Vallerand giving Tides FC an offensive push early in team’s second season

CITYnews halifax / By Steve Gow

A Tides FC defender is making an unexpected splash by leading the squad’s offensive push as Halifax’s professional women’s soccer club continues its strong second season.

Julianne ‘Jubes’ Vallerand was front-and-centre Sunday when the Tides defiantly beat Calgary Wild FC 4-0 in what would be a record-breaking match, topping their highest-ever single-game goal tally.

The 24-year-old defender earned two goals in the contest, with one of those being touted as a possible nomination for NSL goal of the year. However, Vallerand also played a key role in one of the other quartet of goals, scored by team captain, Saorla Miller.

“I think it comes down to work and effort,” says Vallerand about her and the Tides’ success on the pitch so far this season. “Everything you see on the field in a game, that’s just how we practice every day, so I think it’s just a reflection of that, and I’m super happy we’re getting the results.”

With three goals on 11 shots over five games so far this season, Vallerand is currently the Tides FC’s top offensive player.

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Sitting in third position in NSL standings, Vallerand and Tides FC will be hoping to bring the recent offensive push to Rapid FC on Friday, when they meet the Ottawa club for the third time this season.

“I feel like it will be a great game because we play at home and we love to play at home, and that gives us the advantage,” says Vallerand about the match that kicks off at 6 p.m. at Wanderers Grounds.

“I think we’re just fired up to play against them again. Obviously, it is our third game already against them, which is a lot at the beginning of a season, but that just means we know them well and we can use that as an advantage.”

For Vallerand’s part, she says the frequency of the matches against Ottawa has created a kind of rivalry, making such games even more exciting to take part in and for fans.

“I’ve never known all the players by heart like this before (and) I feel like I know what kind of players they are and what profile (they are),” says Vallerand. “We already had that kind of rivalry when we went to Ottawa (for the second game), so it does feel that way, especially when we’ve already played them twice.”