Olympia Warriors’ signing of Canadian player Kate Ollerhead was a major coup.
Ollerhead, who is normally a midfielder or striker, played at centre-back for the first time in last Saturday’s Women’s Summer Cup Final and did well with her new team-mates.
She played for Beachside last season and scored 14 goals in 14 appearances.
Ollerhead was Female Athlete of the Year in 2015 when she attended Tantramar Regional High School and soccer and basketball were her sports of choice.
She attended Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, before coming to Australia.
She is currently studying for a doctorate at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies in Hobart, with a particular interest in the effects of climate change on sharks.
She is looking forward to playing for her new club in the Women’s Super League.
“This is my first year in the top league but it’s certainly exciting to be part of this team,” Ollerhead said.
“Obviously, it’s very important for us to make our mark in this league and Saturday’s Cup win starts us off on a good foot and a good way forward to come out with some hardware right from the get-go.
“You never want to underestimate the opposition so we came out very strong and making sure we were playing the sort of football we know how to play.
“We scored early in the game and it was 2-nothing at half-time and we were feeling sort of a lot more confident, but you’ve got to keep going right to the last whistle.
“I came here in September of 2019. I’m doing a PhD here and last season I played in the Championship at a different club and this year I decided to move up and play WSL.
“It’s been really fun. This is sort of the level I played at back in Canada.
“It’s good to be playing a little bit more competitively, although playing Championship was an awesome experience with so many lovely people, but I am so excited that I’ll now be playing at the top level in the State.
“I knew that when I was coming to Olympia that there’d be more pressure coming to a team that definitely has high expectations, but I think that’s the sort of environment that I like.
“I feel that I do well when I know that we have to perform, so it’s been good to be a part of this squad.
“Playing centre-back is certainly different. It’s a huge learning curve, but it’s fun.
“I need to learn to stay back as I’m tempted to attack as that’s where I’ve always played.”
Olympia team-mate Madison Chambers will be heading to the United States of America in July to play college football.
She scored the last of her side’s goals on Saturday in the Cup Final when she rounded the keeper and fired home.
“To win the Summer Cup was a very big deal for us, obviously, coming off the WSL win last year,” Chambers said.
“It was very important to make our mark and, especially, with a new team with people having left and coming in.
“We’ve done very well and it was very important to us to win.
“Our system of play, which we have started to use, is obviously working. It’s different to other years, but we’re just trying to work as a team and find what works for us and what doesn’t.
Chambers thinks the Women’s Super League is growing stronger.
“I think the gap between the best teams and the weakest is narrowing,” she said.
“It was great to see a different team in the Cup Final.
“I think Devonport up north are going to be good, too, and it’s good to see such variety around the State. I think the gap each year has been closing, which is good.
“I was really pleased with the performance. From the starting whistle we pressed on the ball and we knew we wanted to win and especially scoring a couple of goals early added confidence to us.
“It’s a great start for us to know where we sit. We haven’t ‘versed’ every team so we have to wait and expect a challenge with every game that comes.
“It’s great that we can score from set-pieces, but we don’t have to rely on them.”
Olympia’s opening league game next weekend will be away to Taroona at Kelvedon Park.
“Kelvedon will be our first game on grass,” Chambers said.
“It is different and we have to adjust the way we play on grass.. I prefer playing on turf.”
Chambers said that a lot of the squad’s younger girls stepped up and performed, which augurs well for Olympia’s title hopes this season.
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