Rushenas Turns Pro With Halifax Wanderers

Twenty-year-old goalkeeper Aiden Rushenas has turned professional with the Halifax Wanderers on a deal that runs the remainder of the current season.

The youngster was selected earlier this year as Halifax’s second round draft pick, eventually inking a U SPORTS deal valid until August 15. By that point, the Dalhousie Tigers shot-stopper had already featured for the Wanderers U-23 squad and has trained with the first team regularly, impressing both goalkeeper coach Jan-Michael Williams and new Halifax boss Patrice Gheisar.

“Aiden is a young man that has continued to grow with the team and has progressed quite nicely on the field,” said Gheisar on today’s contract announcement. “We look forward to his future. We’re ecstatic to have him for the rest of the season working with goalkeeper coach Jan-Michael Williams and see him continue his journey with the Wanderers.”  

Rushenas had previously trained with League1 Ontario side North Toronto Nitros before enlisting with Dalhousie, where his debut season saw him finish as the league leader in saves and third-highest in save percentage with 0.827. He led the Atlantic University Sport in saves made throughout his two years with Dalhousie, being named the Tigers’ most valuable player in 2022.

Between riding the bench behind an in-form Yan Fillion all season, Rushenas returned to U-23 duty for a pair of matches against German visitors Holstein Kiel, where Joao Morelli marked his return to the east coast before etching back into the first team.

“He’s an excellent shot-stopper who continues to grow with his distribution and has become a part of our culture in a big way,” added Gheisar, who has a proven track record in developing talent.

The signing of Rushenas solves a unique problem for Halifax, who are required to have two goalkeepers on the roster but would have been one short should the youngster have returned to his post-secondary studies.

He’s the fourth player Halifax has brought in from an AUS school, following in the steps of Cape Breton’s Peter Schaale and Cory Bent, and Saint Mary’s Christian Oxner.

The Halifax Wanderers did not disclose the financial terms of the deal, which runs to the end of the 2023 CPL season.