A pair of Nipissing Varsity Men's teams have been busy recruiting new athletes for the fall of 2022.
Starting on the pitch, the Nipissing Lakers men’s soccer team has added a stabilizing force on their back line, with the latest addition.
The Lakers are excited and proud to announce the signing of defender Oliver Hogan, who will join the program for the 2022 OUA season.
Hogan joins the Lakers after his time at Union FC 2004 and is looking forward to suiting up for Nipissing in the fall.
“After a conversation with Coach Tony my mind was made up. I am very excited to be joining the Lakers and can’t wait to meet my new teammates,” he said.
Hogan said there’s a number of reasons he chose Nipissing – the combination of athletics and academics, as well as the overall atmosphere on campus.
“Nipissing appealed to me from the very start of my university adventure. I found the small class sizes appealing and heard great reports about the professors,” he explained. “The facilities look fantastic and the campus is located within a forest, so what’s not to love.”
On the field, the Lakers are adding a very strong player who should come in and contribute pretty quickly.
Lakers head coach Tony D’Agostino believes Hogan can help the team in a number of ways.
“Ollie is an excellent leader and thrives in his tackling ability,” he said of his newest recruit, who hails from Bradford, ON.
With a handful of graduates moving on – including some of the leadership group – D’Agostino said that aspect of Hogan’s game made him appealing and he looks forward to working with him over the next few seasons.
“Ollie’s leadership skills combined with his defensive mentality will make him an exciting prospect to work with,” he explained.
Meantime on the court, the Nipissing Lakers men’s volleyball team continues to build a program with the goal of being a perennial contender in the OUA.
And by adding their latest recruit, they believe they are on the right track.
The Lakers have signed outside hitter, Aidan Hooper, who will join the team for the 2022-23 season.
“I am very excited to become a member of the men’s volleyball program at Nipissing University,” Hooper said in a release.
“My biggest reason for choosing Nipissing is the quality of education, fit of the program I am interested in and the strong volleyball program.”
Hooper, who hails from Burlington, ON has had a successful career at the club level, suiting up for both Milton Edge (U15-U17), Ancaster Lions (U18).
He has earned the OVA Award of Excellence for three straight years and has also been a part of the OVA High Performance Program since 2017-18 season and as a member of Team Ontario Black this past year.
“My skills as a volleyball player are strong serving, net play, passing and defence. I also have developed strong on-court leadership skills,” Hooper explained.
Lakers head coach Eric Yung is looking forward to working with Hooper and is excited about adding him to the program.
"We are excited to welcome Aidan to the Laker Family. With Aidan, we are adding another quality OH on the court and a scholar in the classroom,” Yung said. “It is evident that Aidan is no stranger to hard work and we are looking forward in assisting him in his pursuit of excellence both on and off the court.”
Hooper is turning 18 this year and will be enrolling in biology at Nipissing and he’s earned a spot on the honour roll every year of his high school tenure.
He’s thrilled to join the Lakers and contributing to the team’s success on the court, as well as gaining an education during his time at Nipissing.
“My expectations for the team is to compete at the highest level possible and continue the winning tradition that the program is building,” Hooper noted. “For myself, my expectations are to be able to help the team achieve its goals in whichever way possible and to continue to improve as a student, volleyball player and person.”
