PACWEST Impact Athletes: Douglas Royals

Photo courtesy of Francine Duquette Photography (Wessa) and Vancouver Sports Pictures (Williams)

When the PACWEST looks at “Impact” student athletes in soccer a pair of names come to mind from the Douglas Royals following a successful season in 2016.

On the women’s side PACWEST All-Star Michelle Wessa was a steady threat scoring three times a year ago and now will enter her fifth and final season. She will be relied upon not only for her offensive pressure but as a leader on a team with a number of veterans to complement their rookies.

“With her time at Douglas, she has developed into an irreplaceable piece of the Royals team,” says head coach Chris Laxton. “With the ball she helps keep the team in possession while chipping in the odd goal. Without the ball, she is a hard-nosed tackler and comes out of a duel with the ball more often than not.”

Over on the men’s side of things Race Williams is expected to make an impact after a stellar first season in the PACWEST. He scored five times last year in the regular season and gave the opposition defence fits with his talents and speed. His efforts won him the PACWEST Rookie of the Year award.

Now entering his second season Race has a better understanding of playing at the PACWEST level and should have another outstanding season.

The Royals open the year on Wednesday September 6th when they visit the Langara Falcons.