Metro Vancouver…..The KPU Eagles department of athletics and recreation and men’s soccer head coach Srdjan Djekanović are pleased to announce the signing of Mateo Serka, Richmond, BC to the Eagles for the 2015/16 PACWEST CCAA season. A seasoned veteran of the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL), the 6’3 striker returns to KPU to complete his Bachelor of Business Administration and begin his university soccer career.
“Earlier this year we had one of the best 1997-born strikers in BC, Ryan Arthur, commit to our program, and today we are proud to announce that one of the best strikers in BC, any age, commit to us as well. We are so pleased to welcome Mateo to our KPU Eagles men’s soccer family,” stated Coach Djekanović, “Mateo is one of the best strikers in BC and comes to KPU with a proven goal-scoring record at the highest amateur level in Canada. I have no doubt he will make a very significant impact in the PACWEST.”
VMSL Striker and new KPU Eagles men's soccer recruit
Mateo Serka in the Eagles' Nest
A product of Hugh Boyd Secondary, Serka comes to the Eagles from the Richmond Hibernians (December 2014 to present) and Croatia SC (2013-14), both of the VMSL. In the 2015 season with the Hibernians, Serka was tied for seventh in the league in scoring with seven goals. No stranger to high-performance pressure, as a striker with Croatia SC, the team was the 2014 BC Provincial Champs and represented the province at the National Championships. He was also the leading goal-scorer for the Islanders FC of Richmond in back to back years; Division 1 in 2011 and Premier League in 2012.
“Mateo will make his presence known on the field, not only through his goal-scoring skills but in his strong ability to set up his teammates. He will no doubt be a great player but also a terrific mentor for another young star striker we have in Ryan Arthur as well as the rest of our young team,” noted Coach Djekanović, “Mateo’s character and core values align with our team’s culture and philosophy and I have no doubt that he will be a positive influence on our talented Eagles team on and off the pitch.”
The KPU Eagles pre-season exhibition schedule will kick off in August 2015 while the 2015/16 PACWEST CCAA regular season will open on Wednesday, September 9th 2015. Stay tuned to our website www.kpu.ca/eagles as more information will be posted in Summer 2015.
Photo Credit: KPU Sports Information
For more information on the men's soccer program, please contact Srdjan Djekanović, head coach, at msoccer@kpu.ca.
For more information on the Department of Athletics & Recreation, please contact Junelle Mah, sports information and marketing, at 604-786-0804 or at junelle.mah@kpu.ca.
The KPU Eagles Department of Athletics & Recreation enters its 14th season of interuniversity competition. The Eagles are members of the PACWEST conference and play in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) with 100 student-athletes participating on eight varsity teams in men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, badminton and golf. KPU athletics plays its home games at the Eagles’ Nest (Surrey Campus), Northview Golf & Country Club, Newton Athletic Park, all located in Surrey, BC. The Eagles are active in the conference with staff members on various advisory committees and competing to host both provincial and national championships. The student-athletes are mainly from the lower mainland but KPU’s rosters have included student-athletes from North America, South America, Asia and Europe.
Follow the Eagles on Twitter @KPU Eagles, on Facebook www.facebook.com/KPUEagles, or on our website www.kpu.ca/eagles.