The UFV Cascades men’s soccer program reloaded this week with a trio of Surrey soccer talents.
The club announced the additions of Surrey United teammates Jackson Cowx, Brennan Naiker and Navraj Purewal, and the three players will don the green starting this fall.
The players come to UFV with critical spots open on the team.
The UFV program is waving goodbye to three graduating players from its 2018 squad: a pair of goalkeepers (David Hicks and Alex Skrzeta) and an All-Canadian centre back (Tammer Byrne).
Cowx is a goalkeeper, and Naiker and Purewal are centre backs – as such, they’ll instantly add competition for playing time and critical depth at those positions.
The trio join previously announced recruit Jehmrode Kahlon from Abbotsford Senior in the Cascades’ Class of 2019.
“They’ve been part of a very successful team – they won the Provincial Cup together and finished fourth at nationals this year at U17,” stated UFV head coach Tom Lowndes.
“We’re looking to replace some strong individuals who have graduated, and I’m excited about these players.
“They’re competitors, good technical players, and they fit into the culture of our program.”
Cowx was a standout at the Metro level for Surrey United, winning league MVP honours in 2016 before earning a permanent spot with SUSC’s BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) side.
He backstopped the team to a provincial title and a fourth-place finish at the national championships, turning heads with a pair of penalty-kick stops at nationals.
Naiker experienced a great deal of success with Surrey United’s BCSPL side – he won provincial titles at the U14 and U17 levels, winning a U14 national silver medal and adding a U17 fourth-place finish at the 2018 nationals.
Prior to that, he won a U13 Metro championship and was league MVP. Naiker also excelled for his school soccer team, helping his Fleetwood Park Dragons to a fifth-place finish at AAA provincials last season and earning team MVP honours each of the past two years.
Purewal won a trio of BCSPL championships with Surrey United, winning it all at the U13, U14 and U17 levels and adding the aforementioned silver-medal (U14) and fourth-place (U17) finishes at nationals.
He has earned a reputation as a player who blends a solid technical approach to the game with a fierce competitive streak.
For more on the players, visit gocascades.ca.