Thomas returned from the recent national championship in Edmonton, where she helped Team Ontario earn the gold medal.

The 5'5" centre mid-fielder has been working hard since she was in her early teens for the opportunity to compete at nationals. At first, she had to make the cut for the Hamilton-Wentworth district team. Then, she had to prove herself at the regional and provincial levels.

Prior to the provincial team's departure for Edmonton, the squad of 18 elite soccer players was required to participate in a one-week training session at Ridley College.

Upon arriving in Edmonton on July 20, the girls had two days to warm up before taking part in the National Championships. When the round robin kicked off, the players' schedule was intense.

According to Shanika, the provincial squad played their matches at 11 a.m. In the afternoon, the girls were on the pitch, practicing for the next day's game. In the evening, the team gathered for a meeting where their performance was critiqued by coaches.

Team Ontario kicked off the round-robin with a 3-0 victory against Newfoundland. The following day, they faced off against Alberta, and beat the host province 3-1. Ontario won game three against Nova Scotia 2-1, but settled for a 1-1 tie against Quebec in game four. But it was back to their winning ways in game five, with a 4-2 win over British Columbia.

"Our coach kept telling us 'You don't win silver, you lose gold,'" said Thomas. With that in mind, she persevered on the soccer pitch, contributing to her team's success.

In Edmonton, Thomas started and played every game. According to Thomas's mom, Dena, her daughter's participation at this year's national championships is a personal accomplishment.

Thomas's dad, Steve, noted that the elite athlete is the only born and raised player in Flamborough to make it this far in the sport.

Now at the end of the provincial soccer program, Thomas will continue playing for her Mississauga rep team, the Falcons, which is currently seeded first in the province.

Thomas hopes to try out for the national team training camp, where she will practice and compete with 16- to 20-year-old players.

Entering Grade 11 at Waterdown District High School, she also plays for the school's soccer team. She is also actively involved in the WDHS basketball, water polo and swimming teams.

At the 2007/2008 Athletic Banquet, Thomas received the Female Athlete of the Year award as well as the Most Valuable Player award for both basketball and soccer. She's maintained an above 90 per cent average throughout her high school career and hopes to achieve great heights playing soccer.

And her excellence in the sport hasn't gone unnoticed by university coaches across the border: Thomas has already received scholarship proposals from universities in Tennessee, South Carolina and Michigan.

NERVES

As she continues to play on the provincial and possibly the national soccer stage, Thomas has noticed various scouts sitting on the sidelines, evaluating the performances on the pitch.

"I always get nervous," she said of the scouts' presence. "But it's good because you play better and you are always on your toes."

Confident of her ball winning and heading skills, there are areas in which Thomas would like to improve.

"I would like to continue working on my delivery of the ball, quickness of thinking - when I get the ball, to know what to do with it - and keep my fitness up," she told the Review.

Thanks to her current job at the Flamborough Family YMCA, Thomas's summer centres on sports. A referee for the Flamborough Soccer Association, the Waterdown teen will also soon find herself becoming a mentor to youth at an upcoming kids' soccer camp for disadvantaged youth in Hamilton.