After the first week of play, the Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) Eagles men’s soccer team is at the front of the pack.
The Eagles split two games last weekend at Newton Athletic Park, defeating the Douglas College Royals 3-1 Saturday before falling 1-0 to the Langara Falcons Sunday afternoon.
Their 2-1-0 (won-lost-tied) record has them tied for top spot with the Royals, one point ahead of the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Mariners of Nanaimo.
“Early success this season has come as a product of the program doing things right, and the team playing as a unit and for each other,” said KPU head coach Srdjan Djekanovic. “We are looking forward to a very successful season.”
The Eagles hold top spot due to their win Saturday over Douglas. Nawaf Binsaleh netted a pair of goals with Mateo Serka netting the other.
“It was a great overall team performance as the team worked hard and stuck to the game plan,” said Djekanovic.
The Eagles will play their first road game of the season Saturday, kicking off against the Quest Kermodes in Squamish.
They will then host the Mariners Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at Newton Athletic Park, a game the KPU squad is very much anticipating.
“The team has a saying and mindset that we play one game at a time,” said Djekanovic. “(But) we have the opportunity to play last year’s national champions (VIU) and see how we measure up.”
- The KPU Eagles women’s team finds itself in a tie for third place after three games, posting a 1-1-1 record. The Eagles lost 3-0 to the unbeaten Douglas College Royals Saturday, then earned their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over the Langara Falcons Sunday. Both games were at Newton Athletic Park.
“The most important thing is we don’t want to concede,” said KPU had coach Julie King. “If we do, it’s difficult to win. We made three mistakes (Saturday), and the team knows what they were.”
Chelsea Lal scored the winning goal Sunday on a penalty.
Other standouts on the weekend were midfielder and Elgin Park Secondary graduate Haley Eburne, midfielder Sam Vegh and Sullivan Heights Secondary graduate Shayla Wilson at forward.