'Copping goals has actually taught me a lot': Whole new ball game at Jets

And, that is fine with the American 24-year-old.

A move to the A-League has pushed the University of Michigan graduate, who has a degree in neuroscience, out of her comfort zone.

It has been "tough" - after a clean sheet in round one, the Jets have conceded 26 goals in 13 appearances for the third-worst defensive statistic in A-League Women - but has also taught Nino plenty on and off the field.

"I'd never left my little bubble of 30 minutes from home," Nino, who has played every minute of every match for the Jets his campaign, said.

"I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, grew up there, went to college, so coming here was a big jump ... I really had to learn how to lean on myself instead of being able to lean so much on my family."

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Standing at 186 centimetres, there is no doubt the athletic shot-stopper has a valuable aerial presence.

But the move, her first as a professional footballer after six years in the United States college system, has also meant adjusting to being under more pressure.

The Jets' high-pressing, attacking brand of football often leaves them exposed on the counter-attack.

"We play with a three back, which most teams don't, and it's difficult," Nino said.

"But we want to score goals, so we do play a really attacking-driven style and formation.

"So, we cop goals and it happens and you never want to. We only come away with one clean sheet and that's obviously very hard for me personally. It's something that I want to fix but it teaches you a lot.

"Giving up those goals, when it's me diving for the ball and mishitting it with my hand and pushing it into my own goal, that taught me a lot against Canberra.

"When I come out and I block down an angle the best I can but it gets cut back and the player is wide open, that teaches me a lot too because at the end of the day there's always something you can do.

"So, copping goals has actually taught me a lot, a lot more than the clean sheet did."

Newcastle face an important clash with Wellington Phoenix at No.2 Sportsground on Sunday.

The Jets are ninth on 17 points, three points adrift of the top six, after back-to-back losses while Phoenix are seventh with 19 points.

"It's going to be a battle ... it feels kind of like a grand final because there's a huge result that comes out of it and a direct result," Nino said.

The round-15 fixture was scheduled to be played at Maitland Sportsground but was relocated due to forecast extreme heat in the Hunter.

Kick-off remains at 5pm.