The Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles women’s and men’s soccer teams kicked off the season with a strong start on September 8 and 9 in the interior taking on the UBC-Okanagan (UBC-O) Heat and the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Wolfpack.
The women’s team started their first game of the season against the Heat with five rookies taking to the pitch with the veterans. Pressure on the Heat resulted in the first goal of the game by Kwantlen’s Kathleen Gratz (North Surrey) and the Eagles scored their second goal by veteran Dominique Lang (Langley). Rookie keeper Sukhleen Gill (Surrey) received the shut-out in the 2–0 victory. The following day the team travelled to Kamloops to play the defending Pacific Western Athletic Association (PACWEST) Champions, the TRU Wolfpack. In the first half, the Eagles began to find their form and played their possession game resulting in strong invasions through the Wolfpack’s defense. Unfortunately, the team lost momentum in the second half which resulted in a 4–1 loss for the Eagles.
The men’s soccer team came out strong on September 8 against the Heat, playing a disciplined game which resulted in a 0-0 score at the end of the first half. Gaining confidence and down by one, the Eagles expressed themselves in the second half with a tying goal from Eagles Murtada Almatrood (Burnaby). Rookie keeper, Kevin Taheri (Richmond) was instrumental in his performance with spectacular footwork and a highlight reel flying header from the box clearing all the way to midfield. The Eagles ended the match with a 1–1 draw against the Heat.
“The guys had a disciplined defense in the first half not allowing the other team to play their normal system. It was a real team performance,” said Ajit Braich, head coach, Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
On September 9 the men’s team took on the TRU Wolfpack. Almatrood continued to add to his stats contributing to a 2–1 victory for the Eagles.
The Eagles soccer teams take their game on the road this weekend in Nanaimo against the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners on Saturday; and to North Vancouver against the Capilano Blues on Sunday. The games are scheduled at 1:00 pm for both women’s games and 3:00 pm for the men’s games.
The Eagles golf team headed to TRU and the Dunes Golf Course for the opening tournament in the PACWEST Conference last weekend. Thomas Rose (Surrey) was the Eagles top ranked golfer over the two-day tournament shooting an even par on day one and four over par on day two for a combined total of a solid 148 adding to a log jam of golfers at the combined score from UBC-O, VIU, and Camosun College.
New comer, Jason Thompson (Langley) shot a consistent 76 both days, and Jeff Tanaka (Surrey) also had a solid weekend in his first tournament with an impressive first day result. Tanaka was plus-four at the turn but dug deep and ended up only one over par.
“The guys stayed humble and patient and that definitely helped the team in this first tournament of the season”, said Levi Arcega, head coach, Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
The Eagles finished the weekend ranking fifth out of seven teams.
The Eagles golf team will host the next tournament at the Hazelmere Golf course in Surrey on September 15 and 16. This tournament will also feature Caroline Greeslup, the Eagles newest woman golfer.
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 250,000 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 17,500 students annually have a choice from more than 200 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations. Please visit: kwantlen.ca.
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