A pair of Abbotsford Senior Secondary School soccer stars have signed on the dotted line with the UFV soccer program.
ASSS Grade 12 students Bryana Buttar and Jehmrode Kahlon will suit up for the women’s and men’s Cascades squads, respectively, starting next fall.
Buttar’s highly decorated youth soccer career was highlighted by a stint representing Canada back in 2014. She was part of the national U15 squad for the CONCACAF championship in the Cayman Islands, helping Team Canada win the gold medal.
Buttar drew interest from universities across Canada and south of the border, but her familiarity with both Cascades men’s head coach Tom Lowndes and Cascades women’s head coach Rob Giesbrecht – who has coached her throughout her time at the Abby Middle/Abby Senior soccer academy – made it a natural decision to sign with her hometown Cascades.
“Bryana is right up there with the top kids we’ve ever brought in,” Giesbrecht enthused.
“She’s made for university soccer. She’s competitive, she’s physical, she’s a warrior, and she’s very intelligent as well. I could play her at a variety of positions, and I could see her excelling. Her physical investment and competitive toughness are the traits that are going to help us the most. She’s a young woman of great character – I can see her as a future leader in our program. She has a passion for excellence, and relentlessly pursues it.”
Kahlon has been part of the B.C. provincial team program from U13 all the way through U18, and he helped the Fraser Valley zone squad win gold at the 2014 BC Summer Games.
In 2016 with his Fraser Valley FC club side, he was named MVP as his team won the BCSPL championship.
Kahlon has also played part-time with the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program, and he has twice been selected for Canadian U15 team camps.
“He’s one of the top recruits we’ve ever signed,” Lowndes said. “He’s had a really good youth career, highly touted and highly successful. He’s a game-changer, and we’re really excited to have him commit to us.
“He’s strong, powerful, and can finish. He goes box-to-box, and he’s a great one-v-one attacker. He’s got great vision, and he’s a gamer. He’s just a quality player.”
For more on the teams, visit ufvcascades.ca.