Jonelle Filigno

Jonelle Filigno (born September 24, 1990) is a retired Canadian soccer player who last played for Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She played for the Canadian national team, with whom she won an Olympic bronze medal at London 2012.

College career Filigno attended Rutgers University, where she is the all-time leading scorer of game-winning goals, with 17. She joined Rutgers on the advice of her former teammate Karina Leblanc, who at that time served as an assistant coach with the Scarlet Knights. In 2020, she was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame, with the school describing her as "one of the most accomplished players in school history."

Club career After finishing her collegiate career at Rutgers University, Filigno was allocated to NWSL side Sky Blue FC. She made her debut on April 27, 2014, as a second-half substitute in a 3–2 road defeat to the Boston Breakers at Harvard Stadium. She scored her first professional goal in a 3–3 draw against the Washington Spirit on May 21, 2014, at Maryland SoccerPlex.

International career Filigno won gold with Canada in the 2008 CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship. She made her senior debut for Canada on January 16, 2008, at an age of 17, playing in a 4-0 loss against the United States in the Four Nations Tournament.

Filigno was part of the squad which won gold at the 2008 Cyprus Women's Cup. She was described in the media in the lead up to the 2011 World Cup as "Possessing a keen attacking sense, fearlessness in taking on defenders and strong movement off the ball".

At the 2012 Olympics, Filigno scored the winning goal against Great Britain in the knockout stage of the tournament, a stunning volley from a Sophie Schmidt corner kick. She was subsequently awarded an Olympic bronze medal after Canada defeated France in the Third Place match. The medal was Canada's first in women's soccer at the Olympics.

Filigno made her last appearance for the national team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and officially retired from international soccer in 2017, being honoured at a match alongside Josée Bélanger, Robyn Gayle, Kaylyn Kyle, and Lauren Sesselmann.

Personal life Filigno's father was born in Etobicoke, Ontario while her mother is from Georgetown, Guyana. Filigno was four years old when she started playing soccer in north Mississauga. She grew up participating in soccer, basketball, volleyball, and cross-country running.

International goals

Honours International

CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2010 Cyprus Women's Cup: 2008

Individual

Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame: 2020 Canada U-20 Player of the Year: 2008, 2010