For immediate release

Strong Performance for Kwantlen Eagles this Weekend

METRO VANCOUVER, BC – (September 19, 2011) – The Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles soccer teams kicked off their road campaigns against two formidable opponents. With some unfavourable results against the Capilano University Blues on Saturday the Eagles finished Sunday with a win and a tie against the Vancouver Island University Mariners.

After a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Capilano Blues on Saturday, the Eagles women’s team (1-0-2) bounced back and found their form on Sunday with a resounding 5-0 victory against the Vancouver Island Mariners (2-0) in Nanaimo.

The last time these two teams faced each other was in the first round of last season’s Provincial Championships where the Eagles took the upper hand, winning 4-0 on route to their second consecutive provincial title.

After withstanding an early barrage of pressure from the Mariners, the Eagles opened the flood gates netting four goals before the end of the first half. Co-captain Shanay Sangha (Richmond) led the way with two goals including the opening goal of the match. Second-year players Yvamara Rodriguez (Port Coquitlam) and Kathleen Gratz (Surrey) also scored in the first half, with third-year athlete Meghan Nilsson (Surrey) rounding out the scoring by netting a header in the second half.

Christina Henderson (Delta) and Meghan Nilsson were two Eagles standouts over the weekend. Both players were able to play responsibly on both ends of the field, contributing to the offense, while maintaining the necessary positioning and tackling required to prevent chances.

“The team played with a lot more intensity, urgency and purpose [against the Mariners]”, commented head coach Gord Smith. “Having Melina [Gomez] back in goal for the first time this season allowed us to play Nicole [Gibbons] at her natural position, left back. This had a stabilizing effect on the team as a whole and made us a much deeper and complete team. It was great to see Melina make a great save at the end of the game to seal the shutout.”

The women closed out week two of the season with a 2-0-2 league record.

On the Men’s side the Eagles rebounded from a difficult 4-0 defeat to the Capilano Blues on Saturday, by pulling out a 2-2 draw on Sunday afternoon against the defending national champions, Vancouver Island University Mariners.

While struggling to put the ball in the back of the net on Saturday, the Eagles find their shape and re-packaged their effort into a hard fought match against the pre-season favourites.

After a scoreless first half, the Mariners came out strong scoring early in the second half. Second-year forward Ravij Ahmadi (North Vancouver) took advantage of a Mariner penalty by blasting a penalty kick by the keeper to tie the game up at one. But, the tie was short lived as the Mariners quickly took back the lead scoring a goal five minutes later to take a 2-1 lead. The Eagles proved their resiliency when Ahmadi buried his second goal of the day tying the match with just fifteen minutes remaining in the game to pull out a 2-2 draw.

Standout performer for the Eagles over the two games was freshman mid-fielder, Ricardo Alvarado (Vancouver). Alvarado was relentless in his pursuit of opponents and the ball and frustrated many attackers by sacrificing his body to block shots. His tackling was precise and devastating to any player that dared to step in his path.

"I’m really proud of our guys, “said assistant coach Yaw Osei. “We showed them [Mariners] that we deserved to be on the same field, and to tie the defending national champions was a great result.”

The men closed out week two of the season with a 0-2-2 league record.

The Eagles play their next two games at home next weekend. They will play host to the Quest Kermodes on Saturday, September 24 and the Langara Falcons on Sunday, September 25. Kick-off for women is at 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. for the men both games.
Complete game results can be found at: www.kwantlen.ca/eagles

Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region for 30 years, and has opened doors to success for more than 200,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts and science, design, health, trades and technology, apprenticeships, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 17,000 students annually have a choice from over 135 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations.

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For more information about the Kwantlen Eagles, contact:
Elise Le Brun
Director, Athletics & Recreation
Tel: 604.599.2005
elise.lebrun@kwantlen.ca

For more information about Kwantlen, contact:
Joanne Saunders
Director, Marketing and Communications
Tel: 604.599.2243
joanne.saunders@kwantlen.ca