Last week saw 9 new recruits added to the Cascades
For all of the challenges that the 2020 season has brought to UFV Athletics, it appears that recruitment has not been a problem. Though recruiting season is somewhat over, the men’s soccer and basketball teams announced new signings: one new basketball player and eight new soccer players are set to suit up for the Cascades in 2021, which will mark a new chapter for the teams.
UFV basketball’s new player is the provincial MVP from last year’s AAA highschool tournament. Clay Kurtz joins the Cascades as a 6’2 guard from G.W. Graham Secondary in Chilliwack, and is set to play for the team next season. Kurtz’s stats show he can do just about everything, as he averaged nearly 18 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2 steals per game during the provincial tournament. This type of productivity will serve him well at the next level as the Cascades look to rebuild their team under Joe Enevoldson, the new men’s basketball head coach.
The men’s soccer team made quite the decision this past week, as they announced eight new signings for the team. All the new players have played under Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes’ on his Surrey United SC squad, a team that he continues to coach and has coached since these recruits were around 13 years old. Playing with a familiar couch will likely make the transition to university-level play smoother for Joven Sandhu, Bradley Hobson, Ajaiveer Boparai, Parmbir Kular, Dulain Panditha, Veer Sangha, Jaskarn Sodhi, and goalie Logan Mathers.
The Cascades’ decision to recruit this mix of midfielders and defenders along with Mathers signals a next generation for the men’s soccer team, which will begin next year if competitive seasons are reinstated by Canada West.
That decision, however, remains to be seen, and will determine the team’s ability to contend for national and conference championships in 2021.
