WOLFPACK MENS SOCCER TO HOLD OPEN IDENTIFICATION CAMP March 1, 2010
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Sean Wallace speaks to players during 2009 Season (A. Snucins photo)
Soccer season is just around the corner and the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s team wants to make sure they have the strongest team come the start of the 2010 BC College Athletic Association campaign.
The WolfPack are holding their annual Player Identification Camp Saturday April 10 th and Sunday April 11 th at Hillside Stadium. The sessions will consist of skills assessment from 10 am to Noon with scrimmages occurring between 2 and 4 pm.
“We want to see what kind of skills the players have in that opening session,” said WolfPack co-head coach John Antulov. “The afternoon sessions will be to assess their game awareness.”
The WolfPack are hoping to draw players from throughout the Interior, North and Fraser Valley to their camp. “ Anyone who has played at a competitive level, is fit and is planning to attend TRU in the fall is encouraged to attend,” Antulov adds.
He also stresses that the players should be in ‘game shape’. “With such a short season, we can’t afford to wait for someone to play themselves into condition.” He adds. The BC CAA Season begins in early September and runs until late October. The Canadian College Athletic Association Championships are usually held the first week of November.
The WolfPack had six wins, five ties and one loss last season in the BC CAA. They are expecting a number of their core players to return for 2010. “But, we want to field our best team possible,” Antulov adds saying that players who have a strong showing at the ID camp will be invited to main camp in August.
There have been cases in the past where a player has been identified at this camp and wound up playing a significant role in the WolfPack’s success. Such was the case in 2009 when forward Jean Marc Moncion (4th year, midfield, Pembroke, Ont) came to the camp and wound up playing regularly with TRU last fall.
For more information on attending the ID camp, please contact coaches Antulov and Sean Wallace at trusoccermen@tru.ca
TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14 TH TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC.
WEBSITE: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index http://francais.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAMS WITH FUNDRAISERS ON THE GO January 26, 2010
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T
The Late Errol Wild
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s and women’s soccer teams have some fund raising efforts on the go in the coming weeks.
The Men’s team will be part of the “Kamloops Dome Snow Cup” being held January 29-31 st at the Kamloops Indoor Soccer Dome. This tournament is a recreation event for men’s and women’s teams. TRU WolfPack men’s team players will be involved in the coordination and officiating of the event. They are still looking for teams and players . More information can be obtained by logging onto http://www.kamloopsdome.com/tournament-home/kamloops-dome-tournaments.
In the meantime, friends of the late Errol Wild have set up a special event on what would have been his 50 th birthday (January 30 th) at the Commodore Café on Victoria Street. The event will see money raised go towards a bursary in the late Men’s soccer team manager’s name. Admission at the door will be $10.00 and follows a sold out dinner that evening. The party/dance begins after 8:30 pm. The Commodore is located at 369 Victoria Street.
If you are unable to attend the dinner/dance but would like to contribute to the Errol Wild Memorial Bursary, you can do so by either calling (250) 828-5264 or emailing foundation@tru.ca.
The Women’s WolfPack soccer team has a fundraising event at the Max night club on January 30 th as well. The proceeds go towards financing a team trip to California to play some matches in 2011.
MENS SOCCER LOSE TO LANGARA IN BCCAA QUARTERS October 23, 2009
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Kyle Halvorson played his last College Soccer Match in this one
He didn’t have to tell you the result. You could tell it in his voice. Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer co-head coach Sean Wallace was down following his team’s BC College Athletic Association Quarterfinal against the Langara College Falcons.
Wallace’s WolfPack, who were unbeaten going into their final match of the regular season, were defeated 1-0 at the hands of the Falcons.
The lone goal coming on the Falcons only shot of the first half at the 45 minute mark.
“We had numerous chances to get the equalizer,” said Wallace. “We had a number of breakaways but their keeper stood on his head. I don’t know how many times that happened to us this season.”
Wallace gave credit to his two fifth year players (defender Kyle Bowman of Kamloops, BC and forward Kyle Halvorson of Armstrong, BC) for being strong influences on the field. “I couldn’t have asked any more of those guys. They gave everything they had out there. It’s sad that their careers had to end on this note.”
The Wolfpack coach was very philosophical about his squad building on the defeat. “ I hope our young guys can learn something from this. They need to be ready for every match and they have to take every one seriously”.
Wallace admitted that his squad ‘shot themselves in the foot’ with too many ties (5) in the regular season. “If we had those ties turned into victories we wouldn’t have had to play today.”
TRU has 23 players eligible to return for next season with many of them currently in their first or second year of eligibility. With the win, Langara will now play the Vancouver Island University Mariners in the semi finals Saturday (Oct 24) at 5 pm.
The winner of the BCCAA final will go to Seneca College in Ontario for the Canadian College Athletic Association Championships.
WOLFPACK MENS SOCCER TO TAKE ON LANGARA IN FIRST ROUND OF BCCAA October 22, 2009
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Brynden Swint
Quiet confidence could be a good way to describe the atmosphere at practice with the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer this week. The WolfPack, who saw their unbeaten season in the BC College Athletic Association come to a close with a loss—are gearing up for the Langara College Falcons and the quarterfinals of the BCCAA Championships.
“We have to be focused,” said WolfPack co-head coach John Antulov. “It’s knockout the rest of the way and we have to be prepared.”
Antulov and co-head coach Sean Wallace might be a little more at ease about their chances come Friday (Oct 23 6 pm Mobilio Field, Coquitlam) due to fact they’ve had to utilize their 20 man roster throughout the year because of injuries. “ I think that we have more options with our squad than in years past,” he says. “ We can interchange our players and our formation with ease. I don’t think we’ve had a deeper team in the area of talent in the last three years.”
Still, the WolfPack aren’t taking Langara for granted. The Falcons are a squad which TRU hasn’t seen since the opening weekend of the season (Sept 5 where TRU won 4-0 at Hillside Stadium). “They’ve added a couple of players since then including one (Omid Ahmadi) who is a very crafty player who can make the difference in a contest,” says Antulov.
One area where the ‘Pack aren’t concerned is in the nets. Last year, with BCCAA all-star Allan Connor injured, Ethan May was pressed into service. Now into his 2nd year, the native of Kamloops has been through the pressure that playing in the Provincials entails. “ He should be all over the nerves,” Antolov stated. May was the fourth best keeper (goals against wise in the BCCAA) with five shutouts and an average of 0.92.
The WolfPack aren’t looking past their first match. But if they are successful, they will then take on the VIU Mariners in the semi finals on Saturday afternoon (Oct 24 th, 5 pm). That would put them up against BCCAA rookie of the year Robbie Cochrane (keeper) and coach of the year Bill Merriman.
THROW INS: The other quarter final on Friday (6 pm Cunnings Field, Coquitlam) has UNBC doing battle with Capilano. The winner of that match will do battle Saturday (3 pm Cunnings Field, Coquitlam) against Douglas College. The CCAA Nationals are in early November at Seneca College in Ontario.
WOLFPACK SOCCER HAS THREE PLAYERS NAMED TO BCCAA FIRST TEAM, SIX ON SECOND ALLSTAR TEAM October 21, 2009
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Cassie Drummond (left) and Heather Lloyd (right) were both named BCCAA All Stars
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have placed nine players on the BC College Athletic Association Soccer All star teams. Six members of the WolfPack women and three members of the WolfPack men’s squads have been chosen in a poll by the respective league coaches.
Two members of the WolfPack’s women’s squad were first team all stars. Forward Cassie Drummond (2nd year, Kamloops, BC) and sweeper Jessie Lebert (2nd year, Kamloops, BC) were chosen. Drummond was one of the BCCAA’s top scorers with seven goals in 12 matches. Lebert was put into the sweeper position for the first time in her soccer career. “They were fully justified in this award,” stated TRU head coach Tom McManus. “ The two of them have had a great season and Jessie has been brilliant playing as a sweeper for us. Cassie is just such a dominant forward with quick feet and is very silky in her moves to get out of tight situations. She has scored numerous key goals for us this year.”
Fifth year defender Kyle Bowman (Kamloops, BC)is the lone WolfPack on the Men’s first all-star team. “There wasn’t a player in the league who performed better than Kyle this season,” said TRU co-head coach John Antulov. “He played a new position (Center back) for the first time and was a standout. As a defender myself, I was surprised with the ease that he adapted to it. He was a leader off and on the field as well.”
Bowman’s teammates Peter Loncar (2nd year, midfield, Kamloops, BC) and Brynden Swint (3rd year, defender, Kamloops, BC) were named to the BCCAA men’s second all-star team.
“I think all three of the players deserved to be on the first team,” Antulov explained, noting that he is naturally bias. “But seriously, our players showed that with our record and in the wake of our injuries, they deserved all-star status.”
Four members of the womens’ squad were named to the BCCAA second team. Forward Heather Lloyd (3rd year, Kamloops, BC), Midfielders Abbey McAuley (2nd year, Langley, BC) and Bronwyn Crawford (2nd year, Kamloops, BC) along with forward/midfielder Alana Bekkering (2nd year, Kamloops, BC) were all chosen.
Says coach McManus: “Alanna Bekkering, Bronwyn Crawford, Abbey McCauley and Heather Lloyd have also have outstanding seasons. Alanna, who is with us for her first season at TRU patrolled the left wing and used her power speed and superb shot and cross to not only score numerous goals but also set up goals, an excellent asset to the TRU team. Bronwyn and Abbey are our co-captains and have controlled our play from the central midfield positions all season long. There have been times when they couldn’t play due to injury and it is very obvious that our leaders weren’t there. They both had an excellent season and I look forward to coaching them again in the future. Heather Lloyd has once again had a great season. She is a tireless worker with outstanding speed and a rocket shot. Heather is a handful in every game she plays in with her speed and strength. She shows for the ball very well and then can either spin for a shot or lay it off to a team mate.
I am very pleased with all of these girls and I look forward to them leading us into the provincials this weekend.”
The WolfPack women have the first round bye and don’t play until Saturday (Oct 24) against either VIU or Kwantlen
The TRU men meet up with Langara in quarterfinal play Friday October 23 rd at 6 pm at Mobilio Field in Coquitlam.