Homegrown Tides star leads impressive roster of new talent as season begins
Posted Apr 24, 2026 06:32:13 AM.
Last Updated Apr 24, 2026 12:07:47 PM.
Growing up in Halifax, Tides FC’s first-signed homegrown player never imagined she’d someday play on a professional women’s soccer team in the city.
“It was never a dream to play here because I didn’t think it would be possible,” admits forward Saorla Miller, ahead of the team’s season-opening match at the Wanderers Grounds on Saturday. “(So) being able to look into the stands and see people I grew up playing with or grew up coaching me or anyone from any walks of life that I’ve encountered, it is a really special feeling.”
Entering her sophomore season with the Northern Super League’s Tides, Miller is among the team’s returning players, having earned a solid reputation for appearing in all but one game last year and becoming the first player in franchise history to score two goals in a single match.
While she is joining other returning standouts like local players Syd Kennedy, Annika Leslie and Bridgewater’s Sarah Taylor, the club will also be heading into its second season with a more robust line-up that includes such offseason additions as South Korean star Cho So-Hyun, Norwegian defender Julie Pedersen and former Liverpool FC and national team goaltender Rylee Foster, among others.
“It’s been a big turnover and we’ve had to get to know each other in a short amount of time,” says Miller. “But it has been great so far.”
While fans will get to see the revamped roster starting this Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Tides take on Ottawa Rapid for the home opener, Miller says the real work on shaping the squad began a couple months ago in spring training where the team started to show its skills during an overseas trip to play preseason matches in England against the likes of West Ham United and Everton FC Women’s Club.
“Going in, we knew that it would be big for us to spend time together on the road, in a new country and play good teams as well,” says Miller. “We’ve got to spend a lot of time together to work on what we want to be as a team.”
Miller says the Tides are ready to get the second season underway and show the fans how much the team has improved in the offseason, adding that she hopes to take the opportunity to sharpen her own skills further on the front end.
She admits playing in her hometown is especially a thrill, not only because the local fans were so passionate during the Tides’ inaugural season, but because it’s where her love of the game originally began.
After discovering the sport as a 5-year-old, she would eventually rise through Halifax’s local soccer system, win bronze at the 2017 Canada Games, lead the University of Memphis soccer team to four conference titles and finally turn professional with Keflavik FC in Iceland before coming full circle to join the Tides last year.
“My mom has played soccer all throughout her life, so she was definitely a big reason why I started playing,” admits Miller. “I just loved being active as a kid (and) I kept playing for that love. I never really had any pressure from my parents growing up; it was always whatever you want to do, we’ll support you, and thankfully, my love kept me going.”
