TWU’s ANDREW KOWAN ADDED TO FISU TEAM

Andrew Kowan

Men’s Soccer (Announcement)
Thursday, June 18, 2009
FISU Team

TWU’s ANDREW KOWAN ADDED TO FISU TEAM

LANGLEY, British Columbia – FISU men’s soccer head coach Mike Mosher announced that Trinity Western University keeper Andrew Kowan has been added to the Summer Universiade men’s soccer roster. Kowan will replace Montreal keeper Gerardo Argento, who will not be able to compete due to injury, at the 25th Summer Universiade set to take place July 1-12, 2009, in Belgrade, Serbia.

In addition to Kowan, Mosher has also replaced injured midfielder Francesco Bruno of York University with University of Alberta Forward Brett Colvin.

2009 Summer Universiade website:
www.universiade-belgrade2009.org

Team Canada website:
www.universitysport.ca/belgrade

Canada is coming off its best performance in history at the Universiade in men's soccer with a fourth-place finish at the 2007 Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Prior to 2007, the Canadians had never advanced past group play in four previous appearances at the tournament.

"We showed the last time around we can be competitive at that level," said UBC head coach Mike Mosher, who will lead the national side in Belgrade after serving as an assistant under Montreal's Pat Raimondo two years ago. "We see the fourth-place finish from 2007 as a real positive, as motivation, not as extra pressure."

The 2009 edition of Team Canada is comprised of 15 players from CIS schools and three from NCAA universities.

Team Canada flies out of Montreal on June 21 and will hold a one-week training camp in Belgrade before kicking off the 16-team Universiade tournament with Group B contests against the Czech Republic on June 30, Morocco on July 2 and the Ukraine on July 4.

The quarterfinal round is set for July 6, the semi-finals for July 8, and the bronze and gold-medal games for July 10.

The Canadians are in tough in Group B as the Ukraine is reigning Universiade champion, while Morocco and the Czech Republic claimed bronze medals in 2005 and 2003, respectively.

"We don't have an easy draw. But then again I don't think anyone has an easy draw," said Mosher. "It's a difficult tourney, period. No opponents can be taken lightly."

"Fortunately, I have a terrific coaching staff with a ton of experience," added Mosher, who has led UBC to a pair of CIS crowns in the last four years. "We all have national or international games experience, so that should be a big help."

A two-time CIS coach of the year who led McGill to a CIS title in 1997 before moving on to Montreal, Raimondo is reunited with Mosher and will be making his third Universiade appearance after assuming head-coaching duties in 2007 and acting as an assistant in 2003 in Daegu, South Korea.

The other assistant coach, Allan Errington from Fraser Valley, is a former assistant with Canada's senior national team, including stints with the World Cup (1992-98) and Olympic (1992-98) squads.

Team leader Randy Bardock has been a CIS coach at Lethbridge for over 20 years and has been part of many provincial programs in Alberta.

TEAM CANADA ROSTER

Position - Name - University - Eligibility * - Hometown
Goalkeeper Haidar Al-Shaibani Western A London, Ont.
Goalkeeper Andrew Kowan Trinity Western 2 Richmond, B.C.

Defence Alexandre Lévesque-Tremblay Laval 4 Baie-Saint-Paul, Que.
Defence Paul Seymour Western 4 Ottawa, Ont.
Defence Jason Gill UBC 2 Abbotsford, B.C.
Defence Jamaal Smith York 3 Mississauga, Ont.
Defence Graham Smith UBC 4 Abbotsford, B.C.

Midfield Guillaume Couturier Montreal 3 Candiac, Que.
Midfield Branko Gavric Charleston # 3 Kitchener, Ont.
Midfield Alexander Marrello Buffalo 3 Burnaby, B.C.
Midfield Josh Northey Saskatchewan 2 Saskatoon, Sask.
Midfield James Scholefield McGill 5 Pointe-Claire, Que.

Mid. / Forw. John Konye Alberta 5 Edmonton, Alta.
Forward Brett Clovin Alberta 2 Calgary, Alta.
Forward Jerson Barandica Hamilton Saskatchewan 2 Saskatoon, Sask.
Forward Matthew D'Angelo Carleton + 5 Ottawa, Ont.
Forward Cole McFarlane Victoria 4 Calgary, Alta.
Forward Daniel Revivo Winthrop 4 Richmond Hill, Ont.

* Indicates year of eligibility used in 2008 CIS / NCAA season;
A - Al-Shaibani used his fourth year of eligibility in 2007. He did not play university soccer in 2008 but is eligible for the Universiade as he graduated from Western in the Spring of 2008;
# College of Charleston;
+ D'Angelo played four years at Saint Mary's before suiting up for Carleton in 2008.

STAFF

Team leader: Randy Bardock, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alta.
Head coach: Mike Mosher, UBC, Vancouver, B.C.
Assistant coach: Allan Errington, University of the Fraser Valley, Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Assistant coach: Pat Raimondo, University of Montreal, Pointe-Claire, Que.
Physiotherapist: David Fleming, Prince George, B.C.

CANADA'S SCHEDULE AND DRAW:

June 30 Preliminary Group B: Canada vs. Czech Republic
July 2 Preliminary Group B: Canada vs. Morocco
July 4 Preliminary Group B: Canada vs. Ukraine
July 6 Quarterfinals
July 8 Semi-finals
July 10 Bronze & Final

Group A: Serbia, Mexico, Great Britain, Ghana
Group B: Ukraine, Canada, Czech Republic, Morocco
Group C: Italy, Uruguay, Ireland, Korea
Group D: Thailand, Japan, France, Brazil

CANADA'S RESULTS IN MEN'S SOCCER AT PAST SUMMER UNIVERSIADE:

2007 (Bangkok, Thailand): 4th
2003 (Daegu, South Korea): 15th
1995 (Fukuoka, Japan): 15th
1993 (Buffalo, USA): 16th
1979 (Mexico City, Mexico): 12th

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 between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are 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.

-TW-

Last Updated: 2009-06-18
Author: Scott Stewart