NSL Ottawa Rapid FC

Ottawa Rapid FC Announce Signing of Goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais

Published on February 19, 2025 under Northern Super League (NSL)
Ottawa Rapid FC News Release


OTTAWA - Ottawa Rapid FC announced Wednesday that they have signed goalkeeper, Melissa Dagenais. As per club policy, the terms of the deal were not announced.

"Melissa Dagenais exemplifies unwavering commitment and a relentless drive for growth. As a shot stopper, her athleticism and drive set her apart, always pushing herself to improve and elevate her game," said Ottawa Rapid FC Technical Director, Kristina Kiss. "Her commitment to becoming better each day will help build the culture we want in the club."

"I believe that joining the league is helping future generations by inspiring other Canadian girls and paving a path to professional soccer in Canada," said Melissa Dagenais. "I'm excited to take part in this new project and make history!"

Dagenais began her collegiate career at the University of Miami in 2019, where she honed her skills and appeared in nine matches in her first two seasons before being named the starting keeper in her third year. She started 47 of the team's 49 games to close-out her career, finishing as one of the top keepers in program history. Dagenais, a recipient of the Award of Excellence at Celebration of Women's Athletics, ranks third in career saves (262), tied for fourth in career shutouts (13) and sixth in career minutes in goal (4,632) on the Hurricanes' all-time lists.

While at Miami, Dagenais earned her Bachelor's degree in exercise physiology in 2022 and her Master's degree in strength and conditioning the following year. Dagenais was named to the ACC All-Academic Team in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Upon completion of her studies at Miami, Dagenais moved to Portuguese club Damaiense in the Campeonato Nacional Feminino, where she made 14 appearances. Prior to joining Damaiense, Dagenais was called up to the Canadian national team camp in October 2023.

A native of Saint-Hubert, Dagenais began playing soccer at a young age, signing with CS Saint-Hubert when she was eight. Initially a defender, she gradually transitioned to goalkeeper - a move that eventually saw her awarded the golden gloves by the Quebec Elite Soccer League in 2017, the same year she helped lead Champlain College to the national championship.

In addition to her soccer pursuits, Dagenais is passionate about proper strength and conditioning. This led to her launching her own online athlete training service called Melevate in 2024 - offered through Instagram at @mel_dag0.

A formal media availability will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Fans are encouraged to stay up to date on club news by following on social media @ottrapidfc and signing up for the team's newsletter at rapidfc.ca.

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Northern Super League Stories from February 19, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central