Nanaimo…..The KPU Eagles men’s soccer team snapped VIU Mariner’s four-game winning streak today on the road in Nanaimo, BC with a hard-fought 0-0 tie. The Eagles extend their record to 2-1-2 in the 2014/15 PACWEST CCAA season and look forward to next weekend’s double-header home-stand at Newton Athletic Park.
The Eagles had a confident and controlled game that saw hard work and determination from all aspects of the KPU line. The first-half was evenly matched with the majority of play in the midfield. The second half saw both KPU and VIU’s forwards actively create more opportunities as they took more shots and tried to draw out mistakes in their opposition’s defensive strategies. The goalkeepers, Eagles second-year Ashibir Paul, Richmond, BC, and Mariners fourth-year Scott Brown, Nanaimo, BC, would each earn a shut out. This marks the first time this season that the VIU Mariners have been held scoreless in regular season play.
First-year KPU fifth-year forward Jacob Starheim, Delta, BC, was a solid force for the Eagle’s midfield. His control of the knockdowns and leadership on the pitch helped maintain KPU’s composure while under pressure. For a second-straight match Eagles’ defender Lucas Rimmer, fifth year, Surrey, BC, remained a reliable force for the backline.
Overall Eagles’ Head Coach Srdjan Djekanovic was pleased with today’s result, emphasizing a number of times that it was really a hard-fought team effort. “Everyone performed well, everyone put in their shift today,” he stated, “We were well organized and defended from the top to the bottom. Unlucky not to score one or two more this weekend, but this was a team that is hard to score on.”
The Eagles regroup for the week and play the next two matches on home turf in Surrey at Newton Athletic Park. On Saturday, September 20 they take on the Douglas College Royals at 2:00pm, and on Sunday, September 21 they play the Langara College Falcons, also at 2:00pm.
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.
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