VANCOUVER, BC - Both Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) wrapped up their respective seasons over the weekend, and several Whitecaps FC youth development system products had seasons to remember with their respective clubs.
Though they fell in the CCAA national championships, Whitecaps FC Residency graduates Mark Baldisimo and Spencer DeBoice had great seasons, helping their Douglas College Royals take down the top-seeded Vancouver Island University Mariners to claim the PACWEST Provincial Championship.
In CIS play, it was the women who made the most noise on the team-wide front, as seven Girls Elite alumnae helped Trinity Western University not only hoist the Canada West banner, but march all the way to the finals of the CIS National Championships, where they fell just short of claiming their third-straight Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy.
For the men, Brett Levis and Jordian Farahani, two Whitecaps FC U-23 products, helped lead the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to the Canada West banner after scoring a league-high 44 goals in just 12 regular season matches.
South of the border, ‘Caps alumni from both the men’s and women’s development programs are in the midst of wrapping up their regular seasons and preparing for the post-season.
MEN
CIS / PACWEST
Two Whitecaps FC Residency products, fullback Chris Serban and midfielder Navid Mashinchi, of the UBC Thunderbirds were given some recognition following outstanding individual years. Serban, 19, was named both the Canada West and CIS Rookie of Year for his play on the Thunderbirds’ back line, while Mashinchi was named the 2014 Canada West Most Valuable Player, and a runner up for the Joe Johnson Memorial Trophy for CIS player of the year, after he led CIS in assists with 9, while scoring eight goals of his own in just nine appearances.
Levis was a monster for the Huskies all season, posting nine goals and eight assists to lead CIS in scoring. His efforts were recognized post-season, as the midfielder was named to the CIS All-Canadian first team post-season, alongside Mashinchi.
The Canada West All-Star Teams were littered with ‘Caps talent, as Mashinchi and Levis were two of nine players that have donned the Blue and White to be named to either the first or second team.
On defence, Farahani and fellow ‘Caps U-23 standout, University of Fraser Valley’s Colton O’Neill, were named to the first team, while University of Alberta duo, ‘Caps Residency products Niko Saler and Tim Hickson, were both named to the second team after leading the Golden Bears to a second-place finish in the Canada West Championships.
On offence, UBC striker Niall Cousens, who posted six goals and four assists in 11 appearances and Victoria midfielder Cam Hundal were named to the first team alongside Levis and Mashinchi. Both players have played for the ‘Caps U-23 side, while Hundal is also a product of the Residency program.
In PACWEST play, Douglas College’s Baldisimo and DeBoice made a massive impact. With eight goals in just 13 appearances, DeBoice was second overall in PACWEST in terms of goal scoring, while Baldisimo wasn’t far off, sitting seventh overall with five goals in eleven matches. Both were named to the PACWEST All-Stars for the regular season performance, while in the PACWEST Provincial Championships, Baldisimo was awarded top forward, while DeBoice was given MVP.
NCAA
Playing college soccer in the United States, former Residency star and New Mexico Junior Ben McKendry has been brilliant, as his Lobos finished the NCAA regular season at no.25 in the NSCAA Coaches’ Poll. McKendry has picked up two goals and two assists over the year, and will take his stellar play into a first-round matchup with Old Dominion in the Conference-USA Championships on November 12.
Also in C-USA, Residency graduate goalkeeper Callum Irving (pictured above) was phenomenal as the University of Kentucky Wildcats' last line of defense. Irving played all but 10 minutes of Kentucky’s season, allowing just 0.63 goals against per game over 17 contests. His work between the pipes has the Wildcats in the 13th spot in the NCSAA Coaches’ Poll, the highest ranking in club history. Like New Mexico, Kentucky will kick off their first round of the C-USA Championships later this morning, facing University of South Carolina at 11:00 a.m. PT.
Irving’s brilliance was also recognized at the end-of-year awards, as the junior was named the C-USA Player of the Year, Defensive MVP, and awarded the Golden Glove for leading the conference in clean sheets. Both Irving and McKendry were also named to the all-Conference-USA first team yesterday.
In addition, both McKendry and Irving were listed among the top prospects in the NCAA by TopDrawerSoccer in their midseason rankings. Among all sophomores, juniors, and seniors (freshmen are ranked separately), McKendry slotted in at seventh, while Irving was placed at 93rd.
Over at Duke, sophomore striker Brody Huitema led the Blue Devils with five goals and five assists in 18 appearances, contributing on 31.25 per cent of the team’s 32 goals during the 2014 regular season. Unfortunately for Huitema and the Blue Devils, their playoff hopes were dashed on Sunday, as they fell 2-0 to the top-seeded Syracuse Orange in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships quarterfinals.
At the University of North Carolina Wilmington, former Residency keeper Sean Melvin made 12 appearances for the Seahawks in 17 contests, posting an 0.86 goals against per game mark and backstopping the squad to a 9W-2L-1D record while he was in goal.
One of last season's U-18 Residency goalkeepers, Oregon State freshman goalkeeper Nolan Wirth made five appearances for the Beavers. The Comox, BC native performed well, picking up three wins thanks to a solid 0.769 save percentage. OSU closes out its regular season this Sunday, as they are set to take on the third ranked University of Washington Huskies.
An NCAA team in Canada, local side Simon Fraser University features former Residency player Alex Rowley, a junior midfielder. Rowley was an offensive facilitator for the Clan, posting nine assists in 16 appearances. SFU are waiting on the final word as to whether they’ll advance to the NCAA Division II national tournament, but they like their chances.
Former Whitecaps Women head coach, Alan Koch, now the head coach at SFU, will try to lead Rowley and his Clan to the NCAA Division II Men’s National Championship. The Clan kicks off their title bid with a first-round matchup against Northwest Nazarene University on November 13, with kickoff set for 3:00 p.m. PT
WOMEN
CIS
Like the men’s Canada West and CIS All-Canadian All-Star teams, the women’s sides were full of players with connections to the Blue and White.
The Trinity Western defensive tandem of Jennifer Castillo and Vanessa Kovacs, who are grads of the Whitecaps FC Prospects and Girls Elite programs, respectively, were both named to the Canada West first team. Castillo also made the CIS All-Canadian first team, while Kovacs made the CIS All-Canadian second team.
The ‘Caps were also well represented on offense at the Canada West level, as TWU freshman and ex-Girls Elite player Seina Kashima scored four goals and six assists for the Spartans as she earned a first team All-Star selection. University of Victoria’s Jaclyn Sawicki was also named to the squad, after a season in which the former Whitecaps women midfielder scored four goals and added three assists in 12 games. Taylor Shannik, a senior UBC midfielder and Girls Elite alum, was named to the second team.
In addition to Shannik, UBC featured seven other girls that have played with the ‘Caps. Among those seven girls was Jasmin Dhanda, who led the team with six goals in 12 matches.
Monika Levarsky, a freshman, led UFV in scoring with six goals and five assists in 11 appearances. On the back end, Kayla Klim posted five shutouts for the Cascades as they pushed to a fourth-placed finish in the CIS National Championships.
NCAA
Sisters Brittany and Nikki Ambrose were vital to Santa Clara University’s 14W-6L-0D record in 2014, with the former placing second on the team with six goals. Both sisters started all 20 matches for the Broncos this season, with the latter picking up a goal of her own during the campaign. The younger Ambrose’s talents on the attacking end of the pitch were recognized yesterday, as she was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team.
Alessia Azermadhi was one of just three players to appear in every match for the Princeton Tigers this season, making 16 appearances.
At Washington State, redshirt senior goalkeeper Gurveen Clair and senior midfielder Nicole Setterlund, both of whom played for Whitecaps women, have been impact players and co-captains for the Cougars. Clair was a rock in goal during the regular season, appearing in all 18 matches and posting nine shutouts. Setterlund was a force in the middle of the park. Freshman midfielder Chelsea Harkins, a Girls Elite grad, also made all 18 regular season appearances for WSU, picking up two goals in her rookie year. The Cougars currently sit at no.24 in the NSCAA Coaches’ Poll.
Setterlund and Clair were recognized yesterday for their outstanding seasons, as Setterlund was named to the All-Pac-12 second team, while Clair was listed as an honourable mention.
Sitting at no.13 in that same poll, the DePaul University Blue Devils recently captured the BIG EAST Tournament title after taking down rival Georgetown 2-0 on Sunday. Girls Elite grad Elise Wyatt has been an offensive catalyst for the Blue Demons all season, as the junior’s game-winning goal on Sunday was her 11th of the season, which, in addition to her seven assists, places her first on the squad in scoring.Wyatt’s dominance led her to being named to the All-BIG EAST first team yesterday.
Sam Dion, a Girls Elite from the 2013 class, was an absolute force in her second season with St. Mary’s. The attacker led the Gaels with in scoring with nine goals and four assists in 20 appearances, and was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team for her prowess as a scorer.
A pair of sophomores at Louisiana State University, former Girls Elite striker Summer Clarke and midfielder Emma Fletcher had productive individual campaigns, with Clarke finishing second on the team in scoring with seven goals and four assists in 20 appearances. From her spot in the middle of the pitch, Fletcher picked up a goal and two assists on the season.
Zoe Makrigiannis, a Girls Elite grad from 2012, was brilliant in goal for the San Jose State University Spartans, posting seven clean sheets, a school record, in 2014. Makrigiannis led SJSU to eight wins this season, the most for the club since 2010. For her efforts at the back, the keeper was named to the All-Mountain West first team.
Starting all 15 of her appearances, Dartmouth junior forward Lucielle Kozlov was the top scorer for the Big Green, posting five goals and two assists en route to an 8W-5L-4D season.
A former winger for the 'Caps women's team, Demi Stokes piled up four goals and four assists for the University of South Florida Bulls in 19 appearances. Stokes’ performance has helped USF to an impressive overall record of 13W-6L-2D, though they fell in the championship match of the American Athletic Conference Tournament finals, dropping a 1-0 decision to University of Connecticut on penalties.
The bracket for the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship was released this afternoon, and a few former ‘Caps will get their chance to go for the big prize – in the first round, Stokes and USF will take on Illinois State on November 15 at 4 p.m. PT, Wyatt’s DePaul side will try face Wisconsin on November 15 at 5:30 p.m. PT, and Clair, Setterlund, and Harkins will try to power Washington State past Seattle University on November 14 at 5 p.m. PT.
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