Image Credit: Thompson Rivers University
October 20, 2016 - 2:43 PM
The curtain falls on the 2016 Canada West women’s soccer season for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack this weekend.
The ‘Pack will finish the campaign out at Hillside Stadium with matches Saturday (Oct 22) and Sunday (Oct 23) against the University of Regina Cougars and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. Kick off both days will be 1 pm.
It is “Alumni Weekend” and “Graduating Players’ Day” on Sunday. It is the first time both those teams have ever paid a visit to Kamloops to play soccer since TRU entered the Canada West.
The WolfPack enter the weekend at 1-10. Regina is tied for fourth in the Prairie Division at 3-6-3 while Saskatchewan is tied for second in the Prairie with a 6-3-3 record.
“Wow this comes fast,” says WolfPack head coach Kelly Shantz about the end of the season. “Seems like just a couple of weeks ago we met for the first day of camp but that’s the CIS soccer season. We are happy our last weekend of the season is at home with the big Alumni and family celebration going at the same time. Playing teams from the Prairies is always a nice change so we are looking forward to it.”
Shantz began a massive rebuild of this program with only one fourth year player and only three starters from the previous year. When asked about the team’s evolution, Shantz stated: “About as expected really. The coaching staff knew that with so many new faces it would be a constant evolution of learning who can do what, what systems will work and which are too much along with who can respond to the pressure of increased training, expectations and a pressure packed schedule. We are really proud of the entire team. They worked hard in practice and in the video room and genuinely want to improve as fast as possible. They put the hours in. It’s been a learning year so all we can hope for is for the youth to learn and absorb. I think we have the learning down, but the test going forward will be for these players to absorb the information into their soccer DNA and retain it.”
Shantz says its ‘business as usual’ when it comes to preparation: “We are approaching the same as the rest. Our goal all year has been to get better week to week and play to win. Same applies this week.”
The WolfPack were only able to play one match last weekend after being snowed out in Prince George. It did give the youthful TRU squad a chance to do more bonding. “I love this group. We enjoy our time together, the girls get along as a group and have done so all year. The crazy weekend proved this: Tons of hours on a bus in terrible weather most of the time, one game cancelled, then a big delay getting home while we stopped at a hospital in Alberta for a player to treat (which turned out not to be serious, thankfully) and the ladies handled it all in stride and in good company. We have started a pretty tight culture here now and it can only help us build for the future.”
Both games will be available on a pay per view basis if you can’t attend by logging onto www.canadawest.tv
Alumni and family along with fans will get the chance to meet the WolfPack at the “Den” family restaurant at the Campus Activity Centre on Saturday (Oct 22).
The players and coaching staff will be there from 3-6 pm. On Sunday (Oct 23), the ‘Pack will be saying good bye to midfielder Katie Harding (4th year, Salmon Arm, BC). Harding is in her fourth year of eligibility but is graduating this coming spring from the TRU Nursing program.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016