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Kylen Grant and Ottawa TFC went into the 2019 Under-17 National Championship in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, unsure how far they could go. Ottawa lost many key players from the prior year, so it made Grant its starting center back. The defender came up big, helping OTFC claim the title.

After the final whistle, Grant and her teammates jumped around in excitement. But the real celebration was still to come. As the players spilled into the locker room, head coach Pavel Cancura was given a bottle of sparkling apple juice, or what the players called, “fake champagne.”

While screaming at the top of his lungs, Cancura sprayed the apple juice everywhere. The players went crazy. Grant soaked everything in as a feeling of relief washed over her.

Grant learned how to play against the toughest opponents in Canada with Ottawa, as well as how to stay healthy over the roughly 50-game season. Now a senior at Syracuse, the defender has become one of the Orange’s most reliable players, starting 40 straight games since 2022 for a team-leading 53 career starts. To begin 2024, Grant has played every minute of SU’s first 12 games.

“(Grant’s) a staple to the backline and I don’t think we would be as solid as we are without her,” graduate defender Kate Murphy said. “She hasn’t missed many games, but when she has, it’s been bad for us.”

Grant began playing for OTFC when she was 7, just two years after being introduced to soccer. Cancura said she was a starter, but mostly a role player at first. Over time, Grant developed into one of the team’s best players.

Ilana Zahavy | Design Editor

In 2018, she started on defense alongside two current college starters — Lauren Curran (Concordia) and Sheridan Michel (Tennessee) — at the Under-15 National Championship, propelling Ottawa to a fourth-place finish. One year later, Grant won it all at the U-17 level.

It wasn’t a smooth ride for OTFC, however. Michel left for the Canadian national team, leaving a vacancy at center back. It was an easy decision for Cancura to slot Grant into the opening, even though she was only 16.

“Wherever Coach put (Grant), she would’ve succeeded,” Curran said. “I was older than Kylen, and I may have had a bit more experience in the position than she did, but I don’t think you would’ve ever been able to tell.”

At the U-17 championship, Cancura ran OTFC like a professional team. He made sure everyone ate the same way and had the same routine before games.

The team still found time to have fun, though. One day before practice, everyone agreed to meet in the hotel lobby before heading to the field. Grant was the last one down. So, the team decided to pull a prank on her.

Cancura ripped into Grant for being late. Grant looked like she’d seen a ghost. But then, the players burst out laughing and she lightened up.

The U-17 tournament began later that week, and OTFC started out hot, winning four matches in four days. Grant and the defense limited opponents to just one goal.

During the stretch, Grant was nervous, feeling the pressure of the national stage. But she didn’t show it, according to Cancura.

“She’s got ice in her veins,” Cancura said. “In a run like that, it’s super helpful, especially at center back. You get a player who’s looking like it’s just a day at the park when plenty of players are losing their cool.”

Two days later, on Canada’s Thanksgiving Day, OTFC faced Lakeshore in the championship game. OTFC squeaked out a 2-1 victory, making it the first club from eastern Ontario to ever win the title.

“It’s one of the biggest accomplishments of my life,” Grant said.

Kylan Grant has become a consistent defender for Syracuse, starting 40 straight games for the Orange. Lars Jendruschewitz | Photo Editor

Following her time with OTFC, Grant looked toward playing in college. She participated in several ID camps, one of which was at Syracuse. Immediately, she fell in love with both the coaches at SU and its location, since it’s only three hours from Ottawa.

In her freshman year with the Orange, Grant played in all 17 games, starting 11. Due to injuries on offense, she was forced to play on both sides of the ball. During this time, Grant notched her only career goal — a go-ahead score in the 72nd minute versus New Hampshire.

The experience at forward has helped Grant the last three years, where she’s played exclusively on defense.

“I wasn’t familiar with (playing forward),” Grant said. “But it’s really helped me understand as a defender what a forward thinks, and tactically having an idea of where forwards want to be in space.”

But Grant’s biggest asset is her durability. Since the middle of her sophomore season, she has started every game for Syracuse on defense. Murphy said it boils down to Grant’s preparation before matches, which from her own experience is more important than what she does on the field.

Similar to her time with OTFC, Grant arrives 15 minutes early to each game to work on parts of her body that are sore. She also checks in with SU’s trainers to take the needed steps for recovery, whether that’s taking an ice bath or spending more time stretching.

While blossominging into a mainstay on Syracuse’s backline, Grant hasn’t forgotten about her community in Ottawa. After winning the U-17 title in 2019, Grant began coaching the club’s youth teams while she was a senior in high school.

Now, she coaches at OTFC every summer, giving back to the club that she played with for over a decade.

“(Grant’s) a really big part of our community,” Curran said. “I think that represents the type of woman she is. She’s just happy to be around people.”

Published on September 25, 2024 at 11:30 pm

Contact Noah: njnussba@syr.edu | @ Noahnuss99