Maple leaf dreams - Scott Haddow

Veronica Mazzella doesn’t ever count the hours she spends playing soccer. There’s a reason for that.

Mazzella started at age three in the game, kicking the ball around with her older sister, Anjelica. A few years later, Mazzella was playing competitive soccer and dreaming big — as big as a kid could dream.

She wanted to play for Canada. She wanted to represent her country and face the best the world had to offer.

And that’s how it all started. Mazzella’s life became soccer. She played games and practised. Day after day. Outdoors and indoors, year round, she played club and high school soccer.

When she wasn’t competing or training, Mazzella was doing something — anything — to stay connected to the game and improve herself. When others had enough of training, the spirited and scrappy Mazzella was just warming up. She wanted more.

Soccer was never a waste of time for Mazzella. It was her time to make the most out of who she was. She loved the game and saw herself going as far as her desire would take her. She wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

Mazzella overcame the odds. A 5-foot-2 midfielder, she devoted (and devotes) almost all her free time to being ready to show why she deserves a spot on Team Canada.

She sacrificed. She faced being cut from provincial and national programs. She never gave up.

And that is the reason she doesn’t count the hours she puts in. There is no point counting. It is something she is going to do regardless. She will never stop pouring her time into soccer. There’s too much at stake.

“Soccer is one of the most important things in my life. I wouldn’t know how to live or function without it,” the 19-year-old said. “It’s not something I do once a week. It’s like brushing my teeth. It’s done every day, and if I miss a day, I just don’t feel right.”

Her persistence and perseverance was rewarded earlier this year when Mazzella was named to represent Canada in women’s soccer at the 2013 Summer Universidad (World University Games) in Kazan, Russia from July 6-17.

“When I was told I was on the roster, I wanted to cry. It was one of the proudest moments I have had in my soccer career,” she said. “This is a dream come true. It hasn’t just started now, but has been on my mind since I started playing competitive.

“Playing for my country has always been in the back of my mind. Achieving this goal has not made me stop, but look forward onto bigger opportunities.”

Mazzella graduated from Lockerby and has been attending Carleton University for the past two years. Her feisty style, unwavering work ethic and high-end skill allowed her to make an instant impact with the Ravens women’s soccer team.

From the moment she landed at Carleton, Mazzella has been a starter who sets the tone for the Ravens with her unrelenting play. She also plays semi-pro with an Ottawa team.

“Not only has she lifted the quality of our squad, but she is becoming one of our leaders within the group, which means she will be a huge part of our success in the coming years,” Carleton head coach Alex McNutt said.

“In my time with the Ravens (five seasons), I have not seen a more passionate player. You see it on and off the field that soccer and the Ravens means everything to her.

“I know she has always had the desire to represent her country and I am happy for her to have the chance. She deserves it.”

Mazzella is the type of player who can evoke plenty of emotions from her opponents and teammates. Her energy and flair for the game ignite the Ravens and have helped keep them as one of the top contenders in the OUA.

“She is tenacious and a real competitor. She is the type of player that you want on your team and opponents hate to play against,” McNutt said. “She is a very intelligent player, with great technical skills on the ball and she has the ability to make tackles.”

Team Canada begins its quest for gold at the event July 5 versus Mexico. They wrap up preliminary play with matches against Ireland (July 7) and China (July 9).

Scott Haddow has been writing about sports in Greater Sudbury for the past 10 years.