MONTREAL –
Stéphanie Hill from Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., and
Mara Bouchard of Granby, Que., both graduating seniors with the McGill University women's soccer team, have each signed contracts to play for the Montreal Roses of the Northern Super League (NSL), a new six-team Canadian professional association that kicks off in April.
Hill, a fifth-year veteran with the Martlets, is a 22-year-old who qualified for the President's Student-athlete Honour Roll and is completing a master's in physical therapy this spring after earning a science degree in 2023. An imposing six-foot defender, she earned U SPORTS All-Rookie honours in 2021 and was a four-time RSEQ conference all-star, meriting All-Canadian first-team status in 2023.
She served as captain of the Martlets and suited up for 45 career regular season contests and four playoff games, scoring one goal and one assist.
Bouchard is a 23-year-old psychology major, completing a double minor in sociology and behavioural science. She qualified for the President's Student-athlete Honour Roll and last month was named a recipient of a Jean Béliveau Athletic Award
at McGill
for combining leadership with academic excellence and athletic prowess. With the soccer Martlets, she is a four-time conference all-star who has earned All-Canadian status in each of her last three seasons. The 5-foot-4 midfielder is a defensive-minded specialist renowned for stealing the ball without fouling. She was voted as the league's rookie of the year in 2021 and made the U SPORTS All-Rookie squad. Over her four years of university soccer, she served as team captain and didn't miss a game, dressing for 56 consecutive regular season outings and four more in playoffs.
Other teams in the NSL include the Calgary Wild, Halifax Tides, Ottawa Rapid, Vancouver Rise and AFC Toronto. Each club will operate with a $1.6 million salary cap and feature 20-25 players on their rosters, with as many as seven internationals permitted. The league's minimum salary will be $50,000, with a designated player exemption, allowing teams to sign one marquee player at a higher salary. The NSL teams will play a balanced 25-game schedule from April to November. The top four clubs will qualify for a sudden-death playoff game, wit the two semifinalists advancing to the league championship game. All games will be broadcast or streamed on TSN and CBC in English, with Montreal Roses games also being available in French on RDS and Radio-Canada Sports (SRC).
SOURCE
Earl Zukerman
Sports Information Officer
Athletics & Recreation
McGill University
CELL:
514-983-7012
E-MAIL:
earl.zukerman@mcgill.ca
