NSL by Position: Defenders
With the NSL just ten days away, we thought it would be a good time to introduce you to some of the players in the league you may not know yet. While stars like Quinn, McLeod, Scott, and Regan steal the show, there is plenty of talent waiting to be discovered. Here are 3-4 players I expect to make an instant impact in year one, by position, and a few U22 players to keep an eye on, too. The parameters include recent form, pro and international experience, and statistics.
Defenders
Now, on to the defenders. Let’s face it, we’ve always been better at defense than offense, as a country, and gritty defending is part of our DNA as a nation. Therefore, expect the NSL to follow that trend. This was hard to narrow down as there are countless talented defenders playing in the league in 2025. Shannon Woeller is an obvious shout for Defender to watch, as she comes in with nearly 18 years of professional experience under her belt. At 35, she became the Rise’s inaugural player which represents a homecoming for the Vancouver native who has 21 caps for Canada. Admittedly on the tail end of her career, she’s looking forward to leading the Rise with her consistently stellar, no-nonsense performances as a right-sided centerback.
Shannon Woeller | Photo Credit: Canada Soccer
Her teammate Jasmyne Spencer also makes my list of players to watch. The right back joins the Rise from Angel City, where she made 57 NWSL appearances and played over 2500 minutes over the last three seasons alone. The 34-yo was a strong contributor, playing as an aggressive attacking fullback and excelling particularly in areas like successful take-ons, touches in the attacking penalty area, pass precision, and successful tackles. The veteran has been a pro since 2012 and can play multiple positions and may pop up further up the pitch as well. Her versatility and experience make her one of the best players in the league, regardless of position, and her partnership with Woeller is central to Vancouver Rise’s defensive gameplan.
Hyo-Joo Choo, of the Ottawa Rapid, is my third defender to watch. The 24-yo wingback from South Korea has made over 50 appearances for her National Team, including starting all three matches at the 2023 World Cup. A threat on and off the ball, she excels in shot-creating actions, expected goals (vs fullbacks), and tackles won. Her speed will be a threat in behind any back line and her talent stands out among defenders in the league. She’s versatile and can play on either the right or the left flank, both as a defender or a forward, and she’s scored 6 goals for South Korea.
Last but not least, I’ll have my eye on Swede Sara Olai who recently joined the Halifax Tides. Only 25, she is by far the most experienced pro among their defenders with over 10,000 minutes played in the Damallsvenskan since 2020. The right-footed Olai can play across the backline but has primarily been used as a right back in her last two seasons. She’s always good for a goal, too, having scored 25 goals as a pro, often from set pieces. The Tides fans can look forward to watching a consistently top player week in and week out, both on and off the ball.
I have to give a shoutout to the other nominees Ellen Gibson (Ottawa) and Hong Hye-Ji (Toronto), who made this category difficult to narrow down. Gibson has played UWCL football as recently as 2024 and has been a club legend with Swedish club Hammarby for over a decade. The midfielder, who has featured more as a central defender of late, captained the team through highs and lows, including stints in the second division, a domestic double in 2023, and a first UWCL berth. If it weren’t for diminishing play time recently, she may have retired as a Hammarby player, but a hunger for a new challenge drew her to Ottawa. Hye-Ji’s career has been equally as impressive. A national team player for South Korea for over a decade, the 28-yo centerback was a highly touted college prospect and was drafted first overall to Changnyeong WFC in 2018. Her career has stalled a little recently in terms of National team minutes, but a strong debut season in Canada will rectify that.
Tifo by Hammarby fans for Ellen Gibson | Photo Source: Marcus Leifby
Lastly, my young (born 2003 or later) defenders to keep an eye on are Sarah Rollins and Annika Leslie. Rollins is a gifted player who will need time to develop, but her talent is more than apparent. The Toronto local came up through the Nitros academy (under Sporting Director Billy Wilson) before heading to UBC to play Usports soccer. There, she won two National Championships in two years and was voted USports Rookie of the Year, Canada West Defender of the Year, and All-Canadian in her rookie season. She anchored the T-Birds backline to a perfect season in 2024 and helped them keep 6/6 clean sheets en route to the National Championship. Halifax’s own Annika Leslie is one of the most highly rated defenders in her generation. She has made 12 appearances for the CanW15s and W20s, including two starts at the 2022 U20 World Cup. She spent the last four seasons in West Virginia, playing nearly 4,500 minutes for the Mountaineers. She can play centrally or out wide and found her offensive feet last season, recording 2 goals and 4 assists. You absolutely love to see a homecoming like this. Exactly what this league was built for.