色色啦

“You do see everything on the pitch,鈥� Small told the Star.聽聽“I love to be able to help my teammates, just being able to talk and communicate with them to make their lives easier while also making my life easier as well. When we鈥檙e on the same page, it will be much easier for us to win games.”

It took a bit of time for that chemistry to translate into team success, but Small and AFC 色色啦 appear to have found it 10 games into the inaugural season of the Northern Super League.

色色啦, on a three-game win streak heading into Thursday’s home game against Ottawa Rapid FC, sits atop 聽with 19 points, one ahead of Montreal Roses FC. While success in soccer is a team effort, Small鈥檚 presence in the middle has been a significant factor.聽

She’s leading the league in tackles with 41, tied for second in assists (three), tied for fourth in goals (three) and fifth in touches (694) and minutes played (899).

Small said she gets chills when it鈥檚 mentioned that she鈥檚 among the top scorers.聽

鈥淚 just because I鈥檓 so excited, because it doesn鈥檛 happen often,鈥� said Small, who scored twice in a recent 2-1 win over Calgary FC.聽

She grew up watching family members play, and spent time with Pickering FC of League 1 Ontario before joining Canada Soccer鈥檚 national development centre. Being an older sibling to two brothers, one playing with the 色色啦 FC academy, led to more competition 鈥� from soccer to video games.聽

Small’s parents were supportive of her soccer dreams, but demanded that academics not take a back seat, which is part of the reason she ended up at Wake Forest University with the Demon Deacons. In three years, she appeared in 60 games and scored four goals.

Prior to AFC 色色啦, she played briefly for Eagle FC in the USL W League (three goals in eight games).

AFC 色色啦 sporting director Billy Wilson said Small’s talent was a selling point, but not her only strength.

鈥淲ith Nikki, it鈥檚 actually the stuff she does off the pitch. It鈥檚 how she conducts herself off the field, it鈥檚 how obsessed she is with her self-improvement,鈥� Wilson said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 her deep understanding of the game. She鈥檚 got that constant daily battle to improve, that desire and work ethic, which is what builds success. And she鈥檚 a great person, too. Good people are usually the ones that are high performers, and she鈥檚 certainly exceptional.鈥�

Small added that playing close to home is an underrated advantage.

“It鈥檚 definitely a rest for me when I get to go home and have home-cooked meals and stuff,” she said.聽聽“Now a whole bunch of my family and all my friends can come, and I get to see so many people after a home game. That definitely motivates you even more.”