Skip to content

Eagles successful on the road

Kwantlen soccer teams open PacWest season in Kelowna, Kamloops
82273surreywUCBvsKwantlenSoccer
UBC-Okanagan Heat forward and North Delta native Lindsey Briggs (13) takes on a challenge from Kwantlen’s Kaylee Dodds in PacWest women’s soccer action Saturday at UBCO’s Nonis Field. Kwantlen won 2-0.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s two soccer teams enjoyed success in the B.C. Interior last weekend, each winning once in two games played.

The Kwantlen Eagles men’s team. coming off a sixth place finish a year ago,  found itself tied for second place in the eight-team PacWest standings with a win and a tie.

The women, provincial champions in 2009 and 2010, split their two contests.

Trailing 1-0 in the second half of Saturday’s men’s game in Kelowna against the UBC-Okanagan Heat, Kwantlen pulled even on a goal from Murtrada Almatrood and settled for a 1-1 tie.

“The guys had a very disciplined defense in the first half,  not allowing the other team to play their normal system,” said Eagles head coach Ajit Braich. “It was a real team performance.”

Sunday in Kamloops, Kwantlen got their first win of the season, edging the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack 2-1.

After a scoreless first half, Almatrood netted the first Eagles goal on a breakaway, then made it 2-0 by converting a chance from the penalty spot.

The Wolfpack got one goal back in the final 15 minutes of play, but Kwantlen held on for the three points.

The Eagles women’s team began their weekend with a 2-0 triumph over the Heat in Kelowna on Saturday afternoon.

Kwantlen got their first goal just before halftime, when Kathleen Gratz of Surrey took a pass from Shanay Sangha and pushed the ball into the net.

Dominique Lang of Langley added the second goal, converting a rebound off a shot from Surrey’s Reem Knyfatty.

L.A. Matheson graduate Sukhleen Gill earned the shutout.

“We came out flat and underperformed,” said Heat head coach Claire Paterson. “Kwantlen did a good job at winning the ball, moving the ball quickly, and we just seemed to lose the battles there.”

Against the defending PacWest champions in Kamloops Sunday, the Eagles gave up a pair of goals off corner kicks and fell 4-1 to the Wolfpack.

Haveer Rai of Surrey headed in a corner kick for Kwantlen’s lone goal.

The two Eagles teams will be on Vancouver Island Saturday to play the Vancouver Island University Mariners in Nanaimo, then travel to North Vancouver Sunday for games with the Capilano Blues.