The youngest of seven kids from Mississauga, Hannah Chown had a soccer ball at her feet almost before she could walk — her father began coaching her at age three. In 2020, mid-pandemic, she arrived at U of T to study English and theatre.
In 2025, as team captain, Chown scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the University of Guelph Gryphons, off a corner from teammate Emilija Lucic — the goal that won the Varsity Blues women's soccer program its first-ever championship.
teaching will always be there for meHannah Chown
Soccer was never her only stage. As an undergraduate she acted in Hedda Gabler at Factory Theatre, and she receives her master's degree in teaching from OISE on June 11 — the same day the FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off.
Named the Varsity Blues' 2025-26 T-Holders Athlete of the Year, an OUA All-Star, OUA Most Valuable Player and winner of the OUA Community Service Award, Chown now plays semi-professionally for the Simcoe County Rovers FC. She also coaches girls' soccer, citing a 2020 statistic that one in three girls leaves the sport by late adolescence — and is weighing whether it's her moment to chase a professional career.
Reported from OISE grad made history on U of T soccer pitch. Is a pro career next?, by Mariam Matti (U of T Alumni News, June 2, 2026).
More from the original reporting: alumni.utoronto.ca/news/oise-grad-made-history-u-t-soccer-pitch-pro-career-next