Alegra Black
D’Youville University
NCAA Division II
Coaches goalkeeping at Blizzard
Where our players went.
Blizzard graduates now playing university soccer across the NCAA, the NAIA and Canada — and the club’s own published record behind them.
2026
U21 Women’s Ontario Cup Champions.
Blizzard’s U21 women won the 2026 Ontario Cup — the squad that trained together through the winter, travelled the showcase calendar together, and finished the season with the trophy.
Players take part in competitions such as the Ontario Cup and iModel through partner club affiliations, as part of Blizzard’s independent development program.
Recent Blizzard graduates
Through the program, and now playing in college.
These players came through the Blizzard pathway and are now on university rosters. Several of them come back to coach, which is how a player two years behind them ends up being taught by someone who did it first.
Vanessa Lovisa
Wagner College
NCAA Division I
Coaches attacking midfield at Blizzard
Hailey Knapp
Wagner College
NCAA Division I
Coaches centre back at Blizzard
Megan Knapp
Wagner College
NCAA Division I
Coaches forward at Blizzard
Natalie Bevan
Lincoln University of Missouri
NCAA Division II
Coaches centre back at Blizzard
Selena Poveda
Chicago State University
NCAA Division I
Coaches forward and wing back at Blizzard
Kaitlyn Brooks
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo
NCAA Division II
Coaches attacking midfield at Blizzard
Sarah DaSilva
WVU Tech
NAIA
Coaches holding midfield at Blizzard
Simona Paglia
Queen’s University, Kingston
U SPORTS
Coaches wing back at Blizzard
Affiliations are taken from each institution’s official athletics pages. These are graduates of the Blizzard pathway now at university — not university graduates.
The numbers
What the record actually shows.
94%
Full or near-full scholarships
A club-reported outcome for Blizzard players who went on to university soccer. Individual outcomes vary.
57
Players in the record
Named individually below, with where each one went.
42
Destinations
NCAA Division I and II, NAIA, junior college, Canadian universities and one professional move.
6 yrs
2018 to 2023
The club’s own published graduate record, year by year.
In their words
What players say about the program.
Reproduced as written or spoken. Nothing here is paraphrased.
I never thought a soccer scholarship to the States was possible — in fact my parents and I thought it was unrealistic. At 16 I switched to the Toronto Blizzard. The training here was way more intense but well worth it.
Being here and training has made me physically and mentally stronger. Before I came I was literally skin and bones and was terrified to make mistakes, but through the program I grew a lot stronger and mistakes are now the last thing on my mind while playing.
On my old teams we used to get excited when we saw a guy with a clipboard on the sidelines. We thought they were scouts when really it could have been anyone. Being with the Toronto Blizzard I have never seen so many scouts in my life.
Joe welcomed me to the Toronto Blizzard Scholarship Program where I was truly amazed with the professional training environment for development. I was excited to see an atmosphere where all players trained with intensity, discipline and diligence.
Joe has a hands-on approach to helping student athletes get to the best university soccer programs. He puts a lot of focus into speed, agility and conditioning, and his advanced technical and tactical training is designed so that each individual player continually learns, improves and is prepared for games, showcases and University/College.
I am very thankful to have met Joe and his staff who have helped me obtain an opportunity in life I will never forget.
Through Joe’s guidance and connections I was able to achieve a full-ride scholarship to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where I was grateful to play two seasons of Division I soccer in 2023 and 2024.
I am a former player at Toronto Blizzard and a former captain of the 2006 team. I am now playing Division I level soccer at Wagner College.
I am now attending Seminole State College, and that is all down to Joe and the Blizzard’s help. He has always pushed me to be a better soccer player, a better person, a better student.
Beyond university
Professional outcomes.
The pathway does not stop at a university roster.
Nikki Matarazzo
A Blizzard alumna who won a Serie A title in Italy and played in the UEFA Women’s Champions League and for Chelsea in England. She now coaches mental training at Blizzard.
Rebecca Bartosh
In the record at the University of Pittsburgh, then Kansas State, and listed in 2023 as having moved to Rome, Italy.
A 2023 graduate
Signed professionally in Scotland after coming through the program.
The published record
Every player, 2018 to 2023.
The club’s own graduate record, consolidated so each player appears once. Where a player moved on, the steps are shown in order rather than counted as separate placements.
| Player | Destination | First listed |
|---|---|---|
| Natalie Abbate | Oakland U | 2018 |
| Hannah Alexis | Detroit Mercy | 2018 |
| Rebecca Bartosh | U of Pittsburgh Kansas State U Rome, Italy transferred | 2020 |
| Harper Bennett | York U Jackson State transferred | 2019 |
| Leah Bermudez | Gannon U | 2019 |
| Vanessa Bibilis | U of Toronto | 2019 |
| Isabella Brancati | Not recorded | 2023 |
| Khiara Brown | York U transfer | 2018 |
| Keishawna Brown | Arkansas Pine Bluff Jackson State transferred | 2018 |
| Chiara Canini | Garden State Chicago State (transferred) transferred | 2022 |
| Muskan Chandi | U of Toronto | 2020 |
| Lauren Cuisia | Daemen College | 2020 |
| Savanna Edwards | U of Albany | 2020 |
| Maddy Eisner | U Little Rock Arkansas | 2022 |
| Jada Ellis | Southeastern Louisiana U transfer | 2018 |
| Keejah Francis | York U | 2019 |
| Nicole Francis | Starts January (Jackson State – GK) | 2023 |
| Jala Fraser | Ryerson | 2019 |
| Jayla Fraser | Ryerson | 2020 |
| Taijah Fraser | Middle State Tennessee U | 2022 |
| Sabine Gillie | Hardy – U of Western – Memphis | 2019 |
| Sabrina Graziano | Cumberland U | 2019 |
| Michaela Hawthorn | Cumberland U transfer | 2018 |
| Cyerra Hibbert | Illinois State U | 2021 |
| Lauren Hogg | Laurier U | 2020 |
| Olla Houle | Jackson State | 2023 |
| Megan Howell | Jackson State then Prairie View A & M | 2020 |
| Sophia Kalpakidis | Not recorded | 2023 |
| Makenzie Kavanaugh | Jacksonville U | 2018 |
| Keira Kent | Ryerson | 2018 |
| Courtney Linn | U Hawaii Hilo | 2022 |
| Caiya Mascoll | Sylvester – York U | 2019 |
| Samantha Naus | Ryerson | 2018 |
| Sarah Nissan | RMC | 2020 |
| Madison Norville | Cleveland State | 2022 |
| Sarah Owusu | Xavier U | 2022 |
| Isabel Randall | Jackson State | 2021 |
| Katie ray | Davenport University | 2022 |
| Claire Reeves | U of Waterloo | 2020 |
| Emily Reeves | U of Waterloo | 2020 |
| Carolina Dos Santos | Garden State | 2022 |
| Reece Scott | Detroit Mercy Columbia State Grambling State U transferred | 2018 |
| Rory Scott | Garden State | 2022 |
| Lauren Service | Harding University | 2021 |
| Skylar Sheehan | Allyne – Ryerson | 2020 |
| Sonam Shulman | Brown University | 2021 |
| Emily Simmons | Ball State transfer | 2018 |
| Savanna Singh | St. Bonaventure | 2022 |
| Madeline Skinner | U of Western | 2019 |
| Alessia Skinner | Jackson State U | 2019 |
| Daliisha Spence | Oral Roberts U | 2018 |
| Alyah Spence | Ryerson | 2019 |
| Caitlin Susi | Clarion University | 2022 |
| Marley Thompson | St. Bonaventure U | 2019 |
| Maya Thompson | Jackson State | 2021 |
| Asta Thomson | Scotland (Professional) | 2023 |
| Ava Woodburn | Western | 2023 |
Two entries have no destination recorded in the club’s source list and are marked as such. Admission, roster places and scholarship funding are determined by the receiving institution.
The wider program
Blizzard’s boys and alumni history.
The pages above describe the girls program, which is Blizzard’s primary focus. Boys can also train with the club, and the name has a longer history behind it.
There are not many people who I have met in my life like Joe Parolini. He is a man of action and not just words. I was in my last year of high school and had limited time to decide what my future would be after graduating. I wanted to continue with my education, yet soccer has always been my passion and I was searching for a way to do both.
I am extremely grateful to Joe, who made it possible for me to continue with the next level of education and be able to play soccer at a very high competitive level on an NCAA Division I soccer team, the Memphis Tigers. It is an absolutely incredible opportunity to be able to play in the United States at this level on a fully funded scholarship.
Boys can train with Blizzard
Enquiries are welcome for all birth years. Joe will confirm the training arrangement appropriate for your player.
Next step
Every name on that list started with one conversation.
Tell Joe where your player is now and what she is aiming at. He will tell you honestly whether Blizzard is the right route.