What’s new with the Blues women’s soccer team
Mya Fraser (She/Her) // Sports Editor
Chelle Lussi (Any) // Illustrator
The Blues women’s soccer team will kick off their season with a home opener on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. against the visiting Vancouver Island University Mariners. Head coach Dennis Kindel will be returning for a ninth season with the team. Assistant coach Andrea Standerwick will be returning for a seventh season and goalkeeper coach Darian Roussy for a third season.
The team lost the provincial semifinals last year in the last minutes of overtime to Douglas College. The year before, in 2021, they were provincial champions and had the opportunity to play at Nationals in Toronto.
PACWEST BC is a small league consisting only of four teams: Capilano University, Vancouver Island University, Douglas College, and Langara College. A small league fosters a highly competitive environment, as teams are playing against the same three opponents consistently. With just 12 regular season games before playoffs, the team must have a good start. The team that finishes first in the league will advance right to the provincial finals, which will be held this year at Vancouver Island University. The second and third-place teams will face off in the semifinals and the fourth-place team will be eliminated. The winner of the finals will go to Nationals.
The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) has scheduled its Women’s National Championship from Nov. 8 to 11. The event will be hosted by Holland College in Charlottetown, P.E.I. and all matches will be played at the Terry Fox Sports Complex near Cornwall.
When asked about the team’s goals this year, returning player and captain Lauren Grey stated, “We want to finish first in the league and give ourselves the best chance at getting to Nationals. Last year we were disappointed with the way things turned out, we felt we had so much more to give and that’s what’s fuelling us right now to start this season.”
Grey also spoke highly of her teammates, saying, “We have many strong returning players that will be key to our team’s success. We also have a great group of rookies this year that have been proving themselves. I think they are going to make a positive impact. I’m excited for them.”
The team welcomes nine rookies to the team: Ayesha Fraser, Alessia Bellotti, Caitlyn Chiu, Maria Gonzalez, Taylor Melnyk, Scarlett Sparrow-Felix, Kaitlyn Johnson, Isabella Bolognese, and Riya Gill.
Stay up to date with the team and their schedule by following their Instagram account @capuwsc. Come and cheer the team on for their first game of the season at Lillooet Park. Go Blues!