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Ottawa Gee-Gees

RECRUIT PROFILE: OUA First Team All-Star Jenna Matsukubo joins Gee-Gees for 2023

Photo: Robin Kasem
Photo: Robin Kasem
May 31, 2023

The University of Ottawa's women's soccer team added a dynamic attacking threat with Jenna Matsukubo joining the program for the 2023 campaign.

An Ottawa product, Matsukubo spent the last four years with the Queen's Gaels, most recently being named an OUA First Team All-Star while leading the conference with 10 assists during the 2022 season.

"I tell everyone, the best games were always against the Gee-Gees," said Matsukubo, who completed her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences this spring. "They were fun to play against because they play one and two touch soccer. I know it's going to be a super competitive, high-energy environment and they've got a great team dynamic going."

Matsukubo was a starter in all three of her seasons with the tricolour, scoring 17 goals with 14 assists across 35 regular season matches. She appeared in all but one regular season game the Gaels played during her tenure with the program, highlighted by a berth at the 2021 U SPORTS National Championship.

"I like to use the word dynamic," said Matsukubo when asked to describe herself as a player. "I'm a really fast player which is a huge advantage on the field. I'm also a playmaker – I don't score a ton of goals, but I tend to set them up."

The Gee-Gees and Gaels squared off four times between 2019 and 2022, with the series ending in a dead heat – each team won once, with two contests being draws. Matsukubo scored once while starting all four games. 

The Glebe Collegiate grad will begin her studies at the Faculty of Medicine in the fall. Going to med school and playing on a varsity team is rare, but not unheard of. Jen Rowe is the most recent Gee-Gees women's soccer player to do so, having been a member of the program from 2018 through 2020.

"It was a decision I made carefully because I know med school can be really intense," said Matsukubo, who has two years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining. "The first two years of the program are similar to undergrad with a lot of in-class learning, and then my third and fourth years I'll be in the hospital most of the time."

Jenna isn't the only U SPORTS athlete in the Matsukubo family. Her sister, Mika, is a two-time national medallist with the Queen's women's rugby team, including a National Championship title in 2021, while cousins Juliette (Acadia women's rugby) and Jack (Nepean Raiders, CCHL) are also high-performance athletes.

Matsukubo played youth soccer with West Ottawa Soccer Club, enjoying a number of tremendously successful years playing under venerable coach Kwame Telemaque, and Russell Shaw. She'll suit up for the club's Women's Premier team during the 2023 summer season. 

The Gee-Gees open the 2023 regular season at home against Trent on Sept. 2. The complete schedule can be found HERE.