BRAMPTON – With just over a month to go before Canada hosts the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the roster for Team Canada was unveiled on Monday (April 27), including Brampton’s Kadeisha Buchanan

Buchanan, a graduate of Cardinal Leger, will be appearing in her second consecutive FIFA international event after being part of the Canadian team for the 2014 under-20 team last summer in Canada. Also among the 23 players named to the roster is Ashley Lawrence, from Caledon East, a graduate of Mayfield Secondary School, who was also on the under-20 team.

Buchanan and Lawrence, who are good friends, have been teammates for a number of rep teams in both Brampton and Mississauga and both are currently at the University of West Virginia. In 2014 Buchanan was named Canada’s under-20 female soccer player of the year for the second consecutive time.

She has been involved with Canada’s national program since making her debut with Canada’s youth team in 2010, as a 14-year-old. Buchanan helped Canada to a silver medal at the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s under-17 Championship in Guatemala and also played at the Under-17 World Cup in Azerbaijan.

At just age 17, Buchanan made her debut for Canada’s senior team in January of 2013. She has made 34 appearances for Canada, with 31 starts and has scored two goals.

At West Virginia, Buchanan has won numerous honours. That includes being the only sophomore last season to be named the All-American First Team and was nominated for the Hermann Trophy as the top player in the NCAA.

Buchanan is a two-time winner of the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned All Big-12 Academic Soccer honours and was on the Dean’s List and the Academic Honour Roll at her school, where she is majoring in communications studies.

Canada is scheduled to play a friendly against England on May 29 in Hamilton, the final tune-up before the tournament. The World Cup group stage opens with Canada facing China on June 6 in Edmonton. The Canadians face New Zealand on June 11 also in Edmonton. The Canadian conclude the group stage meeting the Netherlands on June 15 in Montreal. The tournament concludes with the gold-medal match in Vancouver on July 5.

(source: The Guardian)

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