Friendship Leads Pair To Varsity Reds

(FREDERICTON, NB) Hockey brought MJ Miller and Emma King-Jesso together, but soccer is what’s kept them together… and it’s what’s bringing both to the UNB Varsity Reds.

King-Jesso, a striker from St. John’s, and Miller, a centre-midfielder from Halifax, have signed U SPORTS Letters of Intent and will join the Varsity Reds women’s soccer team this fall.

The pair met a decade ago, while playing competitive hockey in Newfoundland-Labrador.

They reconnected a year later as members of the Newfoundland-Labrador Soccer Association’s provincial team, and remained teammates for six seasons with Team NL before Miller’s family moved to Nova Scotia.

While they’ve stayed in touch, they’ve played apart.

King-Jesso has played at Mount Pearl Senior High School, in St. John’s, and will be a member of Newfoundland-Labrador’s women’s team at this summer’s Canada Games, in Winnipeg.

Miller has been a member of the varsity team at C.P. Allen High School, in Halifax, as well as playing for the club team Halifax County.

Miller describes herself as a technical midfielder.

“I thrive on setting plays and moving the game forward,” she said. “It’s clear to me that I’ll be joining something special, a team that shares the same vision and passion for soccer that I have.”

Varsity Reds head coach Jon Crossland is excited to have Miller joining his group.

“MJ plays a smooth, relaxed game and is a great passer. She has great vision and we look forward to seeing her contributions to our program this fall and beyond.”

Like Miller, King-Jesso is excited about what lies ahead.

“I had an opportunity to attend a soccer camp at UNB last summer. It immediately felt like the right choice for me,” said King-Jesso. “I really like the campus, the coaching style and the great team spirit. UNB also offers the academic program I’m interested in pursuing.”

Crossland says King-Jesso is an attacking player that operates well from a wide position.

“Emma will join a strike line that is built with size and speed that we hope will be tough match-ups for opposing defences,” he said.

King-Jesso will study Engineering, while Miller will enter the Faculty of Arts and focus on International Development Studies and Political Science.

Both King-Jesso and Miller will join the Varsity Reds beginning in the 2017-18 season.