General 11/5/2021 11:00:00 AM Zachary Worden

Rendle's experience on & off the pitch proving valuable for Cougars championship pursuit

Second-year Cougars men's soccer player Drake Rendle has taken a unique journey to end up on the 2021-22 roster. Rendle originally joined the Mount Royal soccer program out of high school for the 2015-16 season before opting to pursue a professional career overseas in England.

This marked the second time that Rendle had moved to England to pursue soccer at a higher level. Starting as a 13-year-old, Rendle played for multiple youth professional clubs, including Burnley FC. While playing with Burnley, Rendle managed to score two goals against Everton FC, which he cites as one of his favourite soccer memories.

Unfortunately, issues with his Visa forced Rendle back to Canada. Despite a disappointing end to his time overseas, Rendle continued to pursue a professional career. He joined the Vancouver Whitecaps U-18 team while also being named to multiple U-18 Canadian National teams.

This led Rendle to join the Cougars in 2015, where he and the team had a very successful season. The 2015-16 Cougars were the first men's soccer team from Mount Royal to make the Canada West playoffs. Rendle was a key contributor to the team, scoring four goals in the year and was named a Canada West First Star during the season.

After leaving Mount Royal and after his time playing semi-pro in England, Rendle made the decision to come back and re-join the Cougars in 2020.

"Having the decision to come back especially from over seas was that sense of having a team atmosphere," Rendle said about his choice to return to Mount Royal. "When you're traveling out to professional clubs, you're never very secure even when you're on a team because there's a fight for yourself atmosphere. Whereas here it's a fight for the team and that was kind of missing in my life."

Coming back home has allowed Rendle to be close to his wife and family while pursuing a degree in public relations. When he has finished his career and degree at Mount Royal, Rendle is still open to pursuing a pro career, but he plans to "go with the flow and see what happens."

"I put 100 per cent into every day I come to training or every day I step on the pitch for a game," Rendle said about a potential pro career. "But if it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't. It's not the end all be all, but ultimately that would be the dream, to say the least."

As an older player on the team but new to many of his Cougars' teammates, Rendle has tried to fill in as a leader where he is needed.

"I take my step back a little bit to our fifth year players. For me, it's just filling in their shoes where I need to be," he said. "Being a leader for me isn't about wearing an armband. It's just leading by example and being there for my teammates when they need me and picking up on the cues of the people around me."

With so much experience, Rendle still sees the U SPORTS level of play greatly different for new players no matter where they come from.

"Even if you were at a professional club, there's a completely different atmosphere that you encounter here at university level football," he said. "Especially now with the Canadian Premier League draft system, there's a lot more opportunity for players to go professional straight from university."

In 2021, Rendle and the Cougars have emerged as national contenders, finishing the season with a 6-1-3 record which placed them as Canada West's No. 1 seed. They continue to leave their mark on the national landscape, as after their quarter-final victory, they were ranked No. 8 in the national U SPORTS rankings.

"My goal for the remainder of my time at the university and with the Cougars is obviously to win nationals. I'm aiming big," Rendle said. "I never settle for just making the playoffs or just winning Canada West. We're going for it hard."

Rendle says he wants the program to continue to grow that winning mindset while he's still at Mount Royal. He wants to leave a legacy of winning and success for those that follow in his footsteps as a Cougar.

"I want to obviously graduate with my degree. If something with football comes out of it at the top level, then I mean, hey, dream come true for me," Rendle said. "However, I just want to build a program, win some championships, build history here at Mount Royal and set a pathway for upcoming players to come in, want to play for our school and have that sense of pride and honour to represent the Cougars."

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Players Mentioned

#17 Drake Rendle: Midfield; 5' 9"; Third Year

Players Mentioned

#17 Drake Rendle
: 5' 9"; Third Year
: Midfield

Players Mentioned

#17 Drake Rendle

Players Mentioned

#17 Drake Rendle