Home fires burn bright for Vanier grad
Arcand decides to play soccer at Niagara College
Alyssa Arcand will be staying — and playing — close to home after she graduates from École secondaire Catholique Jean Vanier in Welland.
Instead of accepting partial athletic scholarships from Canisius College and the University of Buffalo, the 17-year-old has opted to play soccer at Niagara College.
While suiting up for the Knights in league play will be a new experience, being on the same pitch with the team won’t be.
“I’ve been to so many of their practices. I practised with them and they’re a great team, and they’re very welcoming,” the daughter of Marc and Debbie Arcand said.
In addition to considering the two schools in western New York, Brock University was also on her radar when the time came to take the next step in her education.
“I just thought it would be a really good fit for me. It’s more local for me,” Arcand said. “I’ve just heard from so many people like how good of a college it is.”
Arcand will be taking pre-health science as she adjusts from studying all in French to taking all of her courses in English.
“Pre-health was a very good suit for me, as I love studying science,” Arcand said.
She is a little nervous at the prospect of juggling athletics with academics.
“I am kind of nervous about that. I mean it’s going to be a lot, especially with work,” said Arcand, who is employed part-time at RONA. “I’m going to have to manage my time really well.”
Knowing that the college’s support network for student-athletes includes academic advisers has done much to ease these fears.
“There is always going to be someone helping me through it. It is a lot better to know that there are people I can talk to about it,” she said.
Her club team, Niagara International FC, competes in the Thruway Soccer League, which is made up of premier teams in central and western New York state.
In 2019, Arcand trained with the Portuguese Benefica national team in addition to playing at the club and high school levels.
She first caught Niagara’s attention when Rino Berardi, an assistant coach with the men’s team and a recruiter for both the men’s and women’s programs, was in the process of selecting players for the college’s annual high school showcase.
“Alyssa was one of those players that caught our attention immediately,” Berardi said. “Alyssa is a high-skill player with the speed and quickness to create separation from defenders.” Women’s head coach Rob Lalama said Arcand will be a “great addition” to the team. “She has a great attitude and is a player who will improve the quality of our program here at Niagara,” he said.
Arcand expects competing in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association will require her to play at a higher gear.
“It’s more so on the ball. As soon you gain possession of the ball, someone is on you right away, whereas in my club I have time to dribble and take in plays,” she said.
“It’s a lot more aggressive and fast-paced. The physicality level is a lot higher.” Arcand, whose most comfortable position on the pitch is centre attacking midfielder, is keeping busy during the COVID-19 shutdown of all sports by taking part in Zoom meetings with her club team.
“We do technical and tactical drills over the video calls,” she said.
Arcand also works out on her own by running and building up her strength.
That doesn’t come close to the real thing for someone who plays soccer almost year-round.
Her club season is usually from February until August. Following two weeks off, the winter season gets underway.
“I just want all this to end so I can go to college and start playing with them,” Arcand said.