University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer coach Rob Giesbrecht went back to familiar territory to land his latest high-level recruit.
Brittney Zacharuk, a midfielder from Delta who plays her club soccer with Richmond’s TSS Academy, has signed with the Cascades and will join the team for the 2015-16 Canada West season.
Zacharuk becomes the fifth TSS Academy product on the Cascades’ roster – defenders Alexis Cattermole and Megan Baird, and forwards Desiree Caruso and Stefania Memme are the others.
Giesbrecht is elated to bring in a player of Zacharuk’s calibre. The left-footed midfielder not only boasts a goal-scoring instinct, she’s also adept at creating offensive opportunities for others.
“We are so excited that Brittney is joining our program,” Giesbrecht said. “She’s an intelligent soccer player, she’s technically advanced and has the ability to impact games from a variety of positions. I was thrilled when Brittney chose to come to UFV – every time I have seen her play since I get more excited about the impact she will have on our team. She excels at both keeping the team in possession as well as delivering the critical pass that unlocks an opponent’s defensive shape.”
Zacharuk is finishing up her Grade 12 year at Surrey’s Holy Cross Regional Secondary, and she’ll become the second Holy Cross grad on the Cascades’ roster, joining forward Danica Kump.
“I chose UFV because it seemed like the perfect fit for me as a player and a student,” she said. “I am looking forward to playing on a team that has a drive to win and will challenge me 100 per cent as well as getting the best experience from it.”
Brendan Quarry, director of the TSS girls program, coached Zacharuk the past two seasons with TSS Black. He believes the Cascades are getting an impact player.
“Brittney’s transformation at TSS has been impossible to ignore,” he said. “While always a strong player, she went from good to great over a span of six months on TSS Black by continually trying to make an impact on every game or training session in which she participated. I have little doubt that she will make an impact at the CIS level.”
The UFV women’s soccer team is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history. They won the Canada West silver medal and went on to finish fourth at the 2014 CIS national championships in Quebec City.
Zacharuk joins previously announced recruits Gurneet Dhaliwal, Harman Billen and Jasmine Mangat in the Cascades’ 2015 recruiting class.
For more information, contact Dan Kinvig at dan.kinvig@ufv.ca
04/30/2015