Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Winnipeg has quickly become a recruiting hotspot for MacEwan Griffins women's soccer head coach Dean Cordeiro.
On Wednesday, Cordeiro introduced his third 2021 recruit from the Manitoba capital – Mariah Arnott, a strong attacking midfielder with a lengthy track record of excellence on and off the field.
"We're really happy to land Mariah, an exceptional student-athlete who checks all the boxes for our program," said Cordeiro.
Arnott brings a wealth of high-level experience to the Griffins including playing a big role on Team Manitoba's silver medal-winning 2019 Western Canada Summer Games team and spending four seasons on the Valour FC Elite Girls. She was also invited to Canada's Women's National Team U17 ID camps in 2017 and 2019 in her youth and attended the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency ID camp.
Last October, the 5-foot-2 dynamo competed as a guest player for Shattuck St Mary's Academy at the WAGS tournament in Fairfax, Virginia – a post-secondary recruiting showcase – and led her team in scoring with three goals in three games at the striker position.
"She's extremely hard working," said Cordeiro. "She covers every blade of grass on the pitch. She's relentless in pursuit of the ball and her ability to break up plays is at the next level. Her tenacity and fearlessness generate offence and she has a knack for being in the right place at the right time.
"Truly the total package; she can score, she can create, and she creates space for others."
Arnott finished in the top three in league scoring for five different seasons with the Winnipeg-based St. Charles Force from ages 14 to 17 and served as team captain throughout her tenure. She was named Most Outstanding Female Player by the club in 2018.
Arnott was also captain of the Manitoba Soccer Association's Provincial Cup team in 2016, 2017, and 2018. That leadership experience extends off the pitch to the weight room.
"In my time scouting recruits and building our team, she may be the fittest individual we've recruited to our program," praised Cordeiro. "It's a testament to all the work she does away from the game and how dedicated she is."
Arnott is the fourth Winnipeg product to join the Griffins for the 2021 season, following the additions of current MacEwan rookie Taylor Sousa, Winnipeg Wesmen transfer Alycia Mann and St. Charles Force/Valour FC teammate Brianna Machado.
"We've had some good success (out of Winnipeg) this last year and a bit," acknowledged Cordeiro. "The interesting thing is Mariah and Brianna are good friends and they've had the same trajectory in their career, getting opportunities with the Manitoba REX program, the Whitecaps and Valour FC.
"Most recently, they were two of four in that group from Valour who were offered opportunities to play for the prestigious Shattuck St. Mary's Academy in Minnesota."
Because of the COVID pandemic, both chose to remain home and finish out their high school education at Winnipeg's Glenlawn Collegiate.
"Mariah's such a versatile player," said Cordeiro. "For us, we look at her as more of a midfielder, but she's more than capable of playing in the front three, in particular as a winger. So, anywhere in the front five, she fits in really well.
"At the Western Canada Summer Games, Mariah and Brianna ran the show in the midfield for Team Manitoba. With Suek (Suekiana Choucair) and Smarty (Kristyn Smart) graduated and Kaylin (Hermanutz) going into her final year, Raeghan (McCarthy) with two years left, they're part of an exciting new wave of talent. They both can run a midfield and to do it together is going to be pretty sweet, so we're excited."
