Chelsea Buckland

Chelsea Buckland (born January 20, 1990) is a Canadian former soccer forward who played for the Oregon State Beavers and the Canadian women's national team. Born and raised in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, she played at the youth and senior women's level for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, before joining the Beavers in the NCAA ranks in 2008. She joined the national team prior to her junior college year and has been with Canada at the 2011 FIFA World Cup (as an alternate) and the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Early life and youth career Buckland was born in Surrey, British Columbia, and was raised in nearby North Delta. Her father, Glenn, has worked for Canadian Pacific Railway, while her mother, Gail, has worked as a hospital service worker. She also has a younger brother, Reece.

Buckland first began playing organized soccer for a boys team in Whalley, British Columbia. As a young player, she aspired to play for the Canadian national team and looked up to such players as Christine Sinclair and Karina LeBlanc.

Club career In 2006, Buckland joined the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects Program. Two years later, she was competing with the club's Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL) side and scored 11 goals, despite missing a third of the campaign. The Whitecaps advanced to the semifinals of the PCSL Challenge Cup playoffs, where they were defeated 4–2 by the Tri-Cities Xtreme. Aside from league play, Buckland competed in the Keg Spring Cup and the San Diego Surf Cup with the Whitecaps Prospects. At the first tournament, held in Victoria, British Columbia, in March 2008, she scored game-winning goals in the semifinal against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds and final against the University of Victoria Vikes to help capture the championship. Several months later, in August, she recorded five goals in as many games at the latter tournament, a U19 competition against youth teams from the United States. Helping Vancouver to the semifinals, they lost 3–1 to Northern California state champions Mustang FC.

Buckland advanced to the Whitecaps' to W-League team in 2009, joining them midway through the season. She appeared in 6 of the team's 12 games (starting in one of them) and recorded two assists. Vancouver finished fifth in the Western Conference, failing to qualify for the playoffs.

Collegiate career Upon graduating from Sands Secondary, Buckland moved on to the college ranks on an athletic scholarship with the Oregon State Beavers of the NCAA's Pacific-10 Conference. Prior to committing to Oregon State in December 2007, she was named Pac-12 Player of the Week on September 27, 2011. Her efforts included her first collegiate hat trick in a 7–0 win against the FIU Golden Panthers. The following month, she earned her second weekly distinction of the year after recording two goals in a pair of Beavers victories between October 17 and 24. Buckland went on to lead her team for a third consecutive year with 11 goals (third among conference players). Playing in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the Beavers lost in the first round to Portland Pilots 7–6 in a shootout. The NCAA Tournament game was the first hosted by Oregon State (at the women's soccer level) in school history.

In lieu of her participation with the Canadian national team, which will include the Summer Olympics in London, Buckland placed her academic and athletic career on hiatus in 2012. She has formed an effective duo at the forward position alongside fellow Greater Vancouver native and Whitecaps product Jenna Richardson, who she helped recruit to Oregon State. Buckland was selected as an alternate to the senior women's 2011 FIFA World Cup squad following her performance in a January 2011 training camp. Prior to the tournament, she was additionally named to Canada's team for the 2011 Cyprus Cup, an annual invitational tournament. Canada went on to win the championship, defeating the Netherlands 2–1 in the final. Buckland did not play in any tournament games, later debut with the national team on May 15, 2011, a 1–1 friendly draw against Switzerland. At the World Cup, held in Germany, Canada failed to advance from the group stage after losing all three of their games; On November 22, 2011, she recorded her first international goal in a friendly against Sweden. Scored against goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl, the goal came two minutes after coming off the bench and tied the score at 1–1, before Canada scored again to win the game.

In December 2011, Buckland was named to Canada's team for the 2012 CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers after competing for a roster spot during another training camp in Fullerton, California. She made her international tournament debut in her hometown Vancouver, British Columbia, coming off the bench in Canada's first game, a 6–0 win against Haiti on January 18, 2012. Buckland then logged her first international start in Canada's second group contest against Cuba. After playing in all three group games, she sat on the bench for the playoffs as Canada succeeded in qualifying for the Olympics by advancing to the final. They lost 4–0 to the United States, winning silver.

Several months later, Buckland dressed for a friendly and was a late sub in a 1–0 win against China PR on May 30. The match was held on home soil in Moncton, New Brunswick. Continuing to train with Canada's national team, Buckland sustained an injury while scrimmaging in Richmond, British Columbia, less than two months ahead of the Olympics. Attempting to make a sharp turn, she tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and meniscus in her left knee. She underwent surgery and was projected to be sidelined for six to eight months. Though Buckland had not yet been named to the Olympic team (the roster was officially announced two weeks after her injury), she was expected to compete for a spot. Herdman continued to voice his support for Buckland, heralding her as a "strong contender for working alongside Sinclair in the future."

Awards Award Year Keg Spring Cup (with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Prospects) 2008 Pac-10 All-Freshman 2009 Pac-10 All-Conference Second Team 2010 Pac-12 All-Conference First Team 2011 NSCAA All-Pacific Regional Third Team 2010 NSCAA All-Pacific Regional First Team 2011 Pac-12 Player of the Week September 19–26, 2011October 17–24, 2011