Dalhousie Tigers men’s soccer head coach Pat Nearing is pleased to announce the commitment of Dawson McFeely, Enrico Rodriguez and Skyler Bryant to the Tigers 2017-18 lineup.
A 6’2 midfielder, McFeely comes to the Tigers on the heels of a one-year stint with the Marbella United Football Club in Malaga, Spain. Before that, he played one season with the Calgary Soccer Club after seven seasons in the South West Calgary Chinooks Football Club.
He played three seasons of varsity soccer with Western High School. Their team MVP in 2016, McFeely graduated last June.
“I received very positive feedback from my sister who is a recent Dalhousie graduate and from a former teammate who played for the Tigers,” says McFeely. “That feedback and a great meeting with Coach Nearing convinced me that playing soccer at Dalhousie would be a great opportunity.”
The Calgary, A.B. native plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science, with a focus on economics while at Dalhousie.
“Dawson is an experienced midfielder who has excelled on all of his previous teams,” says Nearing. “His experience last year in Spain will put him in a great position to make an immediate impact with us. He is an excellent student and will be a great addition to the Tigers.”
Halifax, N.S. native Enrico Rodriguez will also suit up for the Tigers for the first time this fall.
A four-year provincial team member, Rodriguez will represent Nova Scotia at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, M.B. this summer. Rodriguez grew up playing soccer with the Halifax Dunbrack Soccer Club and played three seasons with Halifax West High School. A team captain last fall, he led the Warriors to back-to-back Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation (NSSAF) provincial championship titles.
“I am very happy to be attending Dal this fall,” says Rodriguez. “Dal is a great school both athletically and academically and I’m really excited to get started. It’s going to be a great experience.”
An honours student, Rodriguez will graduate this June and will start to pursue a degree in kinesiology this September.
“Enrico has always been one of the top players in the province,” says Nearing. “He is a versatile player with a strong left and right foot and a proven record of goal-scoring at any level. His personality and drive will add energy to the roster.”
Joining McFeely and Rodriguez is 5’10 winger Skyler Bryant.
A native of Whitehorse, Yukon, Bryant has an impressive playing resume. A member of the Yukon Football Club for six years, Bryant helped lead them to two national championships on the heels of two Yukon Territory wins. He received a Leadership Award in 2015 and was named their futsal player of the year in 2016.
The captain of Yukon’s Western Canada Summer Games team, Bryant has also competed and trained with the Total Soccer Excellence Academy for five years. He will also lead Team Yukon to the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, M.B. this summer.
“I am extremely excited to be able to represent Dalhousie on the pitch and in the classroom,” says Bryant. “Playing U SPORTS soccer is a dream for me and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity Coach Nearing has provided.”
Bryant will graduate with honours and distinction from F.H. Collins Secondary School, where he also earned the Biology Award. He will pursue a Bachelor of Science focusing on kinesiology in the fall.
“Skyler is a very athletic player with speed and physicality,” says Nearing. “He comes to us with provincial team and Canada Games experience and from a club program that has a great reputation for turning out top players in their region.”
The Tigers finished the 2016-17 regular season with a record of 5-0-7.