2007 Men's Soccer Year in Review

Click here for audio interview with head coach Al Alderson

Despite the heartbreak at Nationals, 2007 was still another very successful season for head coach Al Alderson and the Trinity Western University Spartans men’s soccer team as they finished with a 16-4-1 record, winning both the conference regular season crown, and their third straight Canada West gold medal. TWU was the top ranked team in the country for three straight weeks early in the season, and were ranked third in the CIS heading into the postseason.

Fifth year midfielder Nic Perugini (Montreal) won the CIS and Canada West Player of the Year awards, and was also named both a first team All-Canadian and first team Canada West all-star. He was far from the only award winner for the Spartans in 2007. Rookie defender Paul Hamilton (Calgary) took home a boatload of accolades as well, as he was named a CIS National Tournament all-star, a second team all-Canadian, and a first team Canada West all-star. First year goalkeeper Andrew Fink (Burnaby, B.C.) was the third Spartan named first team all-conference, while third year forward Nathan Pogue (Seaside, Ore.), fourth year forward Adrian Kekec (Burnaby, B.C.), and third year defender Bruno Napoleao (Edmonton) were named Canada West second team all-stars.

The Spartans opened the season winning their first seven conference games, outscoring their opponents 17-6. Kekec was named the CIS and Canada West Male Athlete of the Week each of the first two weeks of the season as he tied a school record by scoring three goals in a 4-0 home win against CIS #1 Alberta Golden Bears on September 8th, and followed that up with three goals and an assist in TWU’s 5-3 road victory against #9 Victoria Vikes on September 15th.

TWU was the number one team in the country heading into the fourth weekend of the season, but would drop to third after a 3-2 loss to rival UCFV in Abbotsford. The Spartans avenged that loss the next week on their home pitch by defeating the Cascades 3-1 and followed that with a 2-1 road win against Alberta, but lost the following day 1-0 to the Saskatchewan Huskies.

The Spartans would close the regular season strong by going 3-0-1 to claim the Canada West regular season title, and would draw fourth seeded Alberta in the conference semi-finals. Pogue garnered CIS and Canada West Male Athlete of the Week honors with a huge match against the Golden Bears, as he matched Kekec’s single game record by notching all three Spartans goals on the day as the Spartans advanced to the conference finals where they would host UBC. Kekec opened the scoring in the 21st minute on a pass from Pogue, but UBC’s Canada West 2nd team all-star midfielder Jorge Angel-Mira (New Westminster, B.C.) tied the score in the 36th minute off a feed from first team all-conference midfielder Michael Elliot (Vancouver). The second half would decide nothing, sending the game to extra time. Early in the first overtime, Kekec would return the favor for Pogue, feeding him for the go-ahead score in the 96th minute, and the Spartans would hang on to win their third straight Canada West gold medal.

At CIS Nationals at UBC, the Spartans faced the Western Ontario Mustangs in the opening round. The high-flying Spartan attack could not penetrate the stingy Mustang D, as the two teams played to a nil-nil draw through regulation and two overtime periods, with TWU getting eight shots on net to Western’s two. Mustangs first team all-Canadian goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani (London, Ont.) shined in the shootout as Western won the match 5-3 on penalty kicks. TWU rebounded from that heartbreaking loss by defeating Cape Bretton 1-0 in the consolation semis on penalty kicks, and then defeated St. Mary’s in the consolation final 1-0 on fifth year senior Jason Flint’s (Abbotsford, B.C.) first goal of the season in the 19th minute. TWU did not allow a goal in regulation or overtime in their run through the Canada West and CIS playoffs.

The end of the season meant the end of a career for five brilliant Spartan seniors. Perugini was an all-Canadian and Canada West all-star in each of his five seasons in a Spartan uniform, and won the conference’s Student Athlete award in 2006 and the Rookie of the Year in 2004. He’s the Spartan all-time leader in assists (29), shots (210) and shots on goal (84), is second in school history with 104 games played, fourth in career points (53), and set a school record with 10 assists in 2006. Flint is the school’s career leader in matches played (106), is fourth all-time in goals (20) and sixth all-time in points (52). Midfielder Justin Cordick (Anmore, B.C.) was a four year starter who finished sixth in career goals (17) and ninth in points (41). The Spartans also had to say goodbye to stalwart defender Brendan Campbell (Cloverdale, B.C.) and speedy forward Josip Maras (Burnaby, B.C.).

TWU returns eight starters and a ton of talent for the upcoming 2008 season. In 2007 Fink set Spartan single-season records for saves (77), saves per game (4.05), and wins (12), and led the Canada West in goals against average (0.81), save percentage (.833), and shutouts (8). Pogue was the tops in the conference in goals (14) and points (18), while Kekec led the Spartans in assists (7), and was second in the conference in goals (8) and points (15). Kekec is currently the team’s all-time leader in points (61) and goals (26) while Pogue is third in school history in points (57) and second in goals (24).

Along with the abundance of returning talent, Coach Alderson will be adding another strong recruiting class, as the Spartans gear up in 2008 for a shot at an unprecedented fourth straight Canada West gold medal and another shot at the elusive “red banner” UBC won in 2007, which is given to the CIS National Champion.

-TW-
 

Last Updated: 2008-05-07
Author: Jeff Kilpatrick
Email: Jeffrey.Kilpatrick@twu.ca