2006-06-15-pr-recruit-class

Women’s Soccer (recruiting class)
Thursday, June 15, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spartans Add Eleven New Faces for 2006 Season
Chantal Esperanza and Rebecca Ferguson top this years recruiting class.

LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western University women’s soccer team is pleased to announce its recruiting class for the 2006-07 CIS season. The class will include nine new faces to the Spartan blue and gold and one returning veteran. Leading the way for Coach Graham Roxburgh will be newcomers’ 5’5” Coquitlam Renegades U18 metro midfielder Chantal Esperanza (Surrey) and 5’7” Calgary Celtic Forza U18 forward Rebecca Ferguson (Calgary).

“I believe that Chantal has the potential to become a special player. She is very athletic, has great understanding of the way the game should be played. She can score goals, and also likes to be a playmaker,” said Roxburgh. Chantal has the characteristics and attitude that can help her become a top player. She will add depth in midfield in a number of roles and will help our team play attacking soccer. I am very excited that she is coming to TWU, and she already knows a lot of the players whom she has previously played with.”

“I am very excited about Rebecca joining our program. She has a great reputation both as a player and as a person. I believe she has the ability to become a top class player in the CIS,” said Roxburgh. “She comes from a great club system and will add great attacking options for our squad this season. She is an important signing for our program’s continued success.’

In addition to these two quality players Roxburgh will see the return of midfielder Katie Smart (Langley). Returning after a year off the fourth year midfielder is expected to add depth and experience to the 2006 squad. “It is good to have Katie back. She brings us the left sided option in midfield, she is strong and brings us more of a physical presence in midfield. She will also add some valued experience to help some of the younger players adjust to the university level.”

Finishing off the class will be 5’9”  Sur Del U 18 Metro keeper Veronika Rogina (Surrey), 5’7” Port Coquitlam Metro and Women’s Whitecaps U 17 defender Christine Walker (White Rock, BC), 5’4” Semiahmoo U 18 Metro forward Kelly McCade, Coquitlam Renegades U18 Metro keeper Nicola Turner (Langley, BC), defender Heather Stevenson (Costa Mesa, CA), Coquitlam Renegades U 18 Metro midfielder Rachelle Lynch (Coquitlam), Calgary Select midfielder Kassi Plumer (Calgary) and Saltspring Island midfielder/forward Jill Foley (Saltspring Island, BC).

Last season the Spartans placed third in Canada West after league play. TWU was knocked out of the post season by Victoria. The Spartans lost in a shoot-out to the eventual 2005 CIS national champions. In 2004 the Spartans were the CIS National Champions and Canada West gold medalists.

TWU begins their training camp on Saturday, August 12. The Spartans preseason includes matches against Oregon State and Portland State as well as a trip to southern California for matches with Point Loma Nazarene, Azusa Pacific University and Biola University. TWU opens Canada West league play on Sept. 9 when the will play the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Chantal Esperanza 
Hometown: Surrey B.C.
Position: Midfielder
High School: Fraser Heights Secondary
Height: 5’6’’
Club Team: Coquitlam Renegades U 18 Metro; Whitecaps Youth system
Provincial team: played with provincial U 17 and younger
Notable Statistics: Honour Roll students, 2005- Rimland Pacific Cup Champion, Y-League Title Division U-17 Champion, BC Club Provincial U-18 Silver Medalist, 2004- U-16 Canadian Club Nationals Bronze Medalist, Y-League Title Division Champion, BC Club Provincial U-17 Champion.
Area of study at TWU: Communications.

Coach’s comments: “I believe that Chantel has the potential to become a special player. She is very athletic, has great understanding of the way the game should be played. She can score goals, and also likes to be a playmaker. She has the characteristics and attitude that can help her become a top player. She will add depth in midfield in a number of roles and will help our team play attacking soccer. I am very excited that she is coming to TWU, and she already knows a lot of the players whom she has previously played with.”

Rebecca Ferguson  
Hometown: Calgary
Position: Forward, Attacking Midfielder
High School: Bishop Carroll High School
Club Team: Calgary Celtic Forza U 18
Height: 5’6’’
Notable Statistics: Leading goal scorer for FC Calgary Super Y Team; 2005, CMSA (Calgary Minor Soccer Association) regular season gold medalists, 4 years running, ASA (Alberta Soccer Association) Provincial Silver Medalists, 3 years running.
Provincial team: Alberta South Pool, Provincial Winter Training Program 2003
Area of Study at TWU: Sport and Leisure Management

Coach’s comments: “I am very excited about Rebecca joining our program. She has a great reputation both as a player and as a person. I believe she has the ability to become a top class player in the CIS. She comes from a great club system and will add great attacking options for our squad this season. She is an important signing for our program’s continued success.”
 
Veronika Rogina
Hometown: Surrey, B.C.
Position: GK
High School: Mountain SS, Langley
Club team: Sur Del U 18 Metro
Height: 5’9’’
Notable Statistics: Ranked among top keepers for her age group

Coach’s comments: “Veronika is a fantastic athlete who will become a very good goalkeeper. She has great shop stopping ability, deals with crosses well and has an attitude to get better and better. She will be a great addition to our program, is a good fit for our team and I believe will make us much stronger in the position that we have ever been.”

Christine Walker
Hometown: White Rock, B.C.
High School: Semiahmoo SS
Position: Defender/Midfielder
Club Team: Port Coquitlam Metro Women’s; Whitecaps U 17
Height: 5’7’’
Provincial team: U 17 and younger (past 3 years)
Notable:  Christine was a young invite to the BC Canada’s games squad tryouts, she is a top defender in her age group, and opted to play senior women’s this past year.  Has been a provincial player, and a member of the Whitecaps reserve team last summer.

Coach’s comments:  “Christine is a strong versatile player that has the ability to play either in midfield or in the back. She wins a lot in the air and has a solid technical ability. She will add great depth and give us options in terms of our formation. She is physical and isn’t scared to get into tackles. I am pleased that she is joining us and will become a very good player at the university level.”

Kelly McCabe
Hometown: Tsawassen, B.C.
High School:  South Delta SS
Position: Forward
Club team: Semiahmoo U 18 Metro
Height 5’4’’
Provincial team: no
Statistics:  Kelly led her U 18 team in scoring this past season
           
Coach’s comments:  “Kelly is a fantastic recruit for our program. I think she has both a natural instinct around goal for scoring, she has great pace and is a determined, hard working player. She will play as on out and out striker, as well as sometimes play wide in midfield. I believe that she may be the surprise of the recruiting class because not many people know about her, but she is a tremendous soccer player.”

Nicole (Nicki) Turner
Hometown: Langley B.C.
High School: Brookswood SS
Position: Goal Keeper
Height 5’9’’
Club Team: Coquitlam Renegades U18 Metro 05-06 (qualified for Provincial Cup in July 06), Abbotsford Rush U18 Metro 04-05(runner-up Coastal Cup and Provincial Cup).
Statistics:  GK for Abby Rush as they finished 2nd at provincials last year, MVP Senior Soccer – (Brookswood) last season, Brookswood Jr Basketball – MVP Mouat SS Tournament (Gr 10), named to All-Star team, Fraser Valley playoffs (Gr 10), Coquitlam Renegades – won Rimland Cup (Washington State) and North Shore Thanksgiving Tournament, Captain of the Abbotsford Mariners Super Y Team, U16 & U17. Tied for fourth place in the North American Championships (U16)
Provincials:  U14 BC team, player pool for U15 & U16 Provincial teams
Area of Study at TWU: Kinesiology (Sport Therapy)

Coach’s comments: “Nicole is a very good keeper that we have kept our eye on for the last few years, and I am excited that she is coming to be apart of our program. She will add great strength to the position. She is technically very good and has a good understanding of the game. She makes good saves and commands her box well. “

Heather Stevenson
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
High School: Newport Harbor High School
Position: defender
Area of Study at TWU: Education
Height: 5’3’’
Dad played soccer at TWU, 1981-1982
Area of Study at TWU: Education

Coach’s comments: “Heather is a quick tenacious outside defender, and will add some great depth to this position.  She is a great character and is determined to develop and make an impact on our team. I am excited about Heather being apart of our team.”

Rachelle Lynch
Hometown: Coquitlam B.C.
High School: Little Flower Academy, Vancouver
Position: Midfield
Club team: Coquitlam Renegades, U 18 Metro team
Provincial player: U 16
Height: 5’6’
Statistics:  Abbotsford Y league program

Coach’s comments: “Rachelle is a composed and possession minded midfielder who has the ability to attack, cross the ball and help with possession. She is technically very sound and will give us very good depth in the midfield. She also can play in defensive role, so we are very excited about her potential to impact our program. More importantly, I am really impressed with who Rachelle is as a person, and that will make us a better team.”

Kassi Plumer: 
Hometown: Calgary
High School: Calgary Christian
Position: Midfielder
Club team:  Calgary Selects
Height: 5’5’

Coach’s comments: “Kassi is a good addition to our program because she has tremendous potential and has the drive to be a great university player. She has good pace, can attack players, as well as defend in wide positions. She serves a good ball and has ability to play as an attacking left sided player. She is a super kid and will enhance the chemistry of our team.”

Jill Foley
Hometown: Saltspring Island, B.C.
High School: Saltspring High School
Club:  Saltspring
Position: Midfield, forward
Height; 5’6’’

Coach’s comments: “Jill has very good athleticism and natural ability. She will need to adapt to the level and pace of play, but I have full confidence that she will become a very good university player. She can knock a ball well, she has good vision and natural ability on the ball. She will certainly do well at TWU, and we are excited about her passion for life as well as soccer.”

Katie Smart  
Hometown: Surrey, B.C.
Entering into 4th year of eligibility
Midfield
Notables: Played on National Championship team, back after year off from school.

Coach’s comments: “It is good to have Katie back. She brings us the left sided option in midfield, she is strong and brings us more of a physical presence in midfield. She will also add some valued experience to help some of the younger players adjust to the university level.”

-TW-

Last Updated: 2009-09-03
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: ssstew@twu.ca