Kirstin Tynan’s lifelong dream of playing professional soccer is about to come true.
Last week, it was announced that the 22-year-old goalkeeper from North Vancouver would join Canada’s first pro women’s soccer league.
Vancouver Rise FC – one of the six inaugural teams in the Northern Super League – has signed Tynan to its roster.
Rise FC is supported by big names in the sport, with soccer icon and gold medallist Christine Sinclair a part of the ownership group.
Former Team Canada netminder Stephanie Labbé is the club’s sporting director. She said she was proud to welcome Tynan to Rise’s roster.
“She has proven herself as a goalkeeper at both the collegiate and League1 BC levels in Canada,” she said. “Kirstin’s experience abroad training with Everton gave her valuable experience in a professional environment that will be a big asset in her transition into the professional game right here in Vancouver.”
The club noted Tynan’s exceptional performance over the past two seasons with the TSS Rovers in League1 BC. She captained the team in 2024 and was named Swanguardians Women’s Player of the Year.
At the collegiate level, Tynan had 58 starts in net for Queen’s University from 2021 to 2024, with 33 shutouts. The star player captained that team in 2023 and 2024, earning the titles of U Sports All-Canadian and OUA First Team All-Star in 2023. Tynan helped the Gaels win the OUA women’s soccer trophy in 2021.
She also has international experience, training with Everton FC in the English Women’s Super League.
Getting out of comfort zone key to growth, Tynan says
Tynan says that constantly putting herself out of her comfort zone has prepared her to rise to this next challenge.
She reflects back to her first days with Mountain FC, under Chris Sargent, who’s since gone on to coach for the Whitecaps organization and in Denmark.
“He was transformational in terms of starting me out,” Tynan said. “But I remember my first few days at Mountain. I was terrified. I was so nervous."
At the same time, the young athlete knew she wanted to improve, and this was the right step to better herself. Tynan recalls similar feelings of fear when moving to Ontario to go to Queen’s, and flying to England on exchange.
“I’ve found I’ve grown the most when I push myself outside of that comfort zone,” she said. “I’m hoping that I can follow suit with that trend, with the Rise, and just continue to grow and get better.”
Along with two of her new teammates, Tynan went to the sold-out Professional Women’s Hockey League game in Vancouver on Jan. 8, an event she found inspirational.
“I don’t even have words to describe how special that experience was to go to that game,” she said.
When the NSL kicks off in April, Tynan wants people in Vancouver to buy into her league in the same way that fans have supported the new PWHL.
“It’s so exciting to finally have women’s professional sport in Canada,” she said. “When I was a little kid, it was my dream to play professional soccer, but I could have never imagined that I would achieve this dream in my hometown.
“I just encourage everyone to come out and see what we’ve got to show. It should be awesome,” Tynan said.
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