Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles women’s soccer team fought back after a 1st half 1-0 deficit to tie the Quest University Kermodes 1-1 today at home at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, BC. This brings the Eagles record to 1-2-1 as they take to the road for tomorrow’s match in Nanaimo versus the Vancouver Island Mariners.
The first half was off to a tough start for the Eagles. At 37:18, the Kermodes offense would prevail as third-year forward Sabrina DeSoto, Golden, CO, beat first-year Eagles goalkeeper Simran Meelu, Abbotsford, BC. Meelu would continue to be tested throughout the match, stopping a couple of Quest breakaways and making some key saves from shots within the box. The Eagles would continue to create offensive chances but were ultimately unable to follow through.
A better-paced second half saw KPU regroup offensively to try to gain momentum and maintain possession over Quest that ultimately paid off in the 84th minute. Eagles’ Harlene Uppal, second-year midfielder, Surrey, BC, found the back of the Quest net to even up the score. The Eagles were able to hang on and Meelu was able to deflect a Kermodes corner kick in the waning minutes of the match.
Both goalkeepers played the full 90 minutes in net, Meelu for KPU, and Taylor Shantz, second-year, Kamloops, BC, for Quest.
Stand-out performances for the Eagles included Meelu, fifth-year defender Norma Sheane, Burnaby, BC, third-year midfielder Gurneet Josan, Surrey, BC, and second-year midfielder Samantha Vegh, Port Coquitlam, BC.
Eagles Head Coach Julie King was pleased with the resilience of her team today, but notes that they have a lot of work ahead of them still. “The first half was very hard to watch, not because we played poor but because we struggled to implement what we practiced. We have to cut out the mistakes, “ she says, “But I thought we showed tremendous mental toughness to keep going after being down one-nil. They kept going and kept pushing.”
The Eagles women head to the Island for a 12:00pm kick-off against the VIU Mariners tomorrow, and then its back home to Newton Athletic Park for a weekend double-header. KPU faces off with the Douglas College Royals Saturday September 20th at 12:00pm, and then the Langara College Falcons on Sunday, September 21st, also at 12:00pm.
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC and the Ace Badminton Centre in Richmond, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
Follow the Eagles on Twitter @KPUEagles, on Facebook www.facebook.com/kpueagles, or visit our website at www.kpu.ca/eagles.