“I’ve always been a very vocal and encouraging player. I think those natural behaviours of mine caught (coach Andrew Olivieri’s) attention, so he gave me the honour of being the captain of the national team.”

McNicoll was one of the most visible Canadian players Tuesday, at both ends of the field. One minute, she’d be breaking up a Ghanaian threat deep in Canadian territory. The next, she’d be in on the Canadian attack.

Stamina is the reason McNicoll, who led the University of Wisconsin in points last season as a sophomore midfielder, is utilized as a defensive fullback by the national team.

“The position I’m playing now, left back, requires lots of endurance, getting up and down the field the entire game. I usually average 12-14 kilometres a game,” said McNicoll, whose parents, Andrew and Trinette, are both former members of the national track-and-field team. “You need someone who wants to run all game.

“I love fullback. I love running. Nothing says I can’t take on a player, then play in a cross and get an assist,” she added. “The game has changed, and I can use that to my advantage.”

Finland lost 2-1 to North Korea in the earlier Group A game Tuesday, essentially making Friday’s contest in Toronto a must-win contest for both squads. The top two squads out of each four-team group advance to the quarter-finals.

McNicoll said the belief level on the Canadian team was undeterred by Tuesday’s loss.

“It’s soccer, it happens. Look at the men’s World Cup, teams lost their first games and bounced right back,” she said. “We’ll use this game as a lesson, and we can only move forward. We can’t look back.”