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Canada Women's Expo

Stephanie Labbé

Stephanie Labbé

Biography

At the Tokyo Olympics, Steph Labbé generated a highlight-reel performance from start to finish.

 

In their first match of the tournament against Japan, Labbé was hurt in a brutal collision but stayed in to miraculously save the penalty shot called on the same play. She was forced to sit out their second match to rehab her rib injury but returned to play against Great Britain … and then an amazing series of saves against Brazil to send the game to penalty kicks, where she again came up huge for Canada.

 

Stephanie had a clean sheet with a solid team win against the USA in the semi-final and were headed to the Gold Medal Final. Up against a powerful team from Sweden, Labbe was excellent in net during regular time that ended in 1-1 but was stellar during the shoot-out, stopping the last two penalty kicks from Sweden to capture the Gold for Canada!

She had made her Olympic debut in Rio 2016 in Canada’s opening match against Australia, getting the clean sheet in a 2-0 win. She then played a big role in Canada’s first-ever win over Germany to finish at the top of the group heading into the quarter-finals. Stephanie started in five of six games, allowing just four goals in the tournament, as Team Canada won the bronze medal.

 

Tall and outgoing, Labbé was athletic in her youth and started playing soccer when she was 12 years old (playing for Spruce Grove Saints) and played hockey (as a forward), and basketball. Stephanie played for Canada at the U-16, U-19, U-20, U-23 and Senior levels. She has represented Canada at two youth World Championships, two Pan American Games, three World Cups, and three Olympics Games. She was part of Canada’s senior women’s team from 2008 – 2021.

 

In 2018 and to challenge herself and sharpen her skills, Labbé trained with and attempted to make the roster of Calgary Foothills F.C. (a men’s team that played in the PDL). Despite making the roster, the league responded that they are a gender-based men’s league and would not permit women to play. It became a global news story and a powerful example of the need to continue challenging the barriers of gender bias that still exist in sports.

 

Stephanie started her professional playing career in 2009 after graduating from the University of Connecticut – where she played for four seasons. She has played for Piteå IF, KIF Örebro, Linköpings FC and Rosengård FC in top women’s pro league in Sweden. Following her stellar performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021) Labbé signed with Paris Saint-Germaine Féminine, one of the top women’s clubs in the World.

 

Steph announced her retirement from professional soccer in January of 2022 ,  and played her final minutes with the National team in April of 2022.