MONTREAL – Sophie Guilmette of the McGill University women's soccer team has signed a contract to play for the Halifax Tides FC of the Northern Super League (NSL), a new six-team Canadian professional association that kicks off later this month.
 
The 24-year-old native Montrealer becomes the third member of the Martlets to ink a pro pact this semester, joining the previously announced signings of defender Stéphanie Hill and midfielder Mara Bouchard, who both signed with the Montreal Roses FC.
 
Guilmette, a 5-foot-6 goalkeeper who transferred to McGill from Vanderbilt University in 2021, is completing a master's degree in kinesiology and physical education. In 37 regular season starts over her three seasons with the Martlets, she posted an 18-9-10 record with 16 shutouts, a 0.80 goals-against average and an .803 save percentage.
 
A two-time laureate on the President's Student-Athlete Honour Roll, she was voted an RSEQ conference second-team all-star with McGill in 2023.

Guilmette previously played at the CEGEP level with Vanier College before earning a scholarship in 2019 to Vanderbilt, where she helped the team capture the South Eastern Conference title in 2020 and earned a berth on the SEC Academic Honor Roll.

Guilmette was 15 years old when she made her debut in the Canadian youth program in 2016 and was the starting goalkeeper for Canada which won silver at U-15 CONCACAF tournament in Orlando. She also helped Lakeshore SC win a Quebec Cup championship in 2016 and led Quebec to gold at the Canada Games in 2017.
 
Guilmette and her new Halifax teammates are slated to open the NSL season on April 26 in Calgary. She is scheduled to confront her two former McGill teammates when the Montreal Roses travel to Halifax on May 10 and July 12.  The Tides will play in Montreal on Aug. 2 and Oct. 2.

Other teams in the NSL include the Calgary Wild, 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 semi-finalist's 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