Sophie Schmidt has been named to the Canadian women’s soccer roster for the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The 23-year-old midfielder from Abbotsford was one of 17 players selected by newly hired coach John Herdman for the Pan Am Games, which run Oct. 18-27. Schmidt, who already has 68 caps for Canada, plays for Florida-based magicJack of Women’s Professional Soccer.
HADWIN, SLOAN FALL SHORT
Abbotsford golfer Adam Hadwin and playing partner Roger Sloan of Merritt fell just shy of qualifying Canada for the World Cup of Golf.
At a qualifying tournament at Caracas Golf Club in Venezuela last week, the Canadian duo combined to shoot 21 under par through four rounds. That left them in fifth place, with the top three teams moving on to the World Cup.
TOCHKIN, LIEUWEN BACK TO WHL
Abbotsford hockey prospects Kellan Tochkin and Nathan Lieuwen have been returned to their Western Hockey League teams.
Tochkin, a forward who is property of the Vancouver Canucks, was reassigned to the Medicine Hat Tigers last the weekend. He’s hoping to build on a 2010-11 season where he posted 64 points in 70 games split between the Tigers and the Everett Silvertips.
Goaltender Lieuwen, a sixth-round draft choice by the Buffalo Sabres in June, heads back to the Kootenay Ice. He’s coming off a season where he backstopped the Ice to the WHL title, earning playoff MVP honours along the way.
Both players were eligible to turn pro, but their NHL clubs thought another year of seasoning in junior would be best for their development.
LEDGEVIEW GOLFERS WIN ZONE TITLES
A trio of Ledgeview golfers emerged victorious at the recent Zone 3 Champion of Champions tournament at Royalwood Golf Course in Chilliwack.
The event pits club champions from golf courses throughout the Fraser Valley against one another. In the junior girls division, Brooklyn Kraakman shot a 78 and survived a sudden-death playoff to win. Grace Rustulka won the senior ladies title by a two-stroke margin, while Brian Bates won the senior men’s division and shot the low score of the day with a 71.
Ledgeview ladies champ Val Haslam finished second in her division, while men’s champ Todd Castonguay was third in his. Overall, Ledgeview finished third.
BLONDEAU, SIEMENS VICTORIOUS
Alain Blondeau and Alexandra Siemens were the winners in the first annual Farmer Road 8km Fall Classic, held last Sunday in Abbotsford.
Blondeau covered the eight-kilometre course in 29:22 to capture the men’s title, while Valley Royals runner Siemens clocked a time of 34:47 to clinch the women’s division.
This was the first event put on by Peninsula Runners from their new location on Salton Road. All net proceeds were donated to the Abbotsford Food Bank.
In January, Peninsula Runners is hosting its 10th annual Trail Run series, which begins at Crescent Park in White Rock before continuing with stops in Langley and Aldergrove.
LOCK, BIAGIONI HONOURED BY UFV
Mitch Lock and Chantelle Biagioni have been named University of the Fraser Valley athletes of the week.
Lock, a fifth-year student from Mission, helped the Cascades men’s golf team remain in first place in the PACWest standings by shooting a two-day score of 146 in the second tournament of the season.
Biagioni, a fourth-year soccer goalie from Pitt Meadows, backstopped the Cascades women to two draws on the road last weekend. She made seven saves in a 1-1 tie with Calgary, and a season-high 10 stops in a 1-1 tie with Lethbridge.
FIELD HOCKEY GOLD
The Abbotsford Field Hockey Club won a trio of medals at a tournament in Surrey earlier this month.
The local club claimed first place in the U8 mixed and U10 boys categories, and added a silver medal in the U12 girls division. The event was hosted by the Panther Field Hockey Club at Tamanawis Turf Field.
