SARNIA – Another local star commits to the Lions.

Striker Madison McAlpine has officially committed to Head Coach Kevin Simmonds and the Lambton Women’s Soccer Program for the 2023 season and is the latest local talent that has opted to stay close to home to begin their post-secondary career at Lambton College.

McAlpine is the fifth member of the 2023 recruiting class for Simmonds and the Lions. McAlpine joins Lauren Goldsack (London, Ont.), Maddy Forte (Sarnia, Ont.), Charlize Wildschut (Sarnia, Ont.), and Darlene Forbes (Sarnia, Ont.) as commitments for the program this off-season.

“I’m excited to join the Lambton Women’s Soccer Program,” said McAlpine. “I’m looking forward to playing with some of the girls that I’ve played with my whole life, and I get to meet and play alongside new teammates at the same time.”

Born and raised in Sarnia, McAlpine is no stranger to the soccer community in Sarnia-Lambton. McAlpine currently plays high school soccer at Sarnia’s Northern Collegiate Institute & Vocational School. At the same time, McAlpine also plays for the Sarnia Spirit Elite Women’s Team.

Throughout her soccer career, McAlpine has played alongside many members of the Lambton Women’s Soccer Program at various levels over the years. McAlpine is hoping that their level of familiarity with one another on the field will ease the transition to the collegiate level.

Academically, McAlpine will be enrolled in the Social Service Worker Program at Lambton College.

Staying close to home was a big selling point for McAlpine when she was considering her next steps after high school. After looking at other colleges across Southwestern Ontario, McAlpine felt that being at home was where she wanted to be.

When asked what fans of the Lions can expect to see from her on the field, especially those who haven’t seen her play before, McAlpine had a moment of pause before giving her answer.

“I’ve never really played in front of fans,” added McAlpine while holding back a smile. “I bring a lot of enthusiasm to the field, and some aggression since I’m a bit of an aggressive player on offense.”

Offensively, McAlpine hopes to bring a few goals along with her as she joins the program in September.

The Lions are coming off a rebuilding year in 2022. With many newcomers put into key roles as early as the first weekend, the Lions had to adjust to the collegiate game on the fly, and getting their feet set underneath them posed to be a challenge, at times.

Heading into the 2023 season, Simmonds and the Lions will be looking to use that gained experience from last season to their advantage. With the addition of McAlpine to the front line, helping to fortify the offensive attack for the Lions, the group is building towards an exciting future that will kick off in September.

Welcome to The Den, Madison!