A Chilliwackian is heading to North Dakota for the next stop on her soccer journey.
Olivia Buckle is part of a 10-player recruiting class for the University of Mary in Bismark, ND.
The Chilliwack FC, Fraser Valley Select and Fraser Valley Premier product will play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
Conference foes include St. Cloud State, Minnesota-Duluth, Sioux Falls, Southwest Minnesota State, Upper Iowa, Winona State, Minnesota State Moorhead, Northern State, Wayne State, Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota State-Mankato, Bemidji State, Minnesota-Crookston and Minot State.
Congratulations Olivia! ⚽️ #ChilliwackFC https://t.co/B0VTLFPrQt
— Chilliwack FC (@ChilliwackFC) November 11, 2020
Buckle is the only Canadian in the U of Mary recruiting class, joined by players from Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
READ MORE: UFV women’s soccer squad adds another Sardis grad
READ MORE: UBC soccer star Victory Shumbusho offers one-on-one training for Chilliwack players
A soon-to-be graduate of Abbotsford’s St. John Brebeuf secondary, her achievements include winning a B Cup provincial title in 2016 and finishing as runner-up in two A Cup finals in 2018 and 2019.
In the classroom, Buckle earned honour roll status in 2017, 2018 and 2020, and made the Principal’s List in 2019. She was St. John Brebeuf’s Athlete of the Year in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
“I, along with our University of Mary women’s soccer staff and team, am very excited to officially welcome all our signees to the team today. We are very proud of these amazing young women both on and off the soccer pitch,” said Mary U Marauders head coach Sarah Cook. “During this pandemic, we had to reinvent how we recruit. During this process, it has allowed us to engage in a lot of amazing conversations with these women and their families, and really evaluate the whole person during the recruitment process, which led us to these ten women.
“These scholar-athletes are outstanding representations of what we strive for at the University of Mary.”
@ProgressSports
eric.welsh@theprogress.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation here.