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Cambrian shops local for new crop of athletes

Ten SDSSAA grads will suit up for the Golden Shield this coming year
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Of the fifteen incoming Cambrian College Golden Shield recruits that were introduced to the media on Monday, ten are set to graduate from SDSSAA (Sudbury District Secondary School Athletic Association) programs later this month. Isaac Oliveira (pictured) will graduate Bishop Carter and move on to the Cambrian men's soccer team in the fall. (Supplied photo)

There is simply no arguing with the numbers.

Of the fifteen incoming Cambrian College Golden Shield recruits that were introduced to the media on Monday, ten are set to graduate from SDSSAA (Sudbury District Secondary School Athletic Association) programs later this month.

That includes Confederation Chargers girls volleyball talent Teagan Langis, who will be leaning heavily on some of her high school experience as she transitions to post-secondary athletics.

"I've played middle throughout my whole (Northern) Chill career, but I'll be playing right side here," said Langis. 

"I did play right side for a couple of years in high school, but we didn't really get into depth with the position, so I feel that I will grow a lot more here. It's going to be a lot less running, but there's going to be a little more responsibility, because the right side is often relied upon to be the secondary setter. That will be a little different."

In spite of the changes, Langis was adament that Cambrian is exactly where she wanted to be once her high school days were done. 

"Honestly, I knew that I didn't want to leave Sudbury," she said. "Growing up, we would see the Chill girls move on to Cambrian, and Dale (Beausoleil) has been so great."

Similar to Langis, soccer stalwart Isaac Oliveira (Bishop Carter) owes much of his development as an athlete to his time spent with various teams representing the Greater Sudbury Soccer Club (GSSC) over the years, fine-tuning the skill-set that should allow him to step right in at the next level.

"Playing with my head up, playing quick touches, all that good stuff," said Oliveira of his abilities that convert nicely to post-secondary soccer. 

"I think I've gotten faster this year, so I'm looking forward to playing with these guys in the fall."

In preparation for training camp, Oliveira is manning an outside wing position with the GSSC Impact U21 men's team this summer, spending some time adding pieces that will help round out his game.

"Throughout the summer, I would like to get a little heavier, so that if I play to play in the middle or something like that, I can't be knocked off the ball quite as easily." 

A natural left-footer who has been exposed to provincial caliber rep soccer for several years now, Oliveira was thankful that recruitment day finally arrived.

"Honestly, I'm just excited to being committed to a college like Cambrian," he said. "I've been looking forward to seeing what the next step would be after competitive." 

A similar story for attacking forward Alexis Belanger, fresh off an OFSAA appearance with the Macdonald-Cartier Panthères, and a long time club soccer player.

"I think it's going to be a little harder this year," said Bélanger. "The coaches here really do push you to do better, which motivates me to play better. I'm really excited to be part of the Cambrian team."

While Bélanger has spent time, over the years, both in the midfield and at striker, she is looking forward to a more defined role as a member of the Shield. 

"They envision me playing more up top, playing off the midfielders and then taking it back, looking to score," she said.

While many of the incoming freshman had long since identified their sport of choice, focusing much of their efforts in one concentrated pursuit, Shawn Bélanger (Collège Notre-Dame) was something of an outlier.

"I've always been a multi-sport athlete, but now I'm focusing on one thing," he said. Given his triple gold medal performance at the recent city track & field championships, finishing first in the 1500m, 3000m and 2000m steeplechase, it's hardly shocking that Bélanger has chosen to specialize in cross-country running at the collegiate level.

"I just felt that it would be fun to keep going and stay in shape at the same time, and the scholarship was really nice, a lot of incentive there," he said. 

"I ran cross-country in the fall and did decently well there (he finished 3rd at the SDSSAA meet and 9th at NOSSA), and it's seven kms, instead of 8 kms here, but it's going to be a lot faster."

Following is a complete listing of the new varsity athletes that were welcomed to the Golden Shield fold on Monday:

Cross-Country Running

  • Shawn Belanger (Collège Notre-Dame)

Men’s Soccer

  • Chester Ashby (Mississauga)
  • Carter Hanson (Confederation)
  • Isaac Oliveira (Bishop Carter)

Women’s Soccer

  • Kayleigh Coufal (Confederation)
  • Alexis Belanger (Macdonald-Cartier)
  • Ashley Nollner (Etobicoke)
  • Kaitlyn Rocca (Collège Notre-Dame)
  • Brianna Scarfone (Sault Ste Marie)

Men’s Volleyball

  • Cole Krassey (Atikokan)

Women’s Volleyball

  • Mykayla Beeson (Confederation)
  • Jade Gauthier (Lasalle)
  • Teagan Langis (Confederation)
  • Isabelle Rivest (Sturgeon Falls)
  • Brooke Whitteker (Collège Notre-Dame)

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