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WolfPack men’s soccer solidifies backfield

Parker Denton of Coquitlam (Dr. Charles Best Secondary) has signed a letter of intent to play Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer.
Image Credit: Contributed

KAMLOOPS - Finding a left footed left back or midfield is a rare commodity in soccer. And to find one who is talented enough to play at the highest level of Canadian University soccer is even rarer.

The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer program believes it has hit the jackpot with the announcement of their third recruit for the 2015-16 Canada West season.
Head coach John Antulov has signed Parker Denton of Coquitlam, BC (Dr. Charles Best Secondary) to a letter of intent. The 5’11” Denton will be taking courses leading to a Tourism Management degree with an eye to possibly entering the TRU Law School in the future.

“I chose Thompson Rivers because of the depth and quality of their academic programs coupled with the direction the men’s soccer team is heading,” Denton explains. “It made choosing TRU an easy choice. As well, the beauty of the campus and surrounding areas coupled with the opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor pursuits also weighed heavily in my decision.

He is an avid, expert skier and enjoys Downhill Mountain biking along with rock climbing and canyoneering.

Denton was invited and participated in ID camps for the University of Washington along with Canada West competitors UBCO and the University of Victoria.

He is currently a member of the Surrey United 1997 squad which plays in the BCSPL.

“Since the BCSPL was formed in 2012, Surrey United has had an incredible run of success virtually winning all of the available league and provincial trophies,“ Denton explains. “They are looking at returning to the National Club championships in October where they won the title. My team also won the Nike Crossfire Challenge in Seattle last summer playing in the top (Gold) division as a U-16 squad. We beat out six of the top 10 teams in Washington State.”

“The coaching staff is really looking forward to Parker joining our program,” states Antulov. “He is a very quick, talented player. Naturally left footed players are hard to find and he likes to get up into the attack which will be integral to our playing style going forward. I want to see our fullbacks joining the attack. Surrey very much plays a position style, quick one and two touch passing game so he already has a good base on how we would like to play. I believe he will be a very important piece going forward for the program and we look for him to challenge our current players this coming season. We have a very strong group at the back and Parker will add to this group making it very competitive for the upcoming season.”

Denton’s current coach is Aleksandar Borojevic. “Parker is my go-to guy on the left side of the pitch playing either an offensive or defensive role. He can handle any situation that is thrown at him from anywhere up and down the line. Whether I need his ability to play up front to swing in crosses into dangerous areas, or his athleticism in the middle of the pitch to run the ball down into the attacking third to create chances or get into a rough tackle to stop an attack. Parker has proven to be a great addition to our Canadian nationals-winning squad.”

Denton knows it’ll be a step up competing at the CIS level. “I expect there certainly will be an adjustment moving up. The level of talent and pace will certainly be higher as will the focus on results. That said, with my club team, I was fortunate to play a number of BC-based CIS and PACWEST teams over the past couple of years. We also played the Whitecaps and Portland Timbers residency teams.  I have had some decent exposure to this level of play.   I was also selected to play against the UW men’s NCAA Division I team last summer, which was an eye opener.  Bottom line-I am greatly looking forward to the challenge.”

He is the third signing for the WolfPack for the coming CIS season joining Mitchell Popadynetz (19, 5’10”, midfield-forward, Nelson, BC/Maple Ridge Secondary-UBC) and Nolan DeRosa (17, 5’6” midfield, Trail, BC/J.L. Crowe Secondary-Kootenay Whitecap Academy.

TRU plans to make some more player signing announcements in the coming weeks.  They begin training for their 2015-16 Canada West season in early August.

INSIDE THE 18 - Denton on his visit to TRU: “My initial impressions of the campus were of cleanliness and newness, coupled with stunning vistas. There is certainly pride in the campus. The training and stadium facilities are equally outstanding. In the training sessions I have had with the team, the players and coaching staff alike were both welcoming and respectful. But, also clearly driven towards success. As for the City itself, I have spent quite a lot of time in Kamloops over the years and love the city, its amenities and the proximity to some pretty amazing outstanding outdoor activities.”

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