Cannon excelling on pitch in Iceland
8/14/2017 10:26:00 AM | Soccer
HUNTSVILLE – Madison Cannon's soccer journey has spanned a large part of the country for a recent college graduate. Now, the Sam Houston State alumnus has taken her playing career internationally.
The Wake Forest, N.C., native began her post-collegiate experience on the pitch with UMF Tindastóll, competing in the Icelandic First Division. Cannon, who played in 39 of Sam Houston's 40 games over the last two seasons, is making a strong impression.
She has started all 16 matches for the team, contributing four goals and six assists. Cannon is a three-time player of the match in the 10-team league. According to Cannon, her stint in Huntsville played a key role in the early success on the Nordic island.
“Playing at Sam really helped to prepare me for playing after college,” Cannon said. “While at Sam, the coaching staff really helped me realize some of my strengths and weaknesses as a player. They taught me how to utilize my strengths and improve on my weaknesses.”
The opportunity has served as a learning experience for Cannon, who is playing alongside teammates from the United States, Brazil, England and Iceland. In her new environment, she has relished both the challenges and the opportunities ahead.
“I would say the most challenging this have been adjusting to the style of play and the weather,” Cannon said. “It's pretty cold here compared to Texas. The most enjoyable things have been making some great friends and getting to travel around Iceland.”
After transferring to Sam Houston from UCF, Cannon helped the Kats to their first Southland Conference Tournament finals appearance since 2005, doing so in 2015. The forward finished third on the team with 36 shots including 11 during the league tournament.
“Madison is a very dynamic player who is good at running at players and creating scoring opportunities for her team,” Sam Houston head coach Tom Brown said. “She always wanted to learn more and be a good student of the game.”
According to Brown, the league is a quality starting point for the recent graduate, adding that the Icelandic First Division provides the chance to compete at a high-level while displaying her abilities to other teams and leagues who may have interest.
Cannon is just the latest Sam Houston player to receive opportunities overseas, joining Shelby McDaniel, who competed for U.S. Rouvroy in France and Jordan Jarzombek who competed with the Polish national team.
“I like that players are able to keep their career going forward and have the opportunity to compete as a professional player,” Brown said. “I want to help players continue their development when they get here and give them the tools to be successful at the next level.”
