VICTORIA, B.C. –
Jaclyn Sawicki, University of Victoria Vikes women's soccer player, has been selected as a member of the Canadian women's soccer team competing at the 2013 Summer Universiade. Taking place in Kazan, Russia, Jul. 6-17, the Summer Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival staged every two years in a different city and is second only to the Olympic Games.
Canadian Interuniversity Sport announced today the 19 student-athletes who will represent Canada in women's soccer at the 27
th Summer Universiade. Vikes midfielder Sawicki has been selected to the roster alongside fellow Vikes
Jacqueline Harrison (Whitehorse, YT) and
Sarah Douglas, who were nominated as alternates.
“I'm delighted for Jaclyn and the opportunity that she has to once again represent Canada at the international level,” said
Tracy David, head coach of the Vikes women's soccer team. “It's a kudos to the University of Victoria and I know that she will represent our program well.”
In her first season with the Vikes, Sawicki was named as the Vikes' Rookie of the Year and since then has been a two-time Canada West First Team All-Star, a Second Team All-Canadian and at this year's CIS Championship was named to the tournament's All-Star team.
No stranger to international competition, Sawicki was a member of the Canadian U-20 women's team that travelled to Japan for the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup this past summer.
“I made the team going to China two years ago but got injured a month before the tournament so I'm really looking forward to going this time around,” said Sawicki. “It's an experience and an opportunity that I'm excited about and grateful to have been given.”
The all-CIS roster is mostly comprised of athletes from the University of Alberta Pandas and players from the Trinity Western Spartans, the reigning national champions. A total of 13 Canada West standouts are making the trip to Russia under the tutelage of Pandas' head coach
Liz Jepsen.
The Canadian contingent at the 2011 Universiade in Shenzen, China, finished fifth out of the 12 countries in competition and in this year's preliminary round will take on Mexico, Ireland and China. The Chinese are the reigning FISU champions and in 2011, the Canadians lost to the eventual gold medalists 1-0.
The tournament kicks off on Jul. 5 in Kazan, Russia, with the Canadians taking on Mexico.
TEAM CANADA ROSTER
Position Name University Hometown
Goalkeeper Rachel Bedek Carleton St. Thomas, Ont.
Goalkeeper Kristen Funk Trinity Western Calgary, Alta.
Defender Kelly Cook UBC Maple Ridge, B.C.
Defender Jilian Dietrich Trinity Western Calgary, Alta.
Defender Julie Lafreniere Manitoba Winnipeg, Man.
Defender Victoria Saccomani Alberta Edmonton, Alta.
Defender Kelsey Tikka Wilfrid Laurier Thunder Bay, Ont.
Defender Colleen Webber Trinity Western Calgary, Alta.
Midfielder Natalie Boyd Trinity Western Surrey, B.C.
Midfielder Constance De Chantal Dumont Montreal Saint-Alexandre, Que.
Midfielder Elise Emmott Alberta Edmonton, Alta.
Midfielder Julia Francki Ottawa Orleans, Ont.
Midfielder Veronica Mazella Carleton Sudbury, Ont.
Midfielder Carleigh Miller Alberta St. Albert, Alta.
Midfielder
Jaclyn Sawicki Victoria Coquitlam, B.C.
Forward Meagan Cormier Regina Regina, Sask.
Forward Julia Ignacio Alberta Edmonton, Alta.
Forward Pilar Khoury Ottawa Ottawa, Ont.
Forward Heather Lund Alberta Red Deer, Alta.
Forward Jackie Tessier Queen's Winnipeg, Man.
STAFF
Head coach: Liz Jepsen (St. Albert, Alta.), University of Alberta
Assistant coach: Steve Johnson (Ottawa, Ont.), University of Ottawa
Team leader: Tino Fusco (Calgary, Alta.), Mount Royal University
Goalie coach/video: Krista Gavin (Edmonton, Alta.), University of Alberta
UNIVERSIADE POOLS & SCHEDULE:
Pool A: Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, South Africa
Pool B: China, CANADA, Mexico, Ireland
Pool C: Japan, Brazil, Great Britain, Estonia
July 5: Canada vs. Mexico
July 7: Canada vs. Ireland
July 9: Canada vs. China
July 11-15: Placement matches
July 15: Tournament final
CANADA'S RESULTS IN WOMEN'S SOCCER AT THE UNIVERSIADE:
Women's soccer made its Universiade debut as a demonstration sport at the 1993 Buffalo Games, when tournament was held in Hamilton, Ont. The sport became an official Universiade discipline in 2001.
2011 (Shenzhen, China): 5th / 12 teams
2009 (Belgrade, Serbia): 7th / 16
2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 10th / 16
2005 (Izmir, Turkey): 5th / 12
2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 10th / 12
2001 (Beijing, China): 11th / 12
1993 (Buffalo, USA): 5th / 6
About the Summer Universiade
The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors who are at least 17 and less than 28 years of age as of January 1 in the year of the Games. Participants must be full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.
About Canadian Interuniversity Sport
Canadian Interuniversity Sport is the national governing body of university sport in Canada. Every year, 11,000 student-athletes and 700 coaches from 54 universities and four regional associations vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. CIS also provides high performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.cis-sic.ca or follow us on:
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http://www.twitter.com/CIS_SIC
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http://www.facebook.com/cissports
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http://www.youtube.com/universitysport
