WolfPack post Diane Schuetze was named the Vernon Tim Hortons Athlete of the Year for 2012-13.
Schuetze, who finished up a five year CIS career with the WolfPack was honored for her achievements including being a first team CIS all-star. Her mother accepted the award as she is playing professional basketball in Austrailia. Photo is courtesy of the Vernon Morning Star newspaper.
The Kamloops Heat women’s soccer team had a successful weekend in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s premier division. The Heat were on the road taking on two of the team squads in Coquitlam and Fraser Valley.
Courtenay Daly (Andrew Snucins photo)
On Saturday (June 8), the heat tied Coquitlam Metro Ford 2-2 in Coquitlam. Both goals were scored by Thompson Rivers University’s Courtenay Daly (Kamloops, BC) in the 22nd and 45 th minutes.
Heat head coach Kelly Shantz (Andrew Snucins photo)
“We pressed the action throughout and probably should have come away with the win,” said Heat head coach Kelly Shantz, a former TRU assistant under Eric Schweizer and Tom McManus. “ A road tie against a good club like CMF is nothing to be sad about. It was a very rough and physicial game with tons of tackles and mid-air collisions. I was very proud of the team. They played beautiful soccer for long stretches and answered Coquitlam’s physical challenge every time.
Alanna bekkering with the first of her two PACWEST MVP Honors
Daly’s first marker was a ‘flick’ header off an Alanna Bekkering (Kamloops, BC) corner. Bekkering is the 2012 PACWEST MVP and a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian. The second goal was a re-direct of a shot that fooled the Coquitlam keeper, hitting the post.
Coquitlam notched their markers in the 25 th and 55 th minutes.
The Heat rolled into Langley where they beat the defending league champion Fraser Valley Action 4-1. “We deserved the win,” Shantz explained. “The ladies played great soccer, putting our speed advantage to use every chance we got and giving the FVA defense fits.”
Heather Lloyd when she was a member of the WolfPack (Andrew Snucins photo)
Heather Lloyd (Kamloops, BC), a TRU alumna had two break aways in the first 15 minutes of the contest—only to be thwarted each time.
The Heat rallied from a 1-0 first half deficit for the victory.
Lloyd makes a run against Douglas College (Andrew Snucins photo)
Lloyd had four goals in a 10 minute span between the 30 th and 40 th minutes.
Lloyd this year with the Heat (Allen Douglas photo)
“All four goals came from our attack with speed that had worn out Fraser Valley’s defenders,’ Shantz added.
Kelsey Martin with the Heat this year (Allen Douglas photo)
He said Brianna Powrie (Kamloops, BC-Quest University), Kelsey Martin (Kamloops, BC—Thompson Rivers) and Taylor Miller (Kamloops, BC—Thompson Rivers) had assists on three of the goals with keeper Taylor Shantz (Kamloops, BC—Quest University) getting another assit on a drop kick from her end that bounced over the defenders right to Lloyd.
Taylor Miller (Kelly Shantz photo)
The Heat have home matches next weekend (June 15-16) against The Abbotsford Mariners and the first place Vancouver Whitecaps Reserves. Saturday’s match is 2 pm at Mac Isle field 2 with the Sunday encounter with the Whitecaps Reserves set for noon also at Mac Isle field 2.
Marlie Rittinger with the Heat this year (Allen Douglas photo)
THROW IN’S: The Heat are standing with three wins, two losses and three ties. Lloyd has seven goals this season, Marlie Rittinger (Ashcroft BC-Thompson Rivers) has four goals as does Bekkering and Daly.
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack basketball teams will kick of their 2013-14 Canada West season at home.
When the curtain goes up on the regular season November 1st, the ‘Pack will be at the Tournament Capital Centre entertaining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
Time out for Scott Reeves and the WolfPack (Allen Douglas photo)
The women will play at 6 pm with the men following it up at 8 pm. Thompson Rivers is coming off its best season to date in Canada West. The WolfPack women, under the direction of Scott Reeves finished fourth in the Pacific Division with a 15-7 record.
Thompson Rivers’ men’s program with Scott Clark at the helm finished fifth in the Pacific Division in 2012-13 with an 8-14 record.
This past season against Saskatchewan, the WolfPack teams were on the short end of 89-70 (women) and 85-69 (men) decisions.
The home opening weekend for TRU basketball sees the University of Alberta Pandas and Golden Bears coming in on the Saturday night (Nov 2).
Jorri Duxbury is back with the WolfPack (Dale Abbey photo)
This year’s campaign will see Taiysa Worsfold (Kamloops, BC) and Jorri Duxbury (Salmon Arm, BC) returning to lead the women’s program. Outstanding recruits announced thus far include Ryan Kennedy (guard, Calgary, AB) and Sydney Williams (guard, Langley, BC).
Brett Rouault returns for his fourth season at TRU (Andrew Snucins photo)
Returnees to the men’s program include Brett Rouault (Vernon, BC) and Troy Grant (Toronto, ON). Recruits include Reese Pribilsky (guard, Victoria, BC) and Josh Wolfram (forward, Kamloops, BC).
After spending two seasons in Calgary, Josh Wolfram will play for his hometown WolfPack this year
Other schools paying a visit to the Tournament Capital Centre in 2013-14 will be UBC, Mount Royal, Fraser Valley, Manitoba and Winnipeg. The WolfPack will play their final regular season home game on Valentines Day, February 14, 2014 against their closest geographical rivals: the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat.
Sydney Williams is a highly touted recruit for the women’s team (photo submitted)
Tip off on Friday nights will be 6 pm and 8 pm with game starts Saturday’s at 5 pm for the women and 7 pm for the men.
Troy Grant will play his second year of university basketball with TRU (Andrew Snucins photo)
Season Tickets are now on sale for $50.00 for adults and $ 20.00 for students until the end of August. You can pick your tickets up by coming to the WolfPack Athletic Office on the second floor of the Tournament Capital Centre between 830am-4 pm on weekdays.
The WolfPack basketball seasons include a trip to Southern California for the men in late December along with hosting three other teams in an exhibition tournament in October.
Taiysa Worsfold will be one of the top players for TRU this season (Allen Douglas photo)
The TRU women will host their annual tournament in late October and will go to Ontario earlier in that month.
Canada West will officially announce the volleyball schedule tomorrow (Tuesday).
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will open their 2013-14 Canada West volleyball season against their closest geographical rival.
WolfPack parents (photo by Andrew Snucins)
The ‘Pack will be playing a home and home weekend series with the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat on October 25-26 th. The Heat and WolfPack women will be squaring off Friday October 25 th at the Tournament Capital Centre in Kamloops while the men’s squads will do the same in Kelowna.
Jacob Tricarico with the kill (Allen Douglas photo)
The teams will switch venues for the following night (Oct 26). Game time for both the women’s and the men’s home openers will be 7 pm.
Matt Krueger (right) and Philip Ozari (left) of WolfPack men’s team (Allen Douglas photo)
The WolfPack are hoping to make it back into the playoffs in both the men’s and women’s leagues this coming season. Thompson Rivers, under the direction of Pat Hennelly, was in the playoff hunt in Canada West men’s volleyball until the final weeks of the season in 2012-13. They finished tied for 8 th with a record of 8 and 14. The WolfPack women’s program went through a major restructuring and failed to register in the win column in 22 starts.
Kristen Giesbrecht (photo by Allen Douglas)
Both teams return a number of players.
Jacob Tricarico (left) and Colin Carson (right) sign autographs
The WolfPack men will be led by three fifth year players—middle Jacob Tricarico (Huntington Beach, CA), setter Colin Carson and libero Spencer Reed (both Prince George, BC).
Philip Ozari (Andrew Snucins photo)
Returnees expected to be big contributors in 2013-14 include Brad Gunter (Courtenay, BC), who is spending the summer with Canada’s Junior national men’s team and Phil Ozari (Birkerod, Denmark), who is representing Denmark at the World U-20 championships.
WolfPack recruit Jordan Foot playing with his Prince George club team (photo submitted)
New recruits include Jordan Foot (Prince George, BC) and Tyler Pometarz (Kelowna, BC) who are both playing with Team BC U 17 squad this summer.
Morgan Kolasa (left) and Brianne Rauch (right)
The Thompson Rivers women’s program will be bolstered by the return of Morgan Kolasa (Calgary, AB) and Brianne Rauch (Kimberly, BC). Both missed the entire 2012-13 Canada West season with injuries.
Katarina Osadchuk (Allen Douglas photo)
Katarina Osadchuk (Brisbane, AUS) will return for her fourth season of CIS competition. She is currently playing for the Australian senior women’s volleyball team.
WolfPack recruit Gabby Fortin (photo submitted)
Coach Keith Lundgren has brought in libero Gabby Fortin (Coquitlam, BC ) and middle Kaitlin Lomas (Ponoka, AB).
WolfPack recruit Kaitlin Lomas (photo submitted)
Schools paying a visit to the Tournament Capital Centre this year aside from UBCO will be Calgary, Saskatchewan, Brandon, Trinity Western and Manitoba.
Jesse Bazergui (Allen Douglas photo)
The WolfPack are currently selling “All Access” Passes–$50.00 for adults and $20.00 for students until the end of August. You can pick up your tickets by coming to the WolfPack Athletics office on the second floor of the Tournament Capital Centre from 8:30-4 pm on week days.
Julia Niemczewska with the diving dig (Allen Douglas photo)
The WolfPack are also selling Volleyball seasons tickets–$40.00 for adults and $16.00 for students. That is the same price for basketball seasons tickets. Soccer seasons tickets are $ 20.00 for adults and $8.00 for students.
The WolfPack will release their soccer, badminton and golf schedules on Wednesday (June 12).
The 2013 TRU Sports Task Force golf tournament was held Friday, June 7 th at ‘The Dunes” of Kamloops. This is a major fundraiser for scholarships and bursaries for WolfPack Athletics.
Here’s what it looked like.
The PACWEST regular seasons for both the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack badminton and golf teams.
Both clubs formally announced their seasons on Wednesday (June12).
action from last year (Andrew Snucins photo)
The WolfPack badminton team will play their first tournament on October 19-20 th at the Pinetree Campus of Douglas College.
Thompson Rivers hosts the second league tournament November 16 th and 17 th at the TRU Gym with the last league tourney set for Nanaimo and Vancouver Island University on January 31 st and February 1st.
Anica Arduini will be back for her fifth and final year in 2013-14 (Andrew Snucins photo)
Kwantlen Polytechnic University will host the PACWEST provincials February 15 th and 16 th with the top players moving onto the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships February 26 th to March 1st in Edmonton. They are being hosted by the NAIT Ooks.
WolfPack head coach Alex Perkin (Andrew Snucins photo)
Alex Perkin goes into his second season at the helm of the WolfPack badminton program and has recruited a number of top Interior players including Ali Hines (Kamloops,BC) of South Kamloops Secondary along with Joel Feenstra and Nathan McNeilly (Salmon Arm, BC) of Kings College School.
2012 WolfPack Golf Team (Robert Clark photo)
The WolfPack golf team, coached by Bill Bilton Jr and playing out of “The Dunes at Kamloops” will not host an event in 2013.
WolfPack head coach Bill Bilton Jr (Robert Clark photo)
They will begin September 7 th with a two day tournament in Nanaimo, BC hosted by Vancouver Island University and played at the Morningstar Golf Course. The second tournament will be played September 14-15 th at the Okanagan Golf Course and hosted by UBCO.
putting out (Robert Clark photo)
The other two tournaments will be held September 28-29 th at Bear Mountain in Victoria and hosted by Camosun College. The final event will be hosted by the University of the Fraser Valley and will be played October 5-6 th at the Chilliwack Golf and Country Club. The Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association championships are set for Quebec City and will be hosted by the Champlain St Lawrence Lions October 15-18 th.
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack will start their final season in the PACWEST soccer league at home. The WolfPack have released the finalized version of their 2013 season and it begins with two home matches.
The ‘Pack move to the CIS and the Canada West league in 2014.
2012 PACWEST champion WolfPack women’s soccer squad (photo submitted)
They will begin the 2013 campaign with a home match Saturday September 7 th at Hillside Stadium. The opponents will be the Capilano University Blues. The women will play a 1 pm kick off with the men going at 3 pm. That is a departure from their regular noon start for women and 2 pm for men.
WolfPack coach Tom McManus speaks with Blair MacKay (Bernard photo)
Tom McManus is back for his fifth year as head coach of the WolfPack women’s program: the two time defending PACWEST champions.
Alanna Bekkering in action at the 2011 CCAA Championships (Dorothee Harvey photo)
Thompson Rivers has only one fifth year player in 2013-that is two time PACWEST playoff MVP Alanna Bekkering (Kamloops, BC). Bekkering was a Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association All-Canadian in 2012.
Bronwyn Crawford in action at 2012 CCAA Nationals (Bernard photo)
She will be joined by fellow PACWEST all-stars Bronwyn Crawford (Kamloops, BC), Courtenay Daly (Kamloops, BC) and Laura Smylie (150 Mile House, BC).
WolfPack co head coaches John Antulov (left) and Sean Wallace (right) with last year’s graduating player Justin Smeaton (Andrew Snucins photo)
John Antulov and Sean Wallace will be guiding the Thompson Rivers men’s program for another year. Wallace has been with the program in one role or another for over 20 years. They wound up with the bronze medal in the 2012 PACWEST playoffs.
Jake Kaay, Nolan Wallace, Peter Loncar and Ashley Raynes after a match last year
They have no fifth year players in 2013 but have a veteran line up which includes PACWEST all-stars Ashley Raynes (Manchester, UK) and rookie of the year Nolan Wallace (Kamloops, BC).
WolfPack men’s pre game huddle (Allen Douglas photo)
The opponents for the WolfPack on Sunday September 8 th will be the Vancouver Island University Mariners of Nanaimo, BC.
The WolfPack are currently selling “All Access” Passes–$50.00 for adults and $20.00 for students until the end of August. You can pick up your tickets by coming to the WolfPack Athletics office on the second floor of the Tournament Capital Centre from 8:30-4 pm on week days.
Vanessa Zilkie and Emily Edmundson with the KYSA U-8 Green Shamrocks before one of last year’s matches.
They are also selling seasons tickets for the soccer season: Adult seasons tickets are $20.00, Youth and Serniors are $12 with students (ID required) going for eight dollars.
The ‘Pack are selling basketball and volleyball seasons tickets as well.
Corey Wallis vs VIU last year (George Wycherley photo)
All of the other teams in PACWEST will pay a visit to Hillside Stadium this year: UBCO (Oct 5), Douglas College (Oct 12), Kwantlen Polytechnic University (Oct 13), Quest (Oct 19) and Langara (Oct 20).
Madison Wells vs NAIT at the 2012 CCAA Nationals (Bernard photo)
The PACWEST playoffs are set for Vancouver Island University starting October 26 th. The CCAA Soccer Nationals are going November 6-9th. The women’s championships will be played in Surrey while the men’s championships are going in New Brunswick.
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack have signed what they hope is a future fixture in their outfield. Head coach Ray Chadwick has announced his second recruit for the 2013-14 Canadian College Baseball Conference season.
Malcolm Upton of Surrey, BC will join the WolfPack in September. The 6’1” outfielder is currently playing in the BC Premier Baseball League for the Whalley Chiefs.
Malcom Upton-Newest WolfPack Baseball recruit
“TRU was a good fit educationally and I was highly impressed by the baseball program,” said Upton, who will be enrolled in courses with an eye to a Bachelor of Business Administration. “ I was looking at Okanagan College and the University of the Fraser Valley but Thompson Rivers was my number one choice.”
Ray Chadwick-WolfPack head coach (Andrew Snucins photo)
“ He is currently hitting third on his team,” says Chadwick. “ He will have a good chance at winning an outfield position with our team. He runs well and is a good hitter.”
Bryon Kennedy-Manager of Whalley Chiefs (photo submitted)
Upton has been coached the past two seasons by former Penticton resident Bryon Kennedy. “ One of Malcolm’s attributes at this level is his ability to play a number of positions. He has played left and right field as well as pitched this year. He can also play second base as well. He is someone that you know is going to work hard for you day in and day out.”
“I think my mental approach and hard work/dedication are my strong suits,” says Upton, who believes he can contribute offensively and defensively.
As for trying to crack the line up as a rookie? “ I love a challenge and am used to competition,” he states. “ I am overjoyed to be a part of the WolfPack.”
Upton playing left field (photo submitted)
Kennedy believes that Upton won’t be intimidated by the play of collegiate baseball. “ Malcolm is a mature young man with a bright future. I have a feeling that it will be a seamless transition.”
Upton is looking forward to participating in the ‘Pack’s “family” atmosphere.
Upton at the plate with Whalley (photo submitted)
Upton becomes the third WolfPack player in recent years to hone his skills with the Whalley program-the others being pitcher Alex Reid and outfielder Declan Murphy.
If Kennedy has his way, Upton won’t be the last. “ I coached PBL in Penticton and sent players to TRU in the past,” he says. “ With Ray’s reputation for running a great program, I have no hesitation in sending more players to the WolfPack in the future.”
Fellow WolfPack recruit Nelson Lipszyc (photo submitted)
Upton joins Nick Lipszyk (17, 5’10” pitcher/second base, Centennial High School, Calgary, AB) as players officially committing to Thompson Rivers.
The Kamloops Heat men’s soccer team, which features current and former members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack set a goal of making the Pacific Coast Soccer League Premier league playoffs at the start of this season. The Heat can take a major step towards achieving that with a positive result this weekend on the road.
Kamloops (4-2-1) will meet up with Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC (3-2-2) on Saturday (June 15) before taking on the Vancouver Thunderbirds (2-2-1) on Sunday (June 16).
The Heat enter the weekend sitting in third place in the PCSL Premier men’s league with 13 points, three points out of second and two points ahead of fourth place Coquitlam.:
WolfPack co head coach/Heat head coach Sean Wallace watches with his players and assistant coach Wayne Girodat. Wallace is in blue top
“We are preparing just like we have the last two weekends on the road,’says Heat coach and Thompson Rivers University WolfPack co head coach Sean Wallace. “ We are just making sure we have enough bodies travelling with us.”
The Heat have run into some staffing difficulties the last couple of weeks.
The schedule has been daunting for Kamloops: this weekend marks the end of six straight matches on the road. Wallace says they have taken a positive approach to the situation. “ As much as you dislike travelling, I think the togetherness on the road has helped our play on the field. The guys are playing together as a unit and we have been lucky to get some favorable results.”
Favorable is an understatement. Kamloops has won three of their last four games outscoring the opposition 13 to six.
TRU Alum and current WolfPack assistant coach Adam Dodgson playing for the Heat (Allan Douglas photo)
Wallace says while they have been scoring, the back line has been doing its job too. “They have been playing better as the season has gone on. Guys like Adam Dodgson (Kamloops, BC) and Corey Wallis (Enderby, BC) have filled in spots due to injuries to Joe Rose (Kamloops, BC) and work commitments by Kyle Bowman (Kamloops, BC). We are confident in our personnel that we are using back there. The guys know each other and are playing well to this point. It shows with the amount of goals we have given up of late.”
WolfPakc alum Kyle Bowman in the back end for the Heat (Allan Douglas photo)
The coach says their success has been a team effort thus far and it’s been genuine. “ We have the team playing the style of play that we want them to and they are having some success doing it.”
Oriol Torres–WolfPack and Heat player drives to the net vs Victoria United (Allan Douglas photo)
The Heat have three players in the top ten of PCSL scoring. Oriol Torres (Barcelona, Spain) is third with seven goals. Kyle Fertile (Kamloops, BC) is tied for fourth with four goals while Kyle Halvorson (Enderby, BC) is tied for seventh with three goals.
Kyle Fertile (#4) plays with both the Heat and the WolfPack (Allan Douglas photo)
Are they thinking of the playoffs yet? “ We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves right now,” Wallace says. “ We are happy with the position that we are in at this stage of the season after the travelling we have done. This is another big weekend of travelling matches and hopefully we can get some more points on the road.”
The Heat return home on Saturday June 22nd when they entertain Estrella de Chile. 2 pm at Hillside Stadium.
The Kamloops Heat have become road warriors in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s Premier men’s division.
The Heat won their third straight road game and fourth in their last five starts with a 1-0 win over the host Coquitlam Metro Ford FC Saturday (June 15) in Coquitlam.
Kamloops moves to five wins, two losses and a tie while Coquitlam falls to three wins, three losses and a tie.
WolfPack co head coach John Antulov handled the duties solo for the Heat today (Andrew Snucins photo)
“We came out very strong in the first half and missed four or five glorious opportunities in the first 25 minutes,” said John Antulov. The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack co head coach was filling in as head coach of the Heat on this day with Sean Wallace coaching his youngest son at the Interior “A” Cup playdowns.
Peter Loncar (Andrew Snucins photo)
The lone goal of the contest came in the 25 th minute. Some solid interpassing between Justin Wallace, Adam Dodgson and Kyle Fertile (all Kamloops, BC) resulted in Fertile feeding Peter Loncar (Kamloops, BC) . Loncar launched the ball overtop of the Coquitlam keeper for the goal.
Justin Wallace when he played for TRU in 2010-11 (Andrew Snucins photo)
All four players have ties to the PACWEST Thompson Rivers University WolfPack. Wallace now plays NCAA Division II for Simon Fraser University.
Antulov (Andrew Snucins photo)
“They came out strong at us in the second half,” Antulov said about Coquitlam’s play in the second 45 minutes. “ We shut them down defensively. I have to credit our back line for being strong. They pushed us especially in the last 20 minutes. But we deserved the victory.”
Sitting in third place going into action on Sunday (June 16), the Heat aren’t thinking they have a post season berth locked up. ‘We have another tough one tomorrow against Vancouver,” Antulov says. “We are sitting in a decent position but we are not out of the woods yet.”
Adam Dodgson earlier this year with the Heat (Allan Douglas photo)
Making Sunday’s match against the Vancouver Thunderbirds even more challenging is the fact the Heat have lost Dodgson with a sprained knee. “ It came on a bad challenge in the second half,” Antolov stated. “ Their player got a yellow card but clearly deserved a red.”
Allan Connor-WolfPack alum and current keepers coach played in the nets for the Heat
Alan Connor (Kamloops, BC) notched the shutout in this one.
Darren Dinsdale (Andrew Snucins photo)
The Heat went to the coast with 16 players and lost Dodgson and Darren Dinsdale (Kamloops, BC) for Sunday’s match. Dinsdale had to return to Kamloops for work committments.
Next home match for Kamloops is Saturday June 22nd at Hillside Stadium. It is a 2 pm start time against Estella de Chile.
Players on the Kamloops Heat gave their dads a great present on “Father’s Day.” The Heat moved into second place in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s Premier Division with a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Thunderbirds.
Kamloops finished off a six game road swing with five victories including a sweep this weekend. The Heat are now 6-2-1 on the season while Vancouver falls to 2-3-1.
The lone marker of the game at the 22nd minute mark.
Kyle Fertile (Andrew Snucins photo)
The ball was laid off to the Heat’s Kyle Fertile (Kamloops, BC) on the far side. Fertile, who plays regularly for the PACWEST bronze medal winning Thompson Rivers University WolfPack, beat his man and then drew it back. The shot bounced off a Vancouver player and right back to Fertile who toe punted the ball to Oriol Torres (Barcelona, Spain).
Oriol Torres in action with WolfPack (Andrew Snucins photo)
Torres made no mistake as he slotted it in the right hand corner of the Thunderbird cage for his 8 th goal of the season. Torres, too is a member of the TRU WolfPack.
The Heat continued to press for the rest of the first half. Vancouver though, mounted a strong challenge in the second and Kamloops had to play tough defence in order to preserve their victory—their third in a row. Kamloops has four wins in their last five starts and six of their last seven matches.
They return home to take on the last place Estella de Chile next Saturday (June 22) at Hillside Stadium. Kick off is 2 pm.
For Immediate Release: June 16, 2013
Vancouver, BC—Players on the Kamloops Heat gave their dads a great present on “Father’s Day.” The Heat moved into second place in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s Premier Division with a 1-0 win over the Vancouver Thunderbirds.
Kamloops finished off a six game road swing with five victories including a sweep this weekend. The Heat are now 6-2-1 on the season while Vancouver falls to 2-3-1.
The lone marker of the game at the 22nd minute mark.
The ball was laid off to the Heat’s Kyle Fertile (Kamloops, BC) on the far side. Fertile, who plays regularly for the PACWEST bronze medal winning Thompson Rivers University WolfPack, beat his man and then drew it back. The shot bounced off a Vancouver player and right back to Fertile who toe punted the ball to Oriol Torres (Barcelona, Spain).
Torres made no mistake as he slotted it in the right hand corner of the Thunderbird cage for his 8 th goal of the season. Torres, too is a member of the TRU WolfPack.
The Heat continued to press for the rest of the first half. Vancouver though, mounted a strong challenge in the second and Kamloops had to play tough defence in order to preserve their victory—their third in a row. Kamloops has four wins in their last five starts and six of their last seven matches.
They return home to take on the last place Estella de Chile next Saturday (June 22) at Hillside Stadium. Kick off is 2 pm.
Two current members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s soccer team and a former player accouned for all the Kamloops Heat scoring in their two weekend Pacific Coast Soccer League premier division games this weekend (June 15-16).
The Heat tied Abbotsford Metro Ford Mariners 1-1 on Saturday (June 15) before losing 4-2 to the first place Vancouver Whitecap Reseres on Sunday(June 16). Both matches were played at McArthur Island.
Marlie Rittinger (Kelly Shantz photo)
On Saturday, Marlie Rittinger (Ashcroft, BC) scored the lone goal on a penalty kick.
Courtenay Daly
On Sunday, Courtenay Daly (Kamloops, BC) and WolfPack alumna Heather Lloyd (Kamloops,BC) had the goals. That gives Lloyd eight goals on the year.
Heather Lloyd (Andrew Snucins photo)
Said Heat head coach Kelly Shantz, a former assistant under TRU bosses Eric Schweitzer and Tom McManus about Sundays match: “We played very well, but the day came down to 2 things our poor first 15 minutes and the Whitecaps absolutely showing quality scoring skills while we struggled to make the most of our chances. We played very good, entertaining attacking football, but didn’t finish the deal as well as we need to against a team like that.”
Kelly Shantz (Andrew Snucins photo)
The Heat have a record of three wins, three losses and five ties.
Next action is a road trip this coming weekend playing North Van on Sat Jun22nd and TTS Academy in Richmond on Sunday Jun 23rd
By Howard Tsumura
Posted with Permission of Vancouver Province
It was really nothing more than an early pit stop along a coaching road that has touched on parts of five decades.
But even back in the late 1970s, in the infancy of his career as a basketball coach, Ken Olynyk’s innate ability to make immediate and heartfelt connections with his players was already beginning to manifest itself, revealing the very traits which would later be among his greatest qualities as a dad.
“He just made us feel like we were somebody,” remembered Richard Hunt, now 50 and a community outreach worker, but back then a 14-year-old on the Grade 9 team at North Delta’s Sands Secondary, which Olynyk coached during the 1977-78 season.
“He made us feel important.” Olynyk, 61, has always been a husband and father first.
Yet he’s also been a father figure to so many, coaching more than 40 teams since 1975 at every level, from high school through the NBA.
Along with his wife Arlene, a long-time referee, the couple have raised three children, all of whom have excelled in the world of sports, but most importantly have taken its greatest lessons as a template for life success.
It’s Father’s Day today, a day to relish and celebrate the gifts and lessons passed on to us through our dads, and what better way to honour the day than to speak of it through a man who has always led from the heart with a fatherly purpose.
LEAVING THE NEST
“It might just be Maya this Sunday,” Olynyk said earlier this week when asked which of his children will be around for Father’s Day.
Settled comfortably in Kamloops since 2003, where he works as the director of athletics and recreation at Thompson Rivers University, Olynyk has taken an active role in the coaching lives of his children, all of whom will be living on their own come September.
That’s when youngest daughter Maya, just now graduating from South Kamloops Secondary, becomes the last to leave the nest, embarking on a collegiate basketball career at the University of Saskatchewan.
Son Kelly, also a South Kamloops grad, is expected to be selected in the first round of the NBA draft on June 27, following his college career at Spokane’s Gonzaga University.
And their oldest, daughter Jesse, a Sa-Hali graduate who has starred both on the wrestling mat and rugby pitch, has settled into her new career as the sports information director at the University of Northern B.C. in Prince George.
“Kelly and his sisters all celebrate each other’s successes,” Olynyk said proudly. “They are so supportive of each other. Kelly tweets about Maya playing at the provincials, and he tweets about Jesse at UNBC.”
On Father’s Day, what more could a dad ask for?
A FATHER AND A MENTOR
Early in his Grade 11 year at South Kam, quarterbacking the Titans in a Subway Bowl quarterfinal game at New Westminster Secondary in the fall of 2007, Kelly Olynyk took a hit so hard he suffered a break to the ball of the humerus bone just below his left shoulder, forcing him to miss his entire Grade 11 basketball season.
The injury happened right in the midst of a massive growth spurt. So Kelly played as a 6-foot-3 point guard in 10th grade, then re-emerged as the B.C. Triple A tournament MVP as a 6-foot-10 forward in Grade 12.
That lost season is in many ways similar to the redshirt season Kelly took at Gonzaga in 2011-12 – not playing in games, but getting stronger and honing his game further. That eventually lead to his selection as an Associated Press first-team all-American this past season, one which has catapulted him into lottery territory in the NBA draft.
Kelly Olynyk with Gonzaga (photo contributed)
But what has gone unreported through Kelly’s rise to superstar status are the times a father and son spent together in those two down seasons, ones which Kelly himself admits have been the most important of his career.
“I didn’t cry when I got hit, but I started to cry when they told me I wasn’t going to play basketball that season,” Kelly said of his Grade 11 injury. “But my dad told me that everything happens for a reason. He told me I had to find a silver lining, that I was going to get knocked down and that I couldn’t let it stop me from being what I wanted to be.”
So with his left arm in a sling, Kelly hit the gym every day, doing the only thing he could: putting up 500 shots a day with his right arm. The next year, Kelly became the only player in the history of the B.C. tournament to lead the field in scoring (36.5 ppg), rebounding (15.5 rpg) and assists (7.2 apg).
“I asked Kelly, ‘Can you work without a guarantee?’” Ken said of the advice he offered his son during those tough times.
“And I think he took that to heart when he redshirted, too. He worked his butt off, but there was no guarantee he was even going to start this past season.”
Added Kelly: “Looking back on it, I never made the connection until right now, but that (Grade 11) year was just like my redshirt year. My dad has always been there to give me perspective and he has taught me everything I need to know.”
The phrase “work without a guarantee” it seems, has become something of Olynyk’s coaching mantra.
“One-liners weren’t exactly his coaching style,” admitted Jesse. “But to me, it was in his actions that he guided me through life and sports. He always told me to work harder than the guy next to you. Push yourself to work as hard as you can and you will be successful.”
THE COACHING ROAD
Take one look at Olynyk’s coaching resume, and you begin to realize what Arlene says, that he literally can’t walk into a gym in Canada without knowing someone.
Big-boned and broad-shouldered, the 6-foot-6 Olynyk, part of Revel-stoke Secondary’s Class of 1970, where he starred in both volleyball and basketball, is the kind of guy who fills the frame of every doorway he passes through.
After leading Revelstoke to an opening-round win at the 1970 B.C. high school championships, he played four years of college basketball at Simon Fraser under Jon Koot-nekoff. Olynyk then played a fifth (1974-75) in Sudbury at Laurentian University, where he met the man who would become his mentor, the country’s greatest-ever coach, Ken Shields, who would soon after go on to build a dynasty at UVic.
“You know, I was the best man at Ken’s wedding,” said Shields. “He is the only guy I know who got a standing ovation when he said, ‘I do.’”
Olynyk spent 10 years through the 1980s producing great teams at Lethbridge, then over the 14 seasons leading up to his current posting in Kamloops, served as the head coach of the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues. In between he coached the Canadian junior national team, and spent one season (2002-03) as an observing coach with the Toronto Raptors and coach Lenny Wilkens.
It was in Toronto where all three of the Olynyk children were born, and where a love of basketball was allowed to foster as they accompanied their dad to practices and games, often getting to sit on the bench with him during games.
A HOME IN KAMLOOPS
In the spring of 2010, when former Simon Fraser men’s basketball coach Scott Clark was hired by Olynyk as the new men’s coach at Thompson Rivers, Clark and his wife Carla would drive up to Kamloops on house-hunting trips.
“Whenever we would come up, he’d say, ‘Just stay with us,’ and we did,” said Clark. “But it wouldn’t just be us. His door was open to everyone. I don’t know how many cousins Ken has, but he has a big family and family means everything to him.”
Added Hunt, who these days works in community development for various First Nations groups and is a Basketball B.C. board member: “It’s just like his high school teams. All of the South Kamloops girls seem like they are a big family.”
There are also the strong bonds Olynyk has developed within the Kamloops coaching fraternity – bonds which will keep him coaching even as his children have moved on to adulthood.
Olynyk says he will likely coach the South Kam girls one more season, then plans to switch back over to the boys’ side to help varsity head coach Del Komarniski, whose son Jordan will enter Grade 11 in 201415. Olynyk helped coach the boys’ team with Komarniski, where Kelly played, from 2006-09.
“He loves being right in the thick of the strategy,” said Arlene. “But he is a very patient developer and strategist. He is not in a rush to have end-of-season product in December.”
That’s the patience every good father has.
“There is nothing I could ever give my dad that could thank him for all of the things he’s done for all three of us,” Maya said.
That is what Father’s Day is all about.
HEAD CLASS 2013
Head of the Class day arrives Monday, and with it a continuation of the tradition of South Kamloops Secondary Titans basketball.
It was back in 2009 that Kelly Olynyk, left, graced our special section, on his way to Gonzaga University. Come June 27, he’s a potential lottery selection in the NBA draft. Now, four years later, it’s little sister’s turn.
Maya Olynyk, along with her championship MVP teammate Emma Wolfram, helped lead the Titans to back-to-back B.C. senior girls Triple A championships. On Monday they will be featured together, along with the rest of our star-studded class of graduating student-athletes.
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Bonds+beyond+genes/8532567/story.html#ixzz2WUfTDUI0
Left to right: Elisa Homer, Fiona Beales, Abby Dixon, Anmol Mattu, Claire Elliott, Sydney Williams strike a pose. (Richard Lam, PNG photo)
By Howard Tsumura, Vancouver Province
Posted with permission of Vancouver Province
VANCOUVER — When six of B.C.’s top graduating high school girls basketball players dressed to the nines and took over a portion of the Sea Wall at False Creek one evening in early June for a sunset photo session, the result of which you see here today, the laughter and the chatter never ceased.
“We’ve all played against each other, but it was funny because we really haven’t talked together that much over the years,” said Elisa Homer, the Simon Fraser-bound guard from North Vancouver’s Handsworth Secondary, “so there was a lot of remembering those games. We all just had so much fun talking.”
It’s incredibly difficult for us to honour all of the athletes we’d like to each year, but much like we did five years ago in honouring a large group of B.C.’s top graduating girls field hockey players, we thought the time was right to turn our attention to women’s basketball.
B.C. is producing some of the best young players in the country at present, and the revitalized Canadian women’s national team is coming off a run to the quarterfinals at last summer’s London Olympics. So it’s in that spirit that we present a half-dozen of the province’s very best, a group which would have comprised the country’s single strongest recruiting class had they all decided to attend the same university. Instead, section photographer Richard Lam has captured them, with stunning beauty, at the first of their many career crossroads.
“It’s the end of a chapter for all of us,” acknowledged Homer. “But we all talked about how happy we are with our decisions.”
Homer and her former rival, Fiona Beales from PoCo’s Riverside Secondary, will go on to become new teammates next season with the NCAA Clan. Claire Elliott from Argyle in North Vancouver and Sydney Williams from Brookswood in Langley, become rivals at the CIS level as they join their respective new teams at UBC Okanagan in Kelowna and Thompson Rivers in Kamloops. Leaving the province are University of Calgary-bound Anmol Mattu from Steveston-London in Richmond, and Handsworth’s Abby Dixon who relocates to Kingston, Ont., to begin her career at Queen’s.
ELISA HOMER
SCHOOL: Handsworth (North Vancouver)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: Simon Fraser
ABBY DIXON
SCHOOL: Handsworth (North Vancouver)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: Queen’s
ANMOL MATTU
SCHOOL: Steveston-London (Richmond)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: Calgary
CLAIRE ELLIOTT
SCHOOL: Argyle (North Vancouver)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: UBC Okanagan
FIONA BEALES
SCHOOL: Riverside (Port Coquitlam)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: Simon Fraser
SYDNEY WILLIAMS
SCHOOL: Brookswood (Langley)
FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: Thompson Rivers
WolfPack Women’s Soccer Coach Tom McManus is also the head coach of the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association. On the weekend (June 15-16), McManus presented this trophy to U-13 “A” cup champions from Kamloops Keilin Gorman and Breckin Erichuk. Thanks to Allen Douglas of the Kamloops This Week for the photo
WolfPack women’s soccer coach Tom McManus is also the head coach of the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association. He and WolfPack team captain for 2013-14, Laura Smylie have spent the last few weeks working with youth and mini teams. Here are pictures of their session with the U-8 Boys Blue Bandits.
The start of the 2013 PACWEST golf season is still a couple of months away but already the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack are making moves to make it a successful one.Head coach Bill BIlton Junior has wrapped up three days of qualifying at their home course—“The Dunes in Kamloops.”
Eight men and two women were vying for spots on this year’s edition of the team.
WolfPack coach Bill Bilton Junior (Robert Clark photo)
“Some hot and windy days for a few days,” said Bilton. “ The scores turned out to be pretty good. We need some fine tuning but we have the entire summer to work.”
Blake Gozda (Robert Clark photo)
Three veterans from the 2012 squad: Blake Gozda and Nic Corno (both Kamloops, BC) secured spots on the men’s team while Bobby McPeak (Claresholm, AB) earned a conditional spot.
Nic Corno (Robert Clark Photo)
Two rookies: Jerome Thorne (Kamloops, BC) and Matt Davis (Tswwassen, BC) will wear the orange, white and black of Thompson Rivers this season.
Natasha MacKenzie (Robert Clark photo)
For the first time ever, the WolfPack are looking to field an entire women’s golf team. Natasha MacKenzie (Kamloops, BC) is back for her second year and will be joined by first year player Britt Riehl (Kamloops, BC). Bilton is looking for one more female player to round out the team.
“We will be having another qualifying event August 27-29,” Bilton says. “ In the meantime, we will be practicing three days a week for the rest of the summer”
If you are interested in trying out for the remaining spots on the TRU Golf team, contact coach Bilton at billjr@golfthedunes.com.
The PACWEST season begins September 7 th at Morningstar Golf and Country club in Nanaimo.
Canada has advanced to the FIVB World League men’s volleyball finals for the first time after a dramatic five set victory over Japan (25-23, 23-25, 25-27, 25-18, 15-7) in their last preliminary round match..
It was a sixth consecutive win for the Canadians (8-2) and they will be one of six countries in Mar del Plata, Argentina, for the finals July 17-21.
“We reached our big goal for this season,” said Canada’s head coach Glenn Hoag of Gatineau, Que. “It’s easy to say but a lot harder to do. This is a big step for us. The guys worked hard and improved through the process. They never flinched under the pressure today. I was really impressed.”
WolfPack Alum Gord Perrin (photo courtesy of Volleyball Canada)
Dallas Soonias of Red Deer, Alta., led the Canadian attack with 24 points while Rudy Verhoeff of Calgary and Gord Perrin of Creston, B.C., added 18 each. Perrin is an alum of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s program.
“The stress level was pretty high,” said Canadian team captain Fred Winters. “When we fell behind 1-2 in sets we were aware that we could potentially squander our chance to be in the final. But we knew Japan couldn’t keep that pace and in the end we got them.”
The 24th FIVB World League, which offers $5.7 million in prize money, features 18 teams split into three pools of six that compete in a five-round, 10-match format.
Perrin (center) going for the block (photo courtesy of Volleyball Canada)
The top two teams from Group A and B also advance to the six-team finals, along with host Argentina. The other two groups conclude their preliminary rounds next weekend.
Canada’s World League roster for matches July 6-7 in Osaka, Japan.
Players: Dustin Schneider, Brandon, Man.; Josh Howatson, Victoria; Louis-Pierre Mainville, Notre-Dame-de-l’Ile Perrot, Que.; Dallas Soonias, Red Deer, Alta.; Blair Bann, Edmonton; Fred Winters, Victoria; Gord Perrin, Creston, B.C.; Toon Van Lankvelt, River, Man.; Dan Lewis, Oakville, Ont.; Jason Derocco, East St. Paul, Man.; Rudy Verhoeff, Calgary; Justin Duff, Winnipeg; Adam Simac, Ottawa; Graham Vigrass, Calgary.
Head coach: Glenn Hoag, Gatineau, Que.
Assistant coach: Vincent Pichette, Gatineau, Que.
Team manager : Julien Boucher, Quebec City
Statistician : Murat Haktanir
Therapist: Mathieu Séguin
(Canada Volleyball Communications)
The Kamloops Heat have moved closer to clinching a playoff spot in the Pacific Coast Soccer League’s premier men’s division.
The Heat tied the visiting Coquitlam Metro Ford SC 0-0 at Hillside Stadium on Sunday (July 7). The result leaves Kamloops with seven wins, three losses and two draws with two matches to go in the regular season while Coquitlam moves to three wins, six losses and three draws. The top four teams make the playoffs but since Coquitlam is the host team, they get an automatic berth.
WolfPack and Heat co head coach John Antulov (Andrew Snucins photo)
“It wasn’t our best effort and I think we were outworked a bit,” said John Antulov. The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer co-head coach was handling the heat while head man Sean Wallace was in Langley at the Provincial Youth Soccer “A” Cup championships.
Kyle Halverson (TRU Alumni) against Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
“They had only 11 guys and they dictated the play to us at times,” Antulov added. “ We did take over at times in the first half and had a couple of great opportunities which we couldn’t capitalize.”
Oriol Torres heads ball vs Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
He was referring to chances by Kyle Fertile (Kamloops, BC) and Oriol Torres (Barcelona, Spain) in the first half. Both Fertile and Torres play for Antulov and Wallace with the PACWEST bronze medal winning WolfPack.
Peter Loncar in air vs Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
“I have to give Coquitlam credit, they did pressure us at times.”
Justin Wallace heads ball vs Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
The result put Kamloopscloser to a berth into the premier men’s league playoffs: something a Kamloops team hasn’t done in 15 years. They are battling with UBC for third place.
Braeden Burrows gets his feet taken out (Allen Douglas photo)
“It’s a great achievement for the guys,” Antulov stated. “ Overall, we have played well this season and making the post season is a big step forward.”
Justin Walace against Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
He added: “We need to get back to what we did before-out work the opposition’.
Nolan Wallace heads ball vs Coquitlam (Allan Douglas photo)
Kamloops finishes the regular season at home next weekend (July 13-14) with two home matches at Hillside beginning at 5 pm on Saturday (July 13) against Victoria United.
(Allen Douglas photo)
The Heat are totally made up of current members of the TRU WolfPack along with some alumni.
The 2013 TRU WolfPack/McDonalds 15 th annuals Sport Camps got underway last week. Here are some photos from week one. A reminder that you can sign your child up if they are between the ages of 4-18 for various sports. Visit their website at www.tru.ca/sportcamp or call (250) 852-7135.
Volleyball with 13-18 year olds
Instructor of the week Connor Whitelaw and camper of the week Keegan Fletcher
Junior Wolf Cub Campers
Junior Basketball outside starring Kevin Pribilsky and Sarah Malate
