Regan, Hansen reunited at AFC Toronto

Emma Regan and Kaela Hansen’s respective journeys in soccer are a familiar story for elite players in Canada.

The pair grew up playing together in Burnaby, B.C., before making the jump to the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite program and the Canadian youth national teams. From there, they went south of the border to the NCAA, albeit on different teams, before heading overseas to play professionally in Europe – Regan in Denmark, and Hansen in both Serbia and Finland.

Now, the long-time friends will be reunited on home soil, as both will be joining AFC Toronto for the Northern Super League’s first season.

“I really wanted to be a part of this inaugural season and hopefully, in turn, push soccer forward in Canada,” Regan told TSN. “I think it was just very exciting for all Canadian players to see that this would be a reality… It's just an amazing step for soccer in Canada.”

While both are passionate about the prospect of joining the NSL, which is set to kick off in April with six teams across the country, the fact that they’re doing so in tandem is the cherry on top.

“It's going to be an even greater experience to have one of my closest friends with me be a part of it,” Hansen told TSN. “You can imagine the excitement on our faces. We're just constantly talking about it.”

While the duo, both 24, have experience in the Canadian youth national system, Regan has earned several call-ups with the senior team. In the most recent window, the midfielder picked up her fourth international cap, playing all 90 minutes in a 5-1 win against Korea Republic.

“Really happy for Emma. Thought she was definitely keen to get on the ball defensively. She did well,” interim head coach Cindy Tye told the media postgame. “We challenged her to face forward a little bit more and connect… I think she had a great impact on the game.”

Regan’s signing with AFC Toronto marks the first time a player currently in the national team pool has joined the NSL. Goalkeeper Erin McLeod, who retired from international duty after 119 caps for Canada, signed with the Halifax Tides in October.

Regan and Hansen shared a similar journey on their path to reuniting in the NSL. They join the league with a couple years of professional experience under their belts after excelling in their respective collegiate careers.

Regan spent five years at the University of Texas, captaining the team for several seasons and leading them to the 2022 Big 12 Championship. Among her individual accolades, she was named to the 2021 United Soccer Coaches All-Midwest Region Third Team.

Hansen played for five seasons with the University of Kansas, finishing her career as the program’s all-time leader in games and minutes played. She started every game since the beginning of her freshman year in 2018, setting another school record with 98 all-time starts. In her sophomore year, she helped lead the Jayhawks to the program’s first-ever Big 12 Championship.

As the two mulled over their professional options, both ultimately chose to head to Europe – Regan joining HB Køge in Denmark, and Hansen going to Spartak Subotica in Serbia.

“My time here in Denmark has really shown me a lot about European football and the possession style that they often play over here,” Regan said. “That part of my game has really grown, and that's something that I want to continue to develop and continue to play in.”

Hansen, a centre back who has also played as a fullback and holding midfielder, also felt that the European style suited her game.

“I am a very technical centre back on the ball. I like to dribble, create plays. I'm kind of an attacking-minded centre back,” she said. “I definitely feel like it developed me more mentally as a player and also upped my technical skills.”

Both Regan and Hansen also highlight their Champions League experience during their time in Europe. Regan’s Køge was knocked out in the first round of qualifying in the 2023-24 tournament. In the same bracket, Hansen and Spartak advanced to the second round with a 2-1 win over Finland’s KuPS, a team Hansen would end up joining in the next season.

“It's probably up there for one of the top moments in my career,” Hansen said.

And although Regan’s team had already been eliminated, she was able to watch her friend advance to the next round.

“To share that with her too was really amazing,” Hansen said. “I was in tears. We were all in tears. It was crazy.”

Years earlier, Regan had her own surreal moment, when she was called into camp for Canada’s senior team as an 18-year-old in 2018. The midfielder had been a strong performer for Canada at the youth levels. She played every minute for her country at the 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (where Hansen was also on the roster), as well as the 2016 U-20 Women’s World Cup.

She earned her first cap with the senior team at the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, subbing into the game in a 12-0 win against Cuba.

Regan was in her freshman year at Texas and recalls having to write exams while in the hotel.

“That was just a stressful time, and really a time where I definitely had to be pushed and out of my comfort zone to be on the national team,” she said.

After that tournament, Regan didn’t receive another call-up to the national team for five years. She now recognizes her mindset needed to evolve.

“I really was so focused on making the team and having that accolade, making every camp, and it was such a stressful thing. I just wanted it almost too bad, I think,” she said. “So, when I kind of stepped away and took this pressure off myself, took the stress out of it a little bit, I realized that I can have an amazing career outside of the national team. If they come calling again, great. But if not, I'll survive.”

Hansen shared a similar experience in her journey with the Canadian youth program. She was part of the under-17 and under-20 teams from 2016 to 2017, but only recorded one official appearance, playing 90 minutes in a 3-2 win against Cameroon at the 2016 U-17 World Cup.

“I do feel like it helped me mentally. You're not always going to start. You're not always going to be able to be in the position you want to play in,” she said. “It taught me that my value isn't just determined by being a player on the field, and I think that's a very important thing.”

Regan said taking pressure off herself and focusing on her professional career in Denmark coincided with the national team calling her back into camp.

“That's my mindset moving forward. I'm happy to be there,” she said. “I'm absolutely privileged and grateful every time I'm called in, and I'm working every single day to achieve that. But I'm not looking too far forward, and I'm not basing my entire life off of those camps.”

This new focus has allowed her to excel on the pitch, as she’s coming off arguably her strongest match for the Canadian senior team. In her 90-minute performance against Korea Republic in the defensive midfielder role, Regan recorded 90 per cent passing accuracy and posted a 7.0 rating on Sofascore.

“I think I'm just that much more confident in camp now and able to loosen up on the pitch and just bring me,” Regan said. “I thought I was able to bring kind of my DNA as a player, which is that kind of gritty defender and helping out the back line, cleaning stuff up and getting it forward, but also in that six role, being a bit of a facilitator of play.”

While Regan was used as a six in this particular match, she has been utilized in various spots in the midfield during her time in Denmark, including in a more attacking position. She said she’s happiest in the box-to-box role.

“I like the ability to go forward, but I love a good slide tackle too,” she smiled.

Regan’s time in Køge also allowed her to hone her leadership skills, as she wore the captain’s armband on several occasions. She has captained several teams throughout her career, including multiple seasons at both Texas and the Whitecaps.