August 9, 2012
MCLEOD HAS DALLAS TIES
Canadian goalie former Mustang goalie

Erin McLeod, the Canadian national team goalkeeper, had as much trouble in keeping out the U.S. National Team goals as did USA 'keeper Hope Solo against Canada's Christine Sinclair Monday in their epic Olympic Match. McLeod of course, eventually gave up the winning marker in the last minute of the second overtime period.

What was never mentioned in the international broadcast of the game was that McLeod had North Texas ties.


McLeod is a former SMU Mustang. She came to the Hilltop in 2000, the same year that George Van Linder became Head Coach.

The goalie, from Calgary, Alberta came to SMU with her St. Francis High School teammate Erin MacCallum. They were both star players here, MacCallum was a goal-scorer and McLeod, of course, was a goal-stopper. Both earned All-Western Athletic Conference status at SMU.

McLeod, as well as MacCallum, was a member of the 1999 U-17 provincial team in Canada, which won a gold medal at the CSA National All-Star Championship tournament. She was also a member of the 2000 U-17 Canada National Team. She was named the top goalie at the DiCiccio (former U.S. Women's National Team Coach) Soccer Plus Goal school and was also named team captain of the 1998 U-15 Jakarta Youth All-Stars.

McLeod went on to be a prime player for her country after she left SMU and Monday, she found herself on the Olympic stage with a world-wide audience. She preceded that with outstanding performances against Sweden in a comeback tie game and a clean sheet over Great Britain, before the epic Canada-U.S. game. She split the first two games before becoming the goalie of record for the Canucks.

Now Canada will be looking to McLeod once more in Thursday's Bronze Medal match against a feisty French team. (7 am on the Olympic Soccer Channel) Despite the plethora of goals scored in Monday's game, she stood toe-to-toe with the U.S. National Team goalie Hope Solo. The difference was the deciding last-minute goal by USA's Alex Morgan.



The Gold Medal game featuring the United States vs Japan will be at 1 p.m. On the same channel, with several re-broadcasts of the game during the day. This game is a highly anticipated replay, of course, of last year's World Cup finale, won by Japan after went to PK shootout conclusion.