University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer head coach Rob Giesbrecht has rounded out his 2017 recruiting class by signing Raman Bachra.
Bachra comes to the Cascades from Surrey United’s top U18 side, and her addition brings the Cascades’ 2017 class to 12 players.
“Raman is a hard-working, skillful player,” Giesbrecht said. “She’s an intelligent soccer player and she possesses the character that we look for as we build our program. Over the past couple years, Raman has played in the BC Soccer Premier League (BCSPL) and has improved her game. We’re looking forward to that progress continuing as she transitions to university soccer.”
During her early teen years, Bachra played both soccer and basketball, but she left the hardwood behind in favour of the pitch three years ago and honed her game at the BCSPL level. Her Surrey United team made it as far as the provincial semifinals this season and won the President’s Day Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. in 2016.
The 5’6” midfielder was part of a silver medal-winning Fleetwood Park Secondary squad at high school soccer provincials as a senior, and she earned athletic awards in Grade 9 and 10 at her previous high school, North Surrey Secondary.
Bachra, an aspiring physiotherapist, will pursue a kinesiology degree at UFV.
“Just watching games throughout the year, from basketball to soccer to volleyball, the atmosphere of the school is amazing,” she said. “I’ve heard from physiotherapists that the kinesiology program at UFV is really great, and that led me to choose UFV.”