PACWEST Soccer Grad Class

Following the 2021 PACWEST soccer season, the coaches started to turn their attention to the 2022 fall campaign. As they looked at their athletes almost all of them realized their rosters will look very similar when play opens up again in September with very few players graduating from their schools.

Here is how the graduating classes breakdown following 2021:

WOMEN

Capilano Blues: The Blues won the PACWEST in 2021 and earned a berth in the CCAA national championship tournament where they finished 1-2. The Blues full roster from the PACWEST gold medal team is eligible to return and they do not have a player graduating this year.

Douglas Royals: The Royals won the PACWEST silver medal in 2021 after another terrific regular season. The lone graduate from their team heading into 2022 is defender Preet Thandi.

VIU Mariners: The Mariners should once again challenge for the PACWEST title in 2022 losing just one player to graduation. Veteran Karen Battie will graduate this spring after five seasons and is the only player from the current roster not returning.

Langara Falcons: The Falcons were a very young team this past season and will return a stronger club in 2022. They will only lose Megan MacFarlane as she graduates from the Associate of Arts Degree program in psychology.

MEN

Douglas Royals: The Royals won the PACWEST gold medal in 2021 and finished with a CCAA silver medal at that national championship tournament in Calgary. The Royals do not have player graduating this spring and it appears the full roster will return to defend their Conference title in September.

VIU Mariners: Of all the PACWEST schools, this Mariners team will graduate the most players after winning a Conference silver in 2021. They will lose veteran leadership and some firepower upfront heading into the 2022 soccer season. Their graduating class is as follows;

• Shun Takano (pictured): a former All-Canadian and talented striker who had two goals during the 2021 season and will graduate after five years in Tourism Studies
• Taylor Arbour: tied for the team lead with three goals in 2021 and will graduate from the Bachelor of Science program
• Cole Senchar: a solid fifth year defender in the Bachelor of Arts program
• Grant Hooper: the graphic design major from Smithers played four seasons in the mid-field with the Mariners
• Westless Bischoff: the Williams Lake native is part of the graduating class and leaves with a pair of PACWEST silver medals
• Douglas Mtatabikwa: the international student athlete from Zimbabwe is part of the 2022 graduating class

Langara Falcons: In 2021 the Falcons surprised most teams with their skill and talent as a fairly young squad. They will be back stronger and more experienced in 2022 without any graduates this spring.

Capilano Blues: will be looking to improve on their performance in 2021 and will have the full roster return with a greater hunger. The Blues do not have any graduating players this coming spring and will no doubt be ready to go in September.