SOCCER TRIO COMMITS TO LANCERS

The Lancers have added a talented trio of female soccer players to the team for the upcoming 2020 season.

Mackenzie McQuillan, Abby Roorda and Ryleigh McIlveen join the Lancers from St. Stephen's high school in Bowmanville, ON where they are also teammates at the highly competitive, Darlington Soccer Club.

McQuillan, who is enrolled in the Police Foundations program for the fall, is a 5'6 midfielder with a vast background in high level soccer. Having played at the provincial level, McQuillan bring drive, knowledge and a strong skill set to the growing Lancer squad. "Mackenzie is going to be an impact player for us." Says Head Coach Rob Terry. "She's made an impact already in training with a strong work ethic and exceptional athleticism. I like her versatility and ability to play in different positions, and her toughness and strength on the ball. She's going to make some noise in the OCAA with her attacking abilities."

Standing at 5'8, Roorda is an experienced keeper who fills a gap in the Lancer squad after the graduation of current keeper, Courtney Bolch. With 10+ years of club experience behind her, Roorda prides herself on her continuously developing mental toughness that gives her the proper mind set to achieve success in the net. "We are really excited to have Abby join our program and provide the consistent solid goalkeeping that's so important to any team trying to maximize their results" adds Coach Terry. "She's been doing very well in training, demonstrating her shot stopping abilities which piqued our interest in her in the first place.  She's got a great competitive attitude and all the athletic tools to become a top keeper in our division."

With a similar background as Rooda and McQuillan, McIlveen started playing competitive soccer at just 8 years old and has never looked back. She's spent the majority of her career playing for Darlington with the exception of a 3 year stint with Oshawa Turul. A talented midfielder,  McIlveen's speed and impressive ball movement abilities make her a very real threat on the field regardless of her opponent. Coach Terry looks forward to seeing McIlveen's fit with the rest of the squad. "Ryleigh is a solid player with good technical skills, toughness, and game sense.  We really like her play making ability and vision to find teammates in open positions and find them with the ball.  She has a good work rate, and is likely to find herself on the wing, either in the midfield or at fullback." 

After spending time on campus through Loyalist's Student for a Day program, joining in on practices and conversations with Coach Terry and his coaching staff, all three athletes made the choice to accept Loyalist for it's highly regarded academic programs and welcoming atmosphere.

"I've really connected with the coaching staff, which is important to me in the process" Roorda says. " During my student for a day experience and at soccer training sessions, I've found that the girls on the team and the Loyalist staff are very welcoming. It really feels like home."