Fourth-year honours psychology student and Soccer Mountie Tessa Ritchie has been on a soccer field since she was three. At the age of 10 she became a goalie.

“Honestly, I wasn’t very athletic as a kid and they stuck me in nets because I couldn’t run that well,” says Ritchie.

Now, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love the adrenaline of being a goalie,” she says. “It’s a pure grit position and everything is a last-ditch effort. You can’t win a game for the team, you can only lose it.”

She says for every nine or 10 saves she makes during a game, she has practiced those saves literally thousands of times until it becomes instinctual.

Growing up in Ottawa, she played school soccer and her club team was one of the best in the city. She played with the same girls and had the same coaches for 12 years. All of her teammates went on to become university varsity soccer players across Canada and the United States.

Ritchie remembers her very first home game at Mount Allison in her first year as one of her best sporting moments.

“I caused a penalty kick by knocking down an player in the box and then ended up saving the penalty kick. I have never jumped that high in my life.”

Last year, Ritchie was named an Atlantic University Sport (AUS) 2nd team all-star, which she calls her most significant athletic award. She was recently named Athlete of the Week for her shut-out performance against St. Mary’s.

“I like being able to support the team and give them a chance every time we are on the field to win the game,” she says. “ I want them to know if they score one or two goals that I will do everything I can to get them the win.”

When it comes to Mountie Pride, Ritchie believes it is about who you are both on and off the field.

“It’s bigger than the 20 girls on the team, it’s about being part of the entire Mount Allison community,” she says.

An honours psychology student, Ritchie originally thought she would study psychology or biology and pursue a career in a health field. After enjoying psychology so much during her time at Mount Allison, she plans to get a Master’s and pursue a career in applied psychology.