SYDNEY - Alyssa Budhoo may be the youngest player on the Cape Breton University Capers women's soccer team but the 17-year-old rookie midfielder has made her presence felt already with two goals this season.
"I'm usually not the goal scorer," said the Brampton, Ont., native, adding that she's assumed more of an attacking role since she joined the Capers. "We have players like Kiley Snow and Hannah Abenheimer who play midfield too. They're very good with defending. So I guess compared to them, I'm more of an attacking player."
Budhoo's two-tally performance ties her with Abenheimer, Nicholle Morrison and Erika Lannon as the Capers scoring leaders.
"It's not intimidating," Budhoo said of being a rookie and the youngest on the team. "It's a different experience because I'm far away from home. But we're a big family. Everyone makes me feel at home."
And the Toronto-born player is used to travelling. Both her parents were born in Guyana, on the northern coast of South America, and Budhoo has been trying out for Guyana's entry in the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011.
She played with Team Guyana at a tournament in the Turks and Caicos Islands in July and has been asked back by the team to play in another tournament in Guyana in December.
“I got invited again,” said Budhoo, who’s enrolled in CBU’s bachelor of business administration program and is contemplating a career in sports marketing. “It's kind of a big deal.”
In the meantime, she and the Capers, who are second in Atlantic University Sport standings with a record of 4-1-1 for 13 points, are preparing for a pair of AUS matches this weekend, against the first-place St. Francis Xavier X-Women (5-0-0, 15 points) at home on Friday at 11 a.m. and the third-place University of Prince Edward Island Panthers (4-1-0, 12 points) in Charlottetown on Saturday at 3 p.m.
“I don't know any of the people I'm playing against,” said Budhoo. “Besides, they're girls that are a lot older than me. They may be more physical than me. But I guess it's more of a challenge. It pushes me more to get better and be able to play up to that level.”
Capers head coach Ness Timmons said she’s up to the task.
“She likes to take a shot on goal and she likes to get forward,” Timmons said of Budhoo. “She’s a talented player for sure. She’s a very friendly kid and she gets along with everybody. And she has an infectious smile.”
Timmons said the Capers’ two wins last weekend, a 4-0 shutout of the Université de Moncton Aigles Bleues and a 3-1 defeat of the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds, gave them the boost they needed.
“We needed some goals,” he said. “That was a good opportunity for us to get our attack going and get some confidence up front.”
The Capers need that confidence heading into play versus strong squads this weekend.
“St. FX are a talented team all over the field,” said Timmons, adding that the X-Women have only allowed one goal in five games. “They’re a little deeper this year. And UPEI has always been well organized. They’re very structured and again a tough team to break down all over the field.”
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