St. Clair soccer coach confident with new players
Women’s team shores up the ranks with six recruits signed up for next season
Head coach Kris Geier knows he has a lot of roster work ahead of him with the St. Clair College Saints women’s soccer team.
Two months after returning as head coach of the Saints after Steve Vagini left for the University of Windsor Lancers, Geier has made his first additions for the upcoming season with the signing of six recruits.
“With only four kids returning, it gives me an opportunity to put my stamp on the program with these kids,” Geier said. “If I get them for two years, or hopefully three years, I can do things. It’s a good crop of kids.”
The Saints added a pair of strikers in Riverside’s Blair Boismier and Brennan’s Jaclyn French, two midfielders in St. Anne’s Alayna Banks and Vista’s Alex Schooley, along with a pair of defenders in St. Joseph’s Carly Jolicoeur and Villanova’s Ashley Benjamin.
“I’m very excited,” the 18-yearold Boismier said. “Most of (the recruits), I’ve played on a team with them, and some from school soccer.”
Boismier, who will study protection, security and information systems, was captain and MVP for Riverside the past two seasons and played club ball for Croatia where she led the team in scoring the past two seasons.
“I was thrilled to be able to play on St. Clair’s team,” Boismier said. “That was my dream, to play on a college soccer team, and I have the opportunity.”
Geier is counting on Boismier to provide offence along with French, who helped Brennan to back-toback WECSSAA and SWOSSAA girls’ AA titles. She is a two-time high school all-star while also playing for the Polonia White Eagles. She will study sports and recreation management.
“Boismier scored a lot of goals for Riverside and French, who is very versatile, scored a lot of goals for Brennan,” Geier said.
In the midfield, the Saints add Banks, who went to OFSAA twice with St. Anne and was a member of the league champion Eastside Kickers team. She will study practical nursing. Schooley, who will study biomedical engineering technology, played for the White Eagles.
At the back, Geier adds Jolicoeur, who was an all-city selection that helped the White Eagles to a league title. She will study biomedical engineering technology. Benjamin has been a member of the Eastside Kickers for six years and will study practical nursing.
“There’s some quality, but it is a step up,” Geier said. “They’re all going to play right away and get their feet wet early, so hopefully the can handle it.”