After a summer of training and working hard, Carleton athletes are ready to show us what they have in store for the season. Along with these athletes come the coaches standing closely behind, hoping what they have taught them will transpire into success.
This year, Carleton welcomes some new faces to their benches, including Kwesi Loney as the new head coach of the Ravens men’s soccer team, Sarah Royer as the new assistant coach for the women’s soccer team, and Adam D’Agostino as the new assistant coach of the men’s lacrosse team.
Although they have taken on new roles this year, these faces are neither new to the school or to their programs. These fellow Carleton alumni have had a substantial role in their teams for many years.
Loney has served as the assistant coach of the men’s soccer team for six years, working alongside Sandy Mackie, who is handing over his role as head coach after almost 25 years.
This team has been a part of Loney’s life for quite some time now, as he was a player for the Ravens men’s soccer team, as well as their captain, from 2000-02.
While playing for the Ravens, Loney was named an All-Canadian and national tournament all-star and represented Canada at the World University Games in South Korea.
Loney said it still feels surreal for him to be given this opportunity, but that he couldn’t have done it without Mackie’s mentorship over the years.
Loney said his own experiences of coaching before coming to Carleton has prepared him for this step from assistant to head coach. In 2009, he was the head coach of the men’s soccer team at Algonquin College, which he led to two provincial championships, and he was the assistant coach of the Ottawa Fury Women’s W-League team from 2010-12, who won both years under his wing.
Loney said this step has taken him from having to implement the strategies of the head coach to getting to shape the team on his own, and that brings him a great deal of excitement.
When looking into his main goals for this season, he said the thing that comes to his mind is success. However, this success doesn’t just mean on the field.
“Success is not just deemed by how many wins you have or how many championships you win,” Loney said. “It is how many guys successfully graduate from their program, and go on to live prosperous and successful lives.”
Another familiar face to soccer at Carleton is Royer, who recently graduated from the university and was a co- captain in her final two seasons. Royer stood as a strong midfielder and forward on the team, dominating when her team needed her the most.
Royer said she couldn’t be happier to return as an assistant coach because five years just wasn’t enough time for her.
Having an entirely new coaching staff this season, Royer said she believes her
strong relationships she has built with the women in the past years will help them feel comfortable and focus on playing. She said her time as co-captain will help this step from player to assistant coach immensely.
“It helped to grow my leadership skills as well as my ability to solve problems on and of the field,” Royer said. “It also gave me the confidence in knowing the team dynamics and what works for each returning player.”
Royer said she has a lot of confidence in the team this year, as there is a good group of returning players and a large rookie class to build from.
D’Agostino is a former player from the Ravens men’s lacrosse team. He said he is excited to have this opportunity to become an assistant coach, as his move to Australia last year prevented him from helping out with the team. He also served as captain in his last season with the Ravens.
“I really want to try and get the team back to the level of commitment and team we were,” D’Agostino said. “Last year was the first year we didn’t make the playoffs that I can remember, and I want that to be different this year.”
D’Agostino said the level of lacrosse in Ottawa keeps improving each coming year, and that excites him to see the rookies who are going to come in and take the place of graduating players.
He said he is ready for this step because being captain in fourth year really showed him what being a leader was and that will make the transition a lot easier.
