Soccer recruit Lydia Hamill chooses to stay home, commits to UPEI
Often responsible for linking plays between the defence and offence, the midfield position in soccer is critical to a team’s success.
The UPEI Women’s Soccer Panthers have fielded some talented central midfielders in recent years, including Jennifer Balderston (2015–20) and AUS all-star Lauren Clark (2017–present). Head coach Lewis Page hopes he has found another in Lydia Hamill.
Hamill, an 18 -year-old native of Searletown, PEI, is set to join the Panthers after capturing her second straight PEI School Athletic Association Senior A Women’s Soccer title as a member of KISHORA—a combined team made up of athletes from Kensington Intermediate Senior High School (KISH) and Kinkora Regional High School (KRHS).
Hamill has also participated in the provincial high-performance program—PEI FC—for the last four years, playing in national championships in Montreal and Edmonton before captaining the under-17 squad this past year.
“The level of play and training through PEI FC has been great for my development and has really prepared me for the university transition,” said Hamill.
That combined experience led her to the Canada Games training team, where she continues to develop her skills alongside the Island’s best soccer talents.
“It’s been an amazing experience being on the training team with all the top players from PEI.”
Page has watched Hamill grow through the PEI FC program and is eager to see how her progression translates to the AUS ranks.
“We are always looking for quality players, and Lydia will add to our depth as well as compete for a starting role,” he said. “She’s an excellent midfielder with a high soccer IQ.”
Hamill describes herself as a team-first player and a leader who communicates well on and off the pitch. Whether it’s making the right pass at the right time or having the confidence to hold on to the ball, her quick decision-making skills make her an asset.
“As a rookie, I hope my training and off-field preparation will allow me to be a key contributor to the team's success in the 2022 season and UPEI’s women's soccer program moving forward,” Hamill added.
After considering a number of options, Hamill said UPEI was always at the top of her list of universities to attend.
“One of the main reasons I chose UPEI was for the chance to play in front of a hometown crowd for the university I grew up watching.”
