuing both sport and education.
The OUA Pipeline: A Proving Ground for Future Pros
Often flying under the radar, the OUA is deeply respected within Canadian soccer circles, for its competitive balance, technical standard, and fierce rivalries. Powerhouse programs like Ottawa, Queen's, Nipissing, Western, Guelph, and York consistently produce top-tier talent that not only competes nationally, but now moves on to the professional level.
"The OUA has long played a crucial role in shaping top Canadian talent, with the launch of a domestic pro league, its relevance will only grow. We're now a key bridge between youth development and the professional game, and that's an exciting place to be. I fully expect the OUA to produce many high-achieving athletes who are ready to make and impact in the NSL" - Onkar Dhillon, Head Coach, Western Mustangs
17 OUA alumnae are currently playing professionally around the world – from Portugal to Poland and Lithuania to Italy. Six of them have been signed to the NSL's inaugural rosters. Their paths to the NSL are unique. Their routes to the league vary – some stayed in the OUA all the way through, others used it as a launchpad to the NCAA or returned home to complete their careers. But the OUA was a formative part of the journey for each.
Let's meet the six former OUA athletes ready to make their mark in the NSL's debut season.
OUA Through and Through: Players Who Stayed the Course
1. Kirstin Tynan (Queen's University, 2020-2025)
C/O Robin Kasem
Hometown: North Vancouver, BC
Position: Goalkeeper | Playing Style: Calm shot-stopper
Major: Political Science/Health Studies
Achievements: OUA First-Team All-Star, OUA Gold and Silver, U SPORTS All-Canadian
Signed With: Vancouver Rise
Profile: Known for her calmness with the ball at her feet, athleticism, and on and off-field leadership. Her consistent performances as a starter for the Gaels made her a natural pick for a team building a competitive goalkeeping union.
"We are incredibly excited that Kirstin has signed with Vancouver in the new Northern Super League, we couldn't be more proud of her. She has been an amazing goalkeeper, leader, and ambassador for our program for the last five years and we have no doubt she'll bring that same dedication and excellence to the Rise and the league as a whole. We're thrilled to watch her continue to shine at the next level!" - Queen's Coach Dave McDowell via Gaels Athletics
2. Christie Gray (Queen's University, 2017-2021)
C/O Queen's Gaels
Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Position: Forward | Playing Style: Dynamic Winger
Major: Commerce
Achievements: 2x OUA All-Star, OUA Gold, U SPORTS All-Canadian
Signed With: Calgary Wild
Profile: Gray is a tricky winger with an eye for goal. She scored 26 goals for the Gaels and added 13 assists. She has been playing professionally since graduating, playing nearly 70 games first in Sweden and then in Ireland, where she won the League Cup.
"I am so grateful for my time in the OUA and I am confident it provided me with the foundation to develop as a player before pursuing a professional career. U SPORTS is full of talented players and I hope the NSL is able to showcase the talent of past U SPORTS stars and be a place where many future Canadian girls can dream to play." - Christie Gray
3. Farkhunda Muhtaj (York University, 2015-2019)
C/O Placide Ilunga
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Position: Midfielder | Playing Style: Deep-lying Playmaker
Major: Kinesiology & Health Studies
Achievements: OUA All-Star (2019), OUA Gold (2019)
Signed With: Calgary Wild
Profile: Muhtaj is perhaps best known for her off-pitch work evacuating members of the Afghan women's soccer team in 2021. Calgary's leadership team pounced on the opportunity to sign the midfielder as their inaugural player and community ambassador. Nevertheless, expect her to make an impact on the pitch as a tenacious midfielder with excellent vision.
"Far is all about doing something about it, not just talking about it. It's not over until every goal and every ounce of her is exhausted, or everything is fulfilled." - York Coach Carmine Isacco, via YorkU Magazine
The Finishers: Players Who Completed Their University Careers in OUA
4. Miranda Smith (University of Ottawa, 2017-2019)
C/O Greg Mason
Hometown: Ottawa, ON
Position: Central Midfield | Playing Style: Ball-playing defensive midfielder
Major: Communications
Achievements: 2x OUA All-Star, OUA Gold, U SPORTS Championship MVP
Signed With: Ottawa Rapid
Profile: Smith was one of her hometown club's first signings. The midfielder played three years (1870 minutes) at Memphis before transferring to the University of Ottawa, where she became a key part of the Gee Gees squad and scored the winning goal in the 2018 National Championship. She then went on to play in Israel and France before returning home.
5. Ivymae Perez (Toronto Metropolitan University, 2021-2023)
C/O TMU Bold
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Position: Midfielder | Playing Style: Creative, versatile attacking midfielder
Major: Arts & Contemporary Studies
Achievements: OUA All-Star in 22/23
Signed With: AFC Toronto
Profile: Perez initially headed stateside to the University of South Florida before coming back home to Toronto to play three seasons in the OUA in closer proximity to her family. Perez is a technical and dynamic player with a high soccer IQ and an eye for goal. She can be used both centrally as a playmaker and out wide to threaten down the wing with her speed.
"I'll always remember the bond I formed with my teammates through all the ups and downs we went through together. We shared a lot of moments, whether it was the frustration of a tough loss or a tough practice, or [assistant coach Johnny Yacou] yelling at us or just the pure joy of a good rondo. It was really special." - Ivymae Perez on her time with TMU, via The Eye Opener
The Bridge: OUA as a Stepping Stone to the NCAA
6. Cloey Uddenberg (University of Guelph, 2021-2023)
C/O Guelph Gryphons
Hometown: Richmond Hill, ON
Position: Central Midfield | Playing Style: Box-to-box Midfielder
Major: Biomedical Science
Achievements: OUA & U SPORTS Rookie of the Year, U SPORTS All-Canadian, OUA West MVP (2021), 2x OUA All-Star
Signed With: AFC Toronto
Profile: Anyone who knows Uddenberg knows that she is determined and single-minded in her pursuit of success. There are few players who work harder or have a better engine. She excelled in her first two seasons with the Gryphons and after graduating decided to test herself in the NCAA, first with South Alabama then with Purdue. She made an instant impact with both programs, making 36 NCAA appearances in total. Her success in the U.S. speaks not just to her mental and physical toughness, but also to the OUA's calibre and ability to develop players.
"The OUA helped me grow as an individual both on and off the field, developing me as a player and person. It provided a competitive environment for me to challenge myself in many different ways." - Cloey Uddenberg
The Future: OUA as a Talent Factory
The OUA is becoming a destination in its own right. With NSL scouts attending U SPORTS games and NSL teams even scheduling preseason matches against university squads, the perception is shifting.
Of the approximately 130 players signed to NSL rosters so far, over 15% come from U SPORTS backgrounds. That number is expected to grow. With stronger relationships between club and campus, and more players choosing to stay in Canada longer, the next generation is already watching.
A New Era for Canadian Women's Soccer
The launch of the Northern Super League isn't just a league announcement – it's a shift in the sport's DNA. Canadian players no longer have to go abroad to pursue their dreams.
For many of those players, it all began on chilly fall days in the OUA – pulling on their school colours, playing for pride, and unknowingly laying the groundwork for a future they can now pursue right here at home.
"To be able to achieve this goal in my hometown truly means the world to me, as the new Northern Super League is creating professional soccer opportunities for women that didn't exist in Canada before now." - Kirstin Tynan via Queen's Athletics
