Women’s Soccer Preseason Starts Sunday

Road to Toronto starts in the state of Washington for the UFV Cascades Women’s Soccer team

By David Kent. The University of the Fraser Valley Cascades women’s soccer team will play seven exhibition preseason matches before they open up the 2013 Canada West regular season against the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves, on Friday, September 6th at Exhibition Field, in Chilliwack, BC.

The Cascades are coming off their second Canada West post season appearance in three years. UFV finished the regular season 6-5-1 for 19 points, good for 7th place in the conference. UFV would lose their Canada West quarterfinal to the University of Victoria Vikes, 3-0. As the Cascades prepare for their eighth regular season in the CIS, head coach Rob Giesbrecht is excited about the strong group of returning veterans and his rookie class led by midfielder Carley Radomski.

As the 2013 season approaches there will be new faces in key positions. With the graduation of fifth year veteran Chantelle Biagioni, Pitt Meadows, BC who led UFV to the 2010 Canada West title and CIS bronze medal, second year goalkeeper Kayla Klim, Burnaby, BC inherits the Cascades net. Klim played this past summer for the W-League’s Dayton Dutch Lions gaining valuable experience playing against some of the top stars from both the NCAA and CIS in the USL.

Fourth year veteran striker Carly Neeson, Maple Ridge, BC came into her own last year scoring four goals and being named “Cascades Player of the Match” six times. Coach Rob Giesbrecht, entering his fourth year at UFV, will count heavily on Neeson and fifth year veteran Danika Snook, Chilliwack, BC for leadership. Snook is also a member of the 2010 Canada West title winning team. Carley Radomski, comes to UFV from Walnut Grove Secondary, in Langley, BC, the same school that has produced the Cascades current midfielder Macki Shopland. The midfielder also played for the Vancouver Whitecaps Girls Elite Program, where she has been a member the past two seasons. Coach Giesbrecht looks to these two players for leadership in the midfield .

The Cascades defense is led by Sam Temple, a third year veteran, from Calgary, Alberta. UFV welcomes a transfer Jade Palm, from Langara College (PACWEST-CCAA). The Powel River, BC native has made a big impression on coach Giesbrecht and the team in training camp.

The road to Toronto, Ontario, the home of the 2013 CIS women’s soccer “Final 8” national championship tournament, begins in Lacey, Washington, as UFV faces two American schools this weekend. UFV will face six schools in all, who play in the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA. UFV will also face the UBC-O Heat, at home, in Chilliwack, BC. All Cascade soccer exhibition games are free admission to the general public.

“Our team will be challenged this preseason. We have put together a demanding schedule to allow the team to prepare for ultra-competitive Canada West season,” said Giesbrecht.

2013 Women’s Soccer preseason exhibition schedule

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August 18
UFV Cascades v Concordia University Cavaliers at St. Martin’s University (Lacey, WA) 4pm

August 19
UFV Cascades @ St. Martin’s University Saints 4pm

August 24
UFV Cascades @ Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA) 7:30pm

August 27
Western Washington U Vikings @ UFV Cascades (Townsend Park- Chilliwack, BC) 3pm

August 28
UFV Cascades @ Simon Fraser University Clan 6:30pm

August 30
UBC-O Heat @ UFV (Townsend Park-Chilliwack, BC) 7pm

September 1
Peninsula College Pirates @ UFV Cascades (Townsend Park-Chilliwack, BC) 9:30AM