X-Women soccer announce recruiting class

(Antigonish, NS) - StFX women's soccer head coach Graham Kennedy is pleased to announce the 2014 recruiting class and welcome five new additions to the X-Women program. Olivia Czipf (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Chloe Brennan (Brookside, N.S.), Elise Brennan (Brookside, N.S.), Danielle Makar (Calgary, Alta.), and Erin Visser (Whitby, Ont.) have all committed to attending StFX University this fall. 

Olivia Czipf is a central midfield player graduating from St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ont. where she is a varsity soccer player and club player at Lake Head Express Soccer Club. A multi-sport athlete at St. Pats, Olivia also plays volleyball and ultimate frisbee. Czipf is enrolled in the aquatic resources program and chose StFX after a campus visit in November. "The players were very welcoming and the soccer program looked like the right fit for me," she stated. 

Coach Kennedy comments, "Olivia brings excellent game awareness and has a good athletic foundation. Her range of passing is excellent and she is a very clean striker of the ball, she will have immediate positive effect on our team attack." 

Czipf will join a very young midfield at StFX. "Our midfield is littered with freshmen and sophomores," says Kennedy. "Olivia will have the opportunity to earn minutes early in her varsity career, and with her vision and game understanding, I think she will excel in the AUS."

Chloe Brennan from Halifax West High School is an attacking midfielder out of the Halifax Dunbrack Soccer Club. A core member of the 2013 NS Canada Games team, Brennan began her youth soccer career at Halifax County SC before moving on to Halifax Dunbrack.

"We were very keen to attract a player like Chloe," says Coach Kennedy. "First of all, she is one of the very top recruits in Atlantic Canada, and we want to be known for attracting and further developing top players. Secondly, she has tremendous character. I am excited to coach her and the current players can't wait to have her on the pitch wearing the blue and white."

Chloe hails from Brookside, N.S., and when not on the soccer pitch she can be found participating with her sister on other high school teams like track & field, badminton, cross-country, or with a lacrosse or field hockey stick in her hand. Chloe chose StFX because in her words, "Whenever I'm there, it just feels like home."

Elise Brennan, a twin sister to Chloe, is a left-footed fullback from Halifax West High School and the NS Canada Games team who chose StFX for its solid academic reputation and solid soccer coaching. A product of Halifax County United SC and Halifax Dunbrack SC, and resident of Brookside, N.S., Elise plans to study Human Kinetics at StFX.

"Elise was a top priority in our recruiting because of her great left foot and great athleticism, plus she's got some bite to her game, and this will allow her to make an immediate impact in the league," states Kennedy. "She has played in big games before, and brings a level of intensity we need, and best of all she is coachable and accountable. She's got the potential to be a fantastic AUS player and I can't wait to coach her."

Danielle Makar attends the Edge School for Athletes and is a versatile forward from Calgary who has known Coach Kennedy since she was 10 years old. "I coached Dani at Calgary Foothills when she was a young player, and I have followed her ever since," says Kennedy. 

"Dani is a universal player who can play anywhere on the pitch. She has had excellent coaching throughout her youth development, most notably with John Castrillion and Jamie Pollock, two of the top talent developers in Alberta." 

Makar also competes in high school track and field and volleyball. She is enrolled in the engineering program, choosing StFX because, "StFX has everything I could have wanted in a post-secondary school, including good academics, good athletics, and an amazing atmosphere."

Erin Visser hails from Whitby, Ont., attending All Saints Catholic Secondary School. A goalkeeper with Team Ontario from 2009 to 2013, Visser enrolled in Human Kinetics at StFX. "I chose StFX because the moment I stepped onto the campus I immediately felt at home," she admitted. 

"After meeting Coach Kennedy and listening to his plans for the team, I was encouraged and excited to be part of the program. He has a very thorough plan and I felt I could be successful academically and athletically at StFX – it's a win-win scenario for me."

Kennedy is delighted to have Visser join the program, commenting "Erin is recovering from ACL surgery and just started playing again so she has gone under the radar during her long recovery. We are getting a high quality goalkeeper who we might not normally have had the chance to recruit."  

Goalkeeping is a key to the university game according to Kennedy. "The game is won and lost in the two 18-yard boxes, so strikers and goalkeepers are the two most vital areas on the team. We have high hopes for Erin."

In addition to these five recruits, there are several other X-Women hopefuls attending training camp in late August including a trio of New Brunswick provincial team players in Sarah Bujold (Riverview HS, Moncton), Julia Wilson (St. Malachy Memorial, St. John) and Paige Talbot (Harrison Trimble, Moncton). Joining the New Brunswick contingent are Megan Hawkins (Bishop Carroll HS, Calgary), Beth Lawrence (Kings Edgehill, Windsor, N.S.), Margaux Fraser (Toronto French School), Gabrielle Emilien (North Toronto Nitros SC), and Gillian Gates (Valley United Soccer).
 
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For more information, contact: 

Graham Kennedy 
X-Women Soccer Head Coach 
[phone] 902.867.4922 
[email]  gkennedy@stfx.ca