Nova Scotia's Shaffelburg gains valuable experience with Toronto FC, Team Canada

Jacob Shaffelburg should have a long pro soccer career ahead of him.

He has made great strides this season, his third with Major League Soccer's Toronto FC.

This season has easily been his best as the lightning-fast forward has scored three goals in his 19 appearances.

Only one Toronto player, veteran Jonathan Osorio, has scored more goals than Shaffelburg.

"I feel like I've matured more from the start of the year and I'm trying to be even more focused through every practice and every game," Shaffelburg said in an interview following a recent practice.

The MLSseason will end soon and Toronto FC will not be in the playoffs.Shaffelburg's contract ends when the regular season wraps up Nov.7 against DC United.

He'll never forget the night he scored his first MLS goal.

'It just felt amazing'

"When the ball went in it was just like a thousand pounds was lifted off my back," said Shaffelburg. "It just felt amazing. Everything I had worked so hard for all paid off in that one moment."

Shaffelburg, who is left-footed, has also seen playing time with Team Canada in their quest to qualify for the World Cup.

Canada has two wins and four draws and is in third place in the eight-team CONCACAF group thatfeatures teams from the Caribbean as well as North and Central America.

The top three teams will advance to the World Cup in Qatar next fall. Canada's national men's team has only qualified for the World Cup once back in 1986.

Canada has several more qualifying games over the next five months.

"It's one of those things you dream of when you're a kid and it's almost too real right now," said Shaffelburg, who added he doesn't want to jinx his chances of continuing to suit up for Canada. "Certainly I use it as motivation to keep going and work my butt off to get on that roster."

Left home at 15

Unlike hockey, where there are eight Nova Scotia players currently in the NHL, Shaffelburg is the only Nova Scotianin theleague.

Hockey superstars Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnonleft home at an early age to develop their skills. Shaffelburg did the same, leavinghis home in Port Williams at 15 to pursue his pro soccer dreams.

He went to Berkshire School in Massachusetts, a boarding school with a highly regarded soccer program. His brother,Zack, also played prep school soccer in the U.S. before playing at Acadia University and his sister, Jessica, playedat Jacksonville University in Florida.

Heading to New England proved to be a good choice.

In 2018, he earned theGatorade Player of the Year for boys' soccer in Massachusetts. It recognizes athletic achievement, academics and exemplary character on and off the field.

"I knew that if I wanted to get to that next level I had to get away and be seen by different people in order to make it further," said Shaffelburg.

At Berkshire, pro teams took notice of Shaffelburg's speed.

He made his pro debut three years ago when he was only 18.

While 2021 has been a breakout season for his career, he's hoping for even bigger things to come along in 2022.