Leave it up to the Jones boys.
Simon Fraser University earned its first win of the exhibition men’s soccer season, knocking off Kwantlen Polytechnic University Eagles 2-1 in a preseason match last Thursday at Terry Fox Field.
Older brother Adam and freshman midfielder Kyle Jones each scored for the Clan.
The Clan played to an earlier 1-1 draw against the University of Fraser Valley on Aug. 21.
“I think I can honestly say that we have position battles all over the field,” said Clan head coach Clint Schneider in a SFU press release. “There are some extremely talented freshmen, everyone is fit and they have done their job this summer to get ready for the season. I see every position as a battle and they are going to push each other to get better.”
Simon Fraser is trying to replace striker Jovan Blagojevic, who was selected as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and West region’s player of the year last season, and was also named to the 2014 men’s soccer All-America second team.
Blagojevic scored 18 goals in 18 games last season, including a conference-leading seven game-winners.
Blagojevic was selected 54th overall by the Vancouver Whitecaps during the third round of the 2015 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. He currently plays for Whitecaps FC2.
While a single fill-in for the talented Clan grad has yet to materialize, Schneider says SFU will find its scoring touch from anywhere on the field.
“I think we will score by committee. We have had teams here at SFU in the past that have scored 70 goals and not because one guy scored 30 goals, but because the responsibility was shared and several players scored nine or 10 goals. That is the type of team we have this year,” said Schneider in the release.
Three different players have scored the Clan’s three goals this season.
Schneider replaced Alan Koch, who is now head coach of Whitecaps FC 2, the new USL PRO team of Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Simon Fraser plays an exhibition match at the University of British Columbia on Friday, before playing its first match against an NCAA opponent, a road game against Sonoma State on Sept. 3.
The SFU varsity women’s soccer team opens its preseason this Thursday with an exhibition match against Douglas College at Terry Fox Field at 7 p.m.
