Pressley, 27, has been a pillar of strength in defence this season, with her ferocious tackling a regular feature on the highlights reel, but you can see her more gentle side down at the Canberra RSPCA where she volunteers.

The American had to leave her chihuahua at home when she linked up with Canberra and was missing little Zoe prompted her to call the animal shelter.

"I've always been animal lover since I was child, when I was younger I wanted to be a veterinarian but my path took me a different way," Pressley said.

"I have a seven-year-old called Zoe who I wish could have come with me, but I didn't realise how strict the whole process is for bringing animals over, that Johnny Depp stuff was pretty wild.

"I reached out to the RSPCA and asked about volunteer opportunities and they have been very accommodating with my schedule.

"I've been through training so far and they've just got seven new puppies, so I'm learning how to socialise them and hopefully get them ready for adoption."

Pressley became a vegan earlier this year and said the strict diet has made her a better player.

"I used to eat everything under the sun but I was always pretty curious about it and I love to cook and would try new recipes and restaurants around town and just realised it all tasted really good," Pressley said.

"Then I noticed it was helping me feel better, I lost weight and felt more energised and it helped me run more and feel better in games.

"I was training better and sleeping better and from a dietary perspective it has definitely shaped my game and helped me become a better athlete.

"I started to read more and research more about animal issues and I don't miss the food because I get grossed out when I see it now, I think after my career I'll stay vegan for the animal side of things."

Toni Pressley became a vegan after researching animal issues this year and it has taken her game to the next level. Photo: Dion Georgopoulos

Pressley said she enjoyed the "small town feel" of Canberra and that it was exciting playing a new brand of football under United coach Heather Garriock.

"The people here are wonderful, my teammates and the coaching staff and I'm just just excited to be in a new environment to learn.

"It's a little different to the NWSL [American league], the W-League in general is a bit younger but that certainly has it's positives because you can still learn from younger players.

"Just being able to experience football in a different country and learn from other coaches and get a different perspective has been really good for me."

Pressley backed Canberra to snap a two-game losing streak when they face Sydney FC in a W-league and A-League double-header at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.

"We need to get these three points, we know what to expect, certainly they're a really good team but it's our second time against them this season and I think we can get the job done again," Pressley said.

"It will be much nicer to go into Christmas with a win, it takes a lot of the pressure off our shoulders and I'm confident we'll go into that three-week break with the win."

Canberra are without skipper Ash Sykes for a second week after the 25-year-old failed a fitness test on her injured ankle.

W-LEAGUE ROUND EIGHT:

W-League: Sydney FC v Canberra United at Allianz Stadium, Friday at 5:20pm.