The TRU men's soccer team celebrate with the U SPORTS banner. (Photo via Jon Keen)
One day after the winning the men’s soccer national title at home, the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack are looking back on what was a successful tournament on and off the pitch.
“I think it went extremely well from an organizational perspective,” TRU Athletic Director, Curtis Atkinson, told NL Sports. “We had an unbelievable organizing committee that put a lot of time and effort into pulling it off.”
“It is all consuming and it has been for a long time but it was just so incredible to see how the partners came together to support each other. The City, Kamloops Sports Council, and RBC [who] really did some things at this event that made it special as well as having them as a presenting sponsor helped take it to a new level.”
On the field, the WolfPack posted three shootout wins in three games, beating OUA champions McMaster in the quarter-finals, AUS champions Cape Breton in the semis, and Canada West champions UBC in the final.
“The tournament was a grind for our team going to extra time and penalty kicks each time, but it sort of felt like momentum was building and maybe something special could happen, and the whole team certainly delivered,” Atkinson added.
“Even preparing the surface here, the City of Kamloops went above and beyond given the weather, so it was an incredible moment for a lot of people in Kamloops.”
Atkinson says the success of the men’s and women’s soccer teams this season will help raise the WolfPack’s reputation on a national scale, while helping to grow the game in the area.
“I think to a certain degree we were already [making some waves],” he said. “When this program hosted [men’s soccer nationals] in 2017 and won a medal, I think a lot of people in the country started to take notice that we could do something cool here.”
“When [Head Coach] John [Antulov] and I spoke a few years ago about bidding on this tournament, it wasn’t really a long conversation. He thought we’d be competitive. I trusted him and his leadership with the program and his ability to recruit and build towards this win.”
“I think to a certain extent getting the bid again five years after kind of validated the fact that we’re a competitive program and that good things can happen here,” Atkinson added.
Post championship audio from the @GoTRUWolfPack. This morning on @RadioNLNews #Kamloops
LISTEN: https://t.co/sXNIcJHXTF pic.twitter.com/KMlIBOACWw— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) November 14, 2022
