Cantave and Beanlands strut their stuff at Team Canada camp

Nepean Hotspurs and Ontario teammates Haïsha Cantave, a Louis-Riel high school student, and Rachelle Beanlands of Colonel By found out almost a month ago that they had been selected for the nine-day camp.

“I was elated,” says Beanlands, one of two goalkeepers in Laval. “It’s what you’re working for – sort of the beginning of the dream.”

The end goal for Beanlands would be to play for Team Canada at the senior level, but more immediately she’d like to be selected for the final Canadian roster that will play in the March 9-20 CONCACAF regional qualifier in advance of the 2010 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago.

“That’s the goal at the moment, so there’s a little bit of thought about that all the time,” Beanlands notes. “But trying to stay in the moment was key.”

The players were run through two-a-day sessions at the camp, and then had meetings in the evening to discuss tactical strategies. Beanlands says the team bonded really well, and that the other players she didn’t previously know were all really nice.

“It was just amazing,” the Grade 11 student adds. “The Quebec girls, for example, were always the arch-enemy when we were playing, but they turned out to be really nice people.”

Cantave, an attacker, and Beanlands were both members of the Ontario team that placed second at nationals this past summer, on top of their connection with Nepean's Ontario Youth Soccer League club team. They also travel together to Toronto by train almost every weekend to work out with provincial teammates at Ontario’s national team training centre.

During fall and winter, they have two or three weekday practices in Ottawa as well, with another Team Canada camp on tap for January, which is when they’ll learn if they’ve been chosen for the final squad that is after one of two regional berths available in the World Cup finals.

“I think I did alright (at the Laval camp),” says Beanlands, who spent most of her time in goalkeeping sessions and picked up tips on kicking distribution and small technical adjustments she can make to her game. “Obviously there’s a lot I need to improve on, but generally it was a positive experience, for sure.”

Before everyone eventually settled in, Beanlands says there were plenty of nervous feelings involved, especially when one particular moment made them realize exactly the scope of what they were taking part in.

“It was strange at first because when we got our kits that they wanted us to wear, they all had Canada (written) on them,” she recounts. “It’s sort of a shocker because it’s like, ‘Wow. I’m representing Canada here. This is cool.’”

The U17 World Cup is the place where current national team players such as Kara Lang made a name for themselves. The 2010 competition will be held Sept. 5-25 next year.

CANADA’S GAIN CAUSES COUGARS PAIN

The big downside of attending the Team Canada camp for Beanlands was that she was unable to compete for her Colonel By Cougars cross-country running team this year since she missed the east conference championships meet while in Laval.

“It wasn’t a debate (about which event to attend), it was more the disappointment of letting the team down that was tough,” notes Beanlands, who won a junior girls’ team bronze medal at the high school provincials last year. “I knew we would have had an excellent team with Kathryn (Tuck) and I and three or four other girls who are quite strong.

“I knew I was letting the team down for something me, myself and I wanted, so it was tough. But they understand and they were really good about it.”

Cougars runner Rachel McPhedran says the team was definitely happy for Beanlands even if there was some disappointment she wouldn’t be competing with them.

“She’ll definitely be there to cheer us on,” adds McPhedran, one of the top-four scoring runners who will all return to Colonel By next fall and won the senior girls’ city title on Wednesday. “And for next year, she’s going to be in good shape and work hard.”