HEAT CLOSE OUT PCSL HOME SCHEDULE WITH MATCH VS NSGSC
July 9, 2009 - By Larry Read
Kamloops, BC - The Kamloops Heat will have a few new faces in the line-up as they close out the home portion of their 2009 Pacific Coast Soccer League Women’s Reserve Division schedule this Saturday (July 11). The Heat will be missing four regulars as they entertain the North Shore Girls Soccer Club Stars at Hillside Stadium. Kick off is 2:30 pm.
“It will certainly be a different line-up,” claims Heat head coach and Thompson Rivers University WolfPack head coach Tom McManus. “The four are going away on a holiday break. I can’t really blame them as the Heat season will end and the TRU pre season will start up so they need some down time. There could very well be some younger players on the pitch this weekend. I’m sure they will all do well.”
One thing is for sure, the Heat (10-1-1) will have a rookie in the nets against the Starts (2-6-2). McManus has brought in one of the players he believes will be playing that position this fall for the WolfPack. 17 year old Richelle McDonald (Cranbrook, BC) will make her PCSL debut.
Another player expected to see the pitch more is Trail, BC defender Nikki Swanson. She has been working out with the Heat for the last couple of weeks as she decides whether or not to attend TRU in the fall.
The Heat, who sit in first place in the PCSL are coming off their first tie of the season last weekend (2-2 with Pentiction on July 4). “ We’re reinforcing the positives in practice and working past it,” says McManus, who’s club again will try and nail down that top spot with a victory. North Shore sits in 6 th place and is coming off a 3-3 draw with Penticton (July 5).
“The motivation will again be the nailing down of first place,” explains McManus. “I feel winning the league is what it’s all about. The team who wins the league really are the champions as it takes all season of positive soccer in order to end up in first place. I think we have done that with a couple of hiccups but we will be fine.”
McManus and the majority of the Heat are already looking towards the Fall BC College Athletic Association schedule. The PCSL campaign has proven to be a successful one in the area of preparation for that. “ I believe its been a success,” he states . “The players now understand the way I would like to see the game played and I know them better. I’ve been happy with the majority of players so it’ll be a good training camp.”
McManus is joining the TRU program after coaching in the CIS with McMaster.
After this weekend’s match, The Heat close things out July 19 th in Chilliwack before the Challenge Cup playoffs (July 25-26) in Kelowna
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