News

Rams women’s soccer team adds offence with Langille

It’s a simple fact in the sporting world; you must score to win.

Kaileigh Langille should help the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus Rams with that next fall. The 17-year-old Stellarton resident recently committed to the Rams women’s soccer team and enrolled at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus for September.

Coach Jackie Fitt-Ryan couldn’t be happier.

“I’m very excited to add her to the team,” Fitt-Ryan said. “She’s a very skilled player and I expect her to make an immediate impact.”

The excitement is mutual for Langille, a striker who plays for both the North Nova Gryphons high school team and is a member of the XFC under-18 girls side which competes on the Nova Scotia Soccer League circuit.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Langille, who plans to work toward a Bachelor of Science degree for at least two years at the Bible Hill campus, said. “I love that it’s a smaller school and it’s close to home and I’m glad that I’m going to be able to play soccer.”

(L to R) Kaileigh with Coach Fitt-Ryan

Langille has a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net by using speed, skill and a dogged work ethic on the pitch.

“That’s what every coach loves to see,” Fitt-Ryan said. “I think she’s going to fit in well with the program we run.”

Fitt-Ryan is especially excited about adding a dynamic striker to an attack that already includes Sian Rankin. Rankin topped the Rams and was second in the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association last season in goals (12) and points (24) and her 41 shots on target led the seven-team league.

In spite of Rankin’s efforts, the Rams lost a lot of close decisions due to a lack of scoring depth en route to a 3-8-1 (W-L-T) record to finish in sixth place.

But with the addition of Langille, suddenly, an area that has given the Rams problems in the past looks to be one of its strengths on paper.

“I think they can make a deadly combination,” Fitt-Ryan said. “It’s going to free both of them up on the field.”

Finding Langille was easy for Fitt-Ryan, who lives in New Glasgow. The pair have played winter league soccer together and have also joined forces to coach a youth team in the Northern Nova winter program.

“Knowing Jackie really helped with my decision,” Langille, who has played soccer since she was a toddler, said. “She is a good coach and I know I’m going to get a great experience out of it.”