Local talent Ava MacDonald to join the CAPERS in Fall 2026

By IAIN KING

Ava MacDonald watched CBU legend Alliyah Rowe become the all-time AUS record scorer from the bleachers at Ness Timmons Field and dreamed of one day walking in her footsteps.

Now the 17-year-old CAPERS Academy alumni will have the chance after committing her academic and soccer future to the hometown university she loves.

Canada Games striker Ava was hot property in the 2025 recruitment race with a host of schools on her trail. Yet in the end there was only going to be one destination, the CBU CAPERS.

"It has been my dream to play for CBU CAPERS since I was a little girl," confesses the Sydney River native. "You get to this level as a player, you are getting a bunch of Varsity offers and it stresses you out. Yet I always knew in my heart that I wanted to come here. I'd always watch Ally Rowe as a striker myself, she was such a special player and I've been lucky enough to work with her as my coach in our Academy pathway sessions. You see what she has achieved, and you think it would be great to have a little bit of that."

Ava's evolution has come at a time when her childhood Cape Breton FC club has grown into an environment where she has been able to rub shoulders with the current CAPERS players when they operate as coaches within the Academy. Last season she saw CAPERS attacker Lauren Rowe sparkle in the AUS title win before landing a dream move to the new Northern Super League's no1 ranked AFC Toronto. Rowe had a dream start in the NSL, scoring a winner at Halifax Tides and Ava reveals: "My ultimate dream is to emulate Lauren and play professionally in the Northern Super League (NSL). Again, the CAPERS Academy has given me the opportunity to work alongside her as a coach and Lauren is great with us, passing on little tips on the game but also talking about her academic journey. I have had Grace Hannaford and Charly Mitchell from the current team as coaches too, I love those sessions."

Veteran CAPERS Head Coach Ness Timmons is thrilled to have secured the much sought after striker amidst competing bids from other universities. Ness watched the Canada Games action Ava was a part of this summer closely.

"Ava is a terrific young talent right from here in our backyard," he smiles. "She has been a member of the provincial set-up for years and she was a shining light for the Nova Scotia team in Newfoundland. With her speed and quickness on the ball she has the potential to make an impact for us right away.

"Ava is an exceptional student athlete and we are honoured to have her commit to CBU to further her career, both academically and athletically. Her work ethic and positive attitude are outstanding. She lifts players simply with the style of her play."

With the unwavering support of mom Sherri and dad Chris, sports fanatic Ava and her younger sister Norah, also a Team Nova Scotia and EXCEL program player, have grown up inspiring and competing with each other.

It is an in-joke with the Academy Technical Staff to pit them against each other in training drills just for the fun of seeing the sparks fly!

"I am in a household that is wrapped up in soccer with Norah and I and we are VERY competitive," laughs Ava. "We have shed a lot of tears pushing each other to the limit in practice. We are lucky enough to have a little field with nets in the backyard and we play 1 v 1 against each other. Those games get intense and she is so quick too, you are not getting past her easily. She pushes me on. I am very proud of her progress."

Over the last three years CAPERS Women's Assistant Head Coach Mitchell Hanna has given back to his soccer community as Head Coach of the U17AAA Academy Girls.

Ava spent this entire past season in the Team NS Canada Games squad that won Bronze in that tournament in Newfoundland. She scored within 36 SECONDS of her Games debut!

The trade-off was not being able to play her final season with Mitch's Academy 17s as they reached the NSSL Cup Final and lost narrowly to Suburban FC before they also made the Provincial Play-Off Final Four.

Ava, though, made friendships in a close-knit squad that will last a lifetime and she recalls: "Mitchell coached me when I was six years old which is scary to think about now I am 17 and committing to CBU where I will be working with Head Coach Ness Timmons and Mitch again.

"I played ice hockey, was devoted to my gymnastics and I still do cross country and track. To be honest, though, while gymnastics may have run it close at one point it was always going to be soccer for me. I always knew I had more of a future in this than any other sport."

With the decision to commit to CBU CAPERS made, Ava is enjoying her last season of high school soccer as a Grade 12 player with Riverview.

She has an invite to be part of the new Halifax Tides Academy set-up and will look to make the HRM journey as often as possible to be part of those sessions under former UPEI Head Coach Lewis Page.

On and off the field Ava's progress makes her a poster-girl for the new CAPERS Academy as the franchise looks to consistently produce more female players of her calibre.

"In the Academy I guess I have a little status now as a Canada Games player but I have to change my mindset because I'm going to be the rookie at CBU and the new girl," she admits.

"I have to work very hard to get to the level of the AUS and find a way to try and be in the starting team. During Canada Games players like Grace Hannaford and Maddie Hatfield were held up as examples to us at Team Nova Scotia and it's cool to think I will have the chance to train and play with them now.

"At the age of 17, though, it is hard for me to think of yourself as role model to anyone! No, seriously, I do talk to the likes of Avery Kelloway and Evelyn Power from our powerful U13s Academy team and I realise they listen to me about the game which is really nice. I didn't realise until recently that I have an important role as the local kid coming to CAPERS.

"It takes a little of getting used to but I have the chance to play at home in front of everyone I know. I'm so proud to be a CAPER and I can't wait for that first game."