Bomber grad Dylan Zaitsoff begins post-season push at PacWest Men's Soccer Playoffs beginning Friday in Kelowna
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Former L.V. Rogers Bomber soccer star Dylan Zaitsoff and his UBC Okanagan Heat teammates face a tough test in the first round of the Pacific Western Athletic Association Men’s Soccer Playoffs Friday in Kelowna.
Zaitsoff and Company meet Kwantlen College Eagles of Surrey in quarter final action.
The Heat earned a berth in the playoffs by rallying from a 3-0 second half deficit to finish the game in a 3-3 draw versus the Capilano University Blues on Sunday.
The Heat finished with a record of 4-2-5 for the 2011 season, while the Capilano Blues finished just one point ahead of the Heat in the standings with a (5-3-3) record.
The tie against the Blues the Heat, combined with Vancouver Island Mariners defeating the Thompson Rivers WolfPack 2-0, lifted the UBC Okanagan into third spot in Group B standings.
Zaitsoff, in his second season at UBC O, joined the Heat after a solid high school career with the LVR Bombers. Zaitsoff helped the Bombers qualify for the B.C. High School Championships.
Joining Zaitsoff on the Heat is Manny Straith of Victoria. Straith is the son of former Mount Sentinel High School athlete Delphine (Zarikoff) Straith.
Zarikoff, the daughter of Helen and John Zarikoff, was one of the best athletes to ever come out of the South Slocan school.
Manny Straith’s brother, Adam, is a member of the Canadian National Men’s Soccer Team.
This three-day PacWest Tournament brings together the best six men and women’s collegiate soccer teams — UNBC Timberwolves of Prince George, Vancouver’s Langara Falcons, Quest Kermodes, Thompson Rivers Wolfpack, Capilano Blues and Vancouver Island Mariners — from across the province.
The tournament begins play Friday at 10:30 a.m. with the women’s gold medal game slated for 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The men’s final is Sunday at 6:00 p.m. All action will take place at the Nonis Sports Field on UBC’s Okanagan campus.
The winner represents the PacWest at the 2011 CCAA Soccer championships will be hosted by Collège François-Xavier-Garneau in Québec, Québec.
Separate men and women’s tournaments will take place November 9-12.
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