Doing what comes naturally, SFU's Brad Lyons (right) swoops in for a tackle last season against Central Washington. (Ron Hole/SFU athletics)
Feature University Field Hockey

SFU’s Brad Lyons travels long road to the shortest path, now life’s a rush for the Clan defensive end

BURNABY — As a pass rusher, Brad Lyons has always looked for the shortest and the quickest path into the opposition backfield.Yet it wasn’t until he finally settled on the school that is the shortest and quickest path from his high school days in Port Coquitlam that the 6-foot-4, 250-pound Lyons finally found the place […]

Simon Fraser's Adam Jones has helped re-define the most sought-after traits in Clan soccer recruits. (Ron Hole, SFU athletics)
Feature University Men's Soccer

Why Adam Jones has helped revolutionize the recruiting process for SFU men’s soccer

BURNABY — In mid-November of last year, on the heels of the program’s fifth GNAC championship title and yet another run to the NCAA playoffs, the Simon Fraser men’s soccer program received one of the biggest individual honours in its sport.

(File photo by Ron Hole, SFU athletics)
SFU head coach Kelly Bates saw his team battle in the fourth quarter of an eventual loss Saturday in Phoenix. (File photo by Ron Hole, SFU athletics)
Feature University Football

SFU’s makeshift O-line, QB Richardson impress, but Clan football falls in season opener

In keeping with the theme of last-minute school supply shopping, you could say that the offensive line that the Simon Fraser Clan debuted Saturday night in Phoenix was being held together by paper clips and scotch tape.Except when Clan head coach Kelly Bates marched out two pure freshmen and two converted defensive linemen, the makeshift […]

After a four-year apprenticeship at middle linebacker, Jordan Leech moves into Jordan Herdman's starting spot Saturday in Phoenix. (Ron Hole, SFU athletics)
Feature University Football

Soaking it all up, Clan senior linebacker Leech brings patience, Herdman-mentality to new starting role

BURNABY MOUNTAIN — As a health sciences major at Simon Fraser University, Clan middle linebacker Jordan Leech is aware of two different definitions of the word ‘osmosis’.

Fifth-year senior middle blocker Madison Power (11) brings a bushel of intangibles to the Clan volleyball team. (Ron Hole/SFU athletics)
Feature University Women's Volleyball

The Power of Maddy: Clan senior Madison Power a foundational key in success of SFU volleyball

BURNABY MOUNTAIN — Ask Gina Schmidt about her first official day on the job as the then-new head coach of the Simon Fraser Clan volleyball team and you get a story filled with both comedy and karma.“I watched one practice where they weren’t really doing a lot of game play,” Schmidt remembers of a day […]

Charandeep Rangi (right) of the Fraser Valley Cascades steps in front of Simon Fraser Clan star midfielder Adam Jones on Saturday in Abbotsford. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature University Men's Soccer

UFV men’s soccer fashions resilient roster, young Cascades end preseason in 1-1 draw with SFU Clan

ABBOTSFORD —More depth. Better recruits.And maybe a chance to improve on the school’s U Sports’ regular-season wins record from a season ago?It’s a credit to the Fraser Valley Cascades men’s soccer program that those are its most prevalent preseason themes because if you do the math on paper, the team which opens Canada West conference […]

Simon Fraser freshman Connor Glennon (right) opened his Clan career with the game-winning goal as SFU beat Kerman Pannu (left), Manraj Bains and the rest of the UBC Thunderbirds 2-0. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature University Men's Soccer

Clan strikes early, frosh talent fantastic as SFU topples UBC 2-0 in season-opening superpower clash

VANCOUVER — When it comes to setting the bar in the preseason, Simon Fraser’s Clint Schneider and Mike Mosher of UBC both reach for the sky.In fact if you read the preseason stories on two of Canada’s elite men’s university soccer programs on each school’s official website, both began with the two head coaches re-affirming […]

Delaney Aikens of Shawnigan Lake will play her collegiate rugby for the UBC Thunderbirds. (Varsity Letters photo by Wilson Wong/UBC athletics)
Feature High School University

2017 FINAL BC Recruits List baseball, hockey, athletics, field hockey, rowing, wrestling, LAX, golf

It has been so rewarding seeing all of the response and interest to the 11th annual B.C. Recruits List Week which wraps up today with our overall list! After spending its first decade in the pages of The Province newspaper, it has found a happy home here at Varsity Letters

Kelowna's Grant Shephard makes his return to Canada, signing with the UBC Thunderbirds after one season at Florida's Montverde Academy. (Wilson Wong, UBC athletics)
Feature High School University

Varsity Letters’ B.C. Recruits List 2017: Men’s and women’s basketball

Welcome to Day 4 of Varsity Letters’ 2017 Recruits List week.Thus far we’ve presented soccer, football and volleyball. Today, it’s time to look at basketball.The following is our schedule for the rest of the week:Saturday, July 8 — The entire list, including baseball, cross-country, field hockey, golf, hockey, lacrosse, rowing, rugby, swimming, track and field, […]

South Delta's Ashley Klassen is headed to Florida International for an NCAA beach career. (Photo courtesy Gord Goble, The Richmond News)
Feature High School Boys Volleyball High School Girls Volleyball

Varsity Letters’ B.C. Recruits List 2017: Men’s and women’s volleyball

Welcome to Day 3 of Varsity Letters’ 2017 Recruits List week.Yesterday, we looked at football and we opened the week Tuesday with soccer. Today, it’s time to look at volleyball.The following is our schedule for the rest of the week:Friday, July 7 — BasketballSaturday, July 8 — The entire list, including baseball, cross-country, field hockey, […]