Soccer player overcomes injury to play AUS

Cape Breton’s LeBlanc overcomes ACL injury to play for Axewomen

SYDNEY — Growing up, Rebecca LeBlanc always had high expectations for her soccer career and playing at the university level was a goal she wanted to reach.

While the Coxheath native has since been able to earn a spot on a university team, there was a time when she thought the feat would be impossible and that her playing days could be over.

In August 2017, while playing in the semifinal game for Nova Scotia at the Canada Games in Winnipeg, the then 15-year-old LeBlanc caught her foot in the turf on play and heard the dreaded pop from her knee area.

LeBlanc immediately knew something wasn’t right.

“In my head, I knew something had gone wrong and I think I knew I had suffered an injury, but I honestly didn’t even believe it,” said LeBlanc. “I was pretty nervous because I really didn’t know what had happened, and all I really knew was whatever had happened was really painful.”

The next day, she was taken to hospital and an MRI revealed she had torn her ACL and meniscus, forcing her to miss to the province’s bronze medal game against Alberta, which Nova Scotia would win, ending a then 20-year medal drought.

“I was definitely disappointed, especially because it had happened in the Canada Games,” said LeBlanc. “When people tear their ACLs, it seems like they’re out for a long time, so there was lots of unknowns and concerns at the time.”

Despite the injury, LeBlanc refused to return to Nova Scotia without her teammates. She stayed and watched the bronze medal game closely from the sidelines.

“I just wanted to be there and experience it,” said LeBlanc. “It was such a great experience, so I definitely wouldn’t have wanted to have left. I wanted to witness everything and be there for my team and support them and that’s what I did.”

With surgery on the horizon, LeBlanc was asked to prehab for two months in preparation to go under the knife. She eventually had the surgery in November 2017 and was given her rehab expectations.

Following surgery, she was forced to use crutches for six weeks before beginning a long and demanding rehabilitation program, which also included 80 physiotherapy sessions, the majority coming after school.

“It was a tiring and hard journey to getting back to where I wanted to be,” said LeBlanc. “I had to wear a brace for a couple months, but I started slowly going for walks and eventually picked it up and began jogging.”

WORKING TO GET BACK ON THE FIELD

The injury caused LeBlanc to take a step back from her soccer career. Prior to the injury, she had been living in Halifax with her grandparents, while training with the REX program, which is a collection of the best players from the Atlantic Canada.

LeBlanc returned to Cape Breton and missed her entire Grade 11 season rehabbing the injury. At the time, LeBlanc admits she didn’t know if she’d ever be herself again on the pitch.

“It was always in the back of my mind,” said LeBlanc. “I questioned if I would be able to return to the way I was before the injury, but I was determined to make the most of it and at least get back on the field.”

Nine months after the surgery, LeBlanc was back playing soccer, and after a year of returning to the game, she felt comfortable and knew her game had returned to its preinjury level.

“It was great to get back,” said LeBlanc, who played for several provincial teams while also representing Soccer Cape Breton in the provincial league.

“I had to wear a brace the size of my leg and that was definitely difficult, but I got used to it and I ended up only having it on for about half-aseason – I had really missed the game not playing it.”

With recruitment on her mind, LeBlanc suited up for Riverview in the Cape Breton High School Soccer League and was quickly recognized by several universities including two United States-based schools — one in Florida and one in Ohio.

“I had about six universities approach me — the majority being in Atlantic Canada — so I had options to play with and I considered them all,” said LeBlanc, noting Cape Breton University was among the options.

In February 2019, four months before her graduation from Riverview, LeBlanc committed to the University of Ottawa with the intention of playing for the women’s soccer program, who only months before had won the U Sports national championship on home field in Ottawa.

“I liked the team, I liked the coaching staff and the city,” said LeBlanc of her decision to move to Ontario. “The training process was very intense, which I liked, and overall I just really like the style of play.”

LeBlanc, who started five of the club’s 14 games, and the Gee-Gees finished first in the Ontario University Athletics’ East Conference with a 120-2 record. The Ottawa club would lose in the semifinal to York University, who went on to win the OUA championship and advance to the national tournament.

BACK TO ATLANTIC CANADA

As American actress Andie MacDowell once said, “There is a comfortable feeling in small towns.”

Leblanc learned firsthand the meaning of the quote. Coming from Cape Breton, a much smaller location than Ottawa, LeBlanc realized the “big city” wasn’t all it was made out to be in movies and songs.

“The city wasn’t for me,” said LeBlanc. “I didn’t really love my major (business) I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I figured that was the safe route. I wanted to move closer to home.”

LeBlanc reached out to Acadia Axewomen head coach Amit Batra about joining the women’s soccer program. She was later accepted and transferred to the Wolfville university.

“I heard a lot of good things about Acadia,” said LeBlanc, who today is enrolled in the kinesiology program at the school.

“Wolfville is a smaller place and I finding a huge difference in my learning — I’m really enjoying the program and that makes a big difference when you enjoy what you’re learning.”

Due to eligibility rules, LeBlanc was unable to play for the Axewomen in 2020 but didn’t miss much. The Atlantic University Sport season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of missing the entire season, she only missed a pair of exhibition games.

This year, LeBlanc is among the Axewomen roster. The defender has started all three games for the club so far this season and has one assist and four shots on goal.

Acadia currently sits in fifth place in the Atlantic University Sport standings with a 2-1 record. The team posted wins last weekend over Mount Allison and the University of Prince Edward Island on the road.

“We’re starting to get used to playing with each other,” said LeBlanc of the Axewomen. “There’s a lot of talent on this team and we’re sort of taking it up another level.”

CAPE BRETON BOUND

This weekend, LeBlanc will have the opportunity to play in front of family and friends when the Axewomen travel to Sydney to play the Cape Breton Capers (3-0).

Acadia and Cape Breton will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Cape Breton Health Recreation Complex Turf and LeBlanc admits she’s looking forward to the homecoming.

“I’m very excited,” said LeBlanc. “I grew up with a lot of players who are currently playing on CBU and I’m interested to see how things play out. I know it’s going to be good competition because we’re both having pretty good seasons so far.”

Sunday’s game won’t be Acadia’s only trip to the island this season. The Axewomen are scheduled to play the Capers on Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. in Sydney.

Meanwhile, depending the result of their season, Acadia could also secure a spot in the AUS championship tournament, which is scheduled for early November in Cape Breton.