WSOC: Voyageurs Welcome 8 New Faces for 2018
Laurentian Voyageurs women's soccer head coach, Rob Gallo, is happy to announce the commitment of eight players for the 2018-19 season.
“We are thrilled to continue to bring in competitive-minded, intelligent, and hardworking student athletes to our program,” said Gallo. “We feel this class covers a lot of needs in our program with the graduation of an impactful senior group. We’ve strengthened our midfield and replenished our forward pool. Many of these players will push for playing time on opening day of preseason camp. We can’t wait for them to arrive on campus and join the Voyageurs family. We expect them to represent Laurentian on and off of the field in a first class manner.”
The incoming class highlights talent from all over Ontario and includes Logan Medeiros (Kingston Clippers Soccer Club), Helaina Van Soelen (North Mississauga Soccer Club), Faith Tomazewski (West Ottawa Soccer Club), Amanda Cuthbert (Richmond Hill Soccer Club), Natalie Collicutt (Darlington Soccer Club), Madison Buttenham (North Mississauga Soccer Club), Elizabeth Anderson (Georgetown Soccer Club), Katlyn Jung (Bradford Soccer Club).
Bringing her talents to Sudbury is Kingston-native Logan Medeiros. “Logan is an athletic and speedy forward. She has great technique and can break teams down on the dribble or with the last pass,” noted Gallo. “She also possesses great movement off of the ball. She has wonderful vision and is a great playmaker. We think she will be a great complement to our forwards.”
Forward Faith Tomazewski hails from Ottawa, ON. According to Gallo, “Faith is a quick forward with a booming shot. She seems to always be in the right place at the right time and scores a goal. She is good going 1v1 at opposition fullbacks. She’s driven to score and will never quit on a play. I think she has the capability to come in and provide an immediate impact.”
Georgetown’s Helaina Van Soelen will look to provide a strong presence as a holding mid or center back. “She has size and physicality and reads the game exceptionally well,” noted Gallo. “Helaina has good feet and is strong under pressure. She is strong, aggressive, and a player who is difficult to knock off the ball. Her tireless work rate and effort are what initially stood out most to our coaching staff, but she continued to impress with her ability to strike a ball from range and competitiveness to turn half chances into quality goal scoring opportunities.”
Midfielder Amanda Cuthbert hails from Richmond Hill. “Amanda is a creative midfielder; with her vision and the ability to find spaces in tighter areas, Amanda provides a threat to create goal-scoring opportunities in the final third,” noted Gallo. “She is technically sound, a great passer of the ball, which makes her an asset to our program in the midfield."
Natalie Collicutt brings her talents to the north from Courtice, ON. “Natalie is a solid all-around midfield player. She is strong on the ball and makes good decisions in possession. She is comfortable around the goal and also excels in her defending. She is combative and tough and is not afraid to lay a tackle,” stated Gallo.
Another forward talent, Madison Buttenham, hails from Grimsby, Ontario. “Madison is a blue-collar player,” noted Gallo. “She is scrappy and her work ethic and desire are unmatched. She never quits and will not shy away from the physicality of the OUA. She is a sponge and wants to learn and excel as a forward. She will develop into a very good forward for us.”
Orton, Ontario’s Elizabeth Anderson brings a lot of untapped potential to the Voyageurs squad, according to Gallo. “Elizabeth is an athletic player with a good work ethic and competitive spirit. I believe she has the tools to make it at the University level. I really like her versatility and am excited to see how she develops in our program.”
Rounding out the incoming class is Bolton’s Katlyn Jung. According to Gallo, “Katlyn is a hard-working forward. She has the ability to beat players 1v1 and combine with teammates. She is a good attacking player, and will grow over the next few years in the OUA.”
Gallo is looking forward to the overall impact these eight student-athletes will have on the Voyageur program. “Their accomplishments, both on the field and in the classroom, speak to their talent and work ethic which will make them an excellent fit with our current team whose skills, commitment and character have once again helped our team reach another level. In speaking with them, I know they can't wait to start working with their new teammates and we look forward to supporting them in their many contributions to our team, school and community in the years to come."
The future Voyageurs will pull on the blue and gold and begin their post-secondary journey when training camp opens up in August. The 2018 season kicks off on Saturday, August 25th when both the women and men welcome the Carleton Ravens to the LU Soccer Field.