Pointe Claire’s Cant reaches soccer pinnacle

BY MICHAEL PIASETZKI

Speak to observers who have watched Pointe Claire resident Connie Cant practise during any period of her illustrious competitive soccer career, and he or she would probably express bewilderment.

The 42-year-old Cant was — and still is — simply awful during training, unable at times to properly follow drills, often lagging behind in intensity. Put her on a pitch against an opposition, though, and like a true Jekyll and Hyde, the opposite resulted. Playing on pure instinct and enthusiasm, Cant transformed into one of the best centre/midfielders Quebec and Canada has ever produced. For her achievements during an illustrious career that saw her win silver at the provincial level, named a first-team all-Canadian with the Concordia University Lady Stingers in 1988 and co-captain of the Canadian women’s senior soccer team from 1986-1991, Cant was recently awarded the highest honour in Canadian soccer, induction into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. She, along with former men’s national team goalkeeper Craig Forrest, Glen Johnson, who played for Canada during the 1970s, Domenic Mobilio, who played 25 times for Canada before his untimely death at the age of 35 in 2004, and Bill Findler, who was a star in the 1920s and 1930s with Edmonton C.N.R. and Westminster Royals will attend a ceremony May 5 in Woodbridge, Ont.

“I’m honoured, yet surprised,” said Cant, whose sister Maureen also played on the women’s senior national squad for three years during the late 1980s. “I wasn’t expecting this at all. It really didn’t cross my mind until I received a letter notifying me. I read it, and said, ‘oh my God, I’m in.’”

Cant grew up in St. Bruno, before moving to Dorval at the age of 18 where she caught on with a senior AA team. Twenty-four years later, that connection continues. Her present squad, called the over-35 Eurocan Dorval Outremont United, which she captains, captured national championships for the past two consecutive years.

“(Cant’s) legs are a bit slower now, but you can see the soccer mind is still there,” said over-35 Dorval Outremont United head coach Jason Broadhurst, who also serves as technical director of the Pointe Claire Soccer Association. “She still knows what she’s going to do before the ball gets to her. She’s still a step ahead of everyone on the field.”

In many ways, Cant, a current member of the Quebec Soccer Hall of Fame, pioneered the future current national team members during her stint on Team Canada. Highlights included scoring against and actually beating the United States 2-0 in a tournament in Minnesota and a 2-0 loss to China in a trial World Cup game in front of 50,000 screaming fans.

“All I really wanted to do growing up was play soccer,” said Cant, who also serves as co-coach for the u-12 Pointe Claire boys’ AA squad. “In many ways, it was much less complicated for us back then than it is for today’s young elite players. We didn’t have so much pressure on us. All we wanted to do was go out there and have fun.”