A quartet of Comox Valley footballers are among the top rookie prospects for the Thompson Rivers University women’s soccer team, which kicked off its exhibition season Wednesday in Kamloops.
Defender Olivia Bates, midfielder Camryn Curts, forward Abbie Simms and keeper Danielle Robertson all played for the Upper Island Riptide in the Vancouver Island Premier League.
“It’s a great opportunity for those kids,” said Shel Brodsgaard, soccer development co-ordinator for the the Riptide program. “I think they’re going to have a hard year. It’s not going to be easy for them. It will take them two or three years, and then those kids will be in pole position…It opens up the pipeline for others. I’m sure we’ll have a few other kids interested this spring.”
Though losing 3-0 Wednesday to the Capilano University Blues of North Vancouver, TRU coach Kelly Shantz expects the new recruits will raise the level of play and help the overall team culture.
He praised Curts for her strong play in the middle of the pitch in Wednesday’s match.
“She was great in youth and was solid today,” Shantz said. “She has had a solid first week of camp. Abbie Simms on the outside has played very well, too.”
The WolfPack has just one fourth-year and two third-year players, including Powell River defender Natalie Verdeil, co-captain of the squad.
“We made some great passes,” Verdeil said of Wednesday’s game. “It fell apart a couple of times but it didn’t feel like a 3-0 game. Two of the goals were off corners and we were struggling to find out where we were supposed to be. We are still trying to get 21 players on a field. That is a lot in a soccer game. Once we figure out our positions it will come a lot easier and we will have success.”
The WolfPack continued their exhibition season on the weekend in Edmonton, where they faced the MacEwan University Griffins and the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves. They play at home Aug. 23 against Douglas College, then it’s off to Washington State for exhibitions against Pacific Lutheran College Aug. 27 and Saint Martins University Aug. 26. TRU opens its Canada West season at home Sept. 9 against MacEwan.
WolfPack matches will be webcast on a pay-per-view basis on www.Canadawest.TV.