Alyssa Smith of Langley has signed with the WolfPack women's soccer team.

Image Credit: TRU WolfPack Athletics

KAMLOOPS - One thing you can’t say about Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s soccer coach Tom McManus is that he doesn’t look to the future.

McManus has signed his third recruit for the 2016-17 Canada West season with the announcement that keeper Alyssa Smith of Langley, B.C. (Walnut Grove Secondary) has indicated she will be attending TRU.

“I heard a lot of good things about Thompson Rivers University,” said Smith, who hopes to get into the nursing program at TRU once she graduates in the spring of 2016.

The 5’5” Smith has heard about TRU and the women’s soccer program for years. That is because her neighbours in Langley are the McAuley’s. Their daughters Abbey and Chloe were mainstays of the Thompson Rivers program from 2007-13.

“It was actually Abbey who got in touch with me,” McManus said about how he connected with Smith. “ It was her dad who got in touch with her. One of Alyssa’s coaches said I would know her. I couldn’t remember where I had seen her but her name did sound familiar. Abbey is looking forward to seeing Alyssa wear a TRU uniform”.

“I have been a keeper for a long time,” Smith says. “I started in U-10. I like diving and stopping the ball.”

She feels her kicks and agility are her main strengths.

During her visit to Kamloops, she worked out for McManus: “ She has great hands.  Extremely vocal and organizes her defence very well. I am quite excited about her coming here. She has played provincially a couple of times and with a BCPSL team. She is a quality keeper and I look forward to her coming in 2016.”

Smith plays for the U-18 Langley Wolves in Division I. She has played HPL in the Langley area but dropped out of the program to concentrate on her grades.

Smith enjoyed her tour of the TRU campus earlier this spring. “The campus is amazing.   I can’t wait to come here.”

“I love helping people,’ was the answer when she was asked why she wanted to become a nurse.  “ Health has always been interesting for me. I would most like to be either a pediatric or a psychiatric nurse.”

Smith has seen CIS play before and says the style of play will be an adjustment but she is ready for the challenge.

She has volunteered coaching youth soccer in Surrey, B.C. in the past. 

“I like to work with young goalkeepers. This year, I started helping four and five year olds every Saturday. It is awesome. The kids are great. I love being a role model.”

Smith believes she is coming into the TRU program at a great time. When she gets to Kamloops in 2016-17, the WolfPack will have an opening among their keepers. 

Smith becomes the third recruit for the 2016-17 joining Kamloops products Hannah Marra and Keenen Degen.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015