Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles men’s soccer team enjoyed a stronger 2014/15 season under second-year head coach Srdjan Djekanovic and maintained a CCAA National Top 15 ranking for all seven weeks of regular season play; their peak was 10th place. The Eagles regular season record improved to 5-7-3 over last year’s 3-8-3, ending the season in third place in the PACWEST conference. KPU advanced to Provincials and ended the tournament at 0-2 for fourth place in the tournament.
KPU Eagles Nawaf Binsaleh flies over the Quest Kermodes
This was the fifth appearance at Provincials for KPU in the program’s 11-year history, and the first under the direction of Coach Djekanovic. The Eagles lost both matches 2-0, first to the Douglas College Royals and then to the host Quest University Canada Kermodes.KPU first-year defender Nawaf Binsaleh, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and fifth-year midfielder/defender Jacob Starheim, Delta, BC were both named to the 2014 PACWEST All-Star team.
“Big progress was made from last season. We built on what we started last season in terms of building the culture we want around the team and putting focus on creating a cohesive and hard-working unit,” stated Coach Djekanovic, “I am proud of how well we have set up our guys, we know where we need to improve in the off-season, and we look forward to bringing in new additions to our KPU family.”
The Eagles celebrated the contributions of three graduating seniors who were vital members of the program; fourth-year forward Marcos Teodoro da Silva, Caico, RN, Brazil, fifth-year defender Lucas Rimmer, Surrey, BC, and Starheim.
Congratulations to our men's soccer graduating seniors!
(L to R) Coach Djekanovic, Lucas Rimmer, Jacob Starheim, Marcos Teodoro da Silva
The 2015 men’s soccer player identification camp will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 2nd & 3rd, 2015 from 8:00pm-10:00pm at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, BC. Participants must attend both nights. Registration and information on the camp can be found at http://www.kpu.ca/athletics/teams/soccer-men.
Photo Credit: KPU Sports Information
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 Collegiate 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.