Nelson credits three freshmen with giving the team greater depth in key areas.
“We've had three amazing freshmen who have stepped up and taken on some very important roles on our team,” she said.
Midfielder Lexus Hebert, forward Evangeline DiPasquale and defender Harlee Foss have reportedly settled quickly into significant roles. Their arrival appears to have eased the pressure on the senior players while giving coach Jacob Turner more options during matches.
For a programme that won eight games across the 2023 to 2025 seasons, the change has been striking.
Turner believes the improvement is not only about confidence but also about how Spruce Mountain controls matches.
“I think our team is clicking more in a sense of just distributing the ball and finding that open player and looking for crosses,” he explained. “I think that's really helped, and I saw that the most in Wells.”
The Phoenix are reportedly finding space more consistently, with a strong defensive unit supporting an assertive midfield. Hebert and Natasha McDonald provide an attacking threat, while the younger players have strengthened the overall balance.
The mood around the team has changed, Nelson said, with training intensity rising as the players chase a postseason place.
“We've gone hard at practices; everyone wants to be here,” she said. “We've wanted this since I was a freshman. We've really wanted to pull through and make playoffs.”
The next challenge is sustaining that momentum. Spruce Mountain’s upcoming fixtures will test whether this is a hot streak or the beginning of a genuine playoff push.