Women’s soccer team’s spirit unbroken

Through the Kwantlen Eagles’ women’s soccer team has started their season off 1-4, their spirit isn’t broken, said head coach Vladimir Samozvanov.

The young team, made up of 10 rookies and nine returning players, is in the middle of a rebuilding season, but they’re making progress every game.

“Yes, we are in a rebuilding year, but I hate to call it that because I don’t want to write off the season,” said Samozvanov. “I want to accomplish something.”

The team might do that. Samozvanov said this is the best team he’s had in his three years of coaching Kwantlen’s women’s team.

Last weekend in Kelowna and Kamloops served as a “very valuable maturing experience” for the team as they played the two top teams in the league, UBC-Okanagan (UBCO) and Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

Against UBCO, the Eagles had an even match with the Heat, the score 1-1 until the 85th minute, when the home team scored the winning goal.

In Kamloops, it was another tight game, but after key injuries to goaltender Amelia Ng and midfielder Christina Henderson, the TRU offence found the back of the net. Kwantlen kept the WolfPack on their heels, but couldn’t find an equalizer, dropping the game 1-0.

Samozvanov is optimistic about upcoming games though, saying that his team’s mental toughness and their talent will be the solution to their early-season struggles.

The Eagles have three home games over the next two weekends, the first of which is this Saturday, Sept. 26, against the Douglas College (DC) Royals.

Samozvanov knows that DC will give them a tough, physical game, but he isn’t worried.

“Our team has shown over the last two games that they’re here and ready to play,” he said. “I haven’t made any specific preparations for this weekend, but I haven’t seen Douglas play this season.

“Once the game gets going, I might have some ideas about where to put everyone, but…we need to rely on skill and determination and we have both.”