69传媒

Lewis Page, head coach of the 69传媒women鈥檚 soccer team, has recruited goalkeeper Veronica Kozak of Mississauga, Ontario.

Kozak鈥檚 career between the posts began young. In her first year playing soccer, when she was just seven years old, she chose goalkeeper because she didn鈥檛 care for running.

鈥淓ventually, I noticed I was actually enjoying it,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou get to make these crazy saves or as one of my coaches liked to describe it: 鈥榩icture saves鈥�.鈥�

Kozak credits support from her parents early on for her development, including practice drills with her father.

鈥淭hey give me the motivation to work harder and be the best goalkeeper I can be,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y parents have driven me to every practice, whether it鈥檚 a rainy day, in the middle of a snowstorm, or right after school. They鈥檙e the best.鈥�

Kozak鈥檚 hard work paid off. She earned a starting spot with the St. Martin Secondary School Mustangs in her first year of high school and never relinquished it, leading the team to back-to-back regional championships. She joined the Oakville Blue Devils in 2016, eventually making it to the League 1 Ontario reserves team. The experience allowed her to train with the club鈥檚 semi-pro team, which features national-level talent.

All of this experience and success caught Page鈥檚 eye.

鈥淪he鈥檚 a rookie who comes in with lots of playing experience,鈥� Page said. 鈥淗er potential is very high, and it will be up to her how far she goes.鈥�

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Go Panthers Go!