Another Sardis secondary school soccer star is heading to the University of the Fraser Valley.
Cascades coach Rob Giesbrecht announced eight new recruits last week. Calista Ballantine, a five-foot-five defender who plays club soccer with Surrey United, joins Meghan Rose and Mackenzie Silbernagel as Sardis grads on the UFV roster.
But it’ll be a while before Ballantine sees action. She’s red-shirting the 2018-19 season following ACL surgery.
“Calista is a dynamic defensive player,” Giesbrecht said. “We could see her succeeding centrally or as an outside back as well. She’s tough in the tackle and she competes hard. We look forward to seeing her through her recovery process and playing for us down the road.”
Prior to joining Surrey United, she played for Fraser Valley Premier, where she helped her team to a pair of provincial finals and earned team MVP honours in the championship game in 2016.
On the school soccer scene, she played alongside Rose and Silbernagel at Sardis Secondary, helping the Falcons to a fourth-place finish at AAA provincials in 2017.
“I know they have a really good soccer program, because I know a couple girls who play here,” noted Ballantine, who plans to enroll in the Bachelor of Science program with an eye on moving on to med school eventually. “It’s close to home which I like, and I also like the small class sizes. I want to make a positive impact on the team, and do well.”
See ufvcascades.ca for more info.
