The Canadian national women’s soccer team kicks off its 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign on June 10 against Cameroon. TSN will profile Canada’s 23 players in the 23 days leading up to their tournament opener.

LINDSAY AGNEW

Age: 24
Hometown: Kingston, Ont.
Position: Fullback
Club: Houston Dash (NWSL)

Lindsay Agnew has been a regular in the Canadian lineup since she made her debut with the senior team in 2017. Agnew grew up playing on several Canadian youth teams with many of her current teammates, including Kadeisha Buchanan, Ashley Lawrence, Nichelle Prince, and Rebecca Quinn.

Agnew was born in Kingston, Ont., where her father, Gary, coached the Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League from 1994 until 1997, leading the team to their first division final in the 1994-95 season. Agnew and her family moved to Syracuse in 2001 after her dad became the new coach of the AHL’s Crunch.

Gary’s ever-changing job eventually landed the Agnew family in Ohio. While Agnew was playing for the Ohio Premier club, her mom, Barb, encouraged her to reach out to Bryan Rosenfeld, the coach of Canada’s Under-17 team. The next year, Agnew was invited to camp, where she started training as an outside back, despite never playing the position before (Agnew was usually a forward).

In 2012, she represented her country at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, playing all 90 minutes in three of Canada’s four games. Two years later she also took part in the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, appearing as a substitute in the quarter-final match against Germany.

Agnew made her senior team debut on Mar. 6, 2017, subbing into a game against Portugal at the Algarve Cup. Three months later, she earned her first start with the team in a friendly against Costa Rica at BMO Field in Toronto.

Agnew played four seasons with Ohio State University, finishing with 18 goals and 19 assists (sixth-most in program history, just one behind her Canadian and club teammate, Prince). In 2017, Agnew was drafted 19th overall by the Washington Spirt in the NWSL, before being traded to Houston the following year.

During her tenure with the Buckeyes and in her first professional season with Washington, Agnew played forward, but she has always been featured on the backline when playing for Canada.  Since joining the Houston Dash last season, she has played defence for her club as well. 

Although to date she has only amassed 11 appearances for the national team, Agnew has a grit that’s synonymous with being Canadian. At 5-foot-9, she can be difficult to knock off the ball. With her history as a forward, she’s not afraid to join the attack as a fullback.