Clan routs Denver's Regis Rangers to advance to NCAA Div II Final Four
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Jules Chopin of Kaslo and the Simon Fraser University Clan have advanced to the final four of the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Tournament with a convincing 5-0 win over host Regis Rangers Sunday in Denver.
The Clan travel to Evans, Ga. for the NCAA Division II semi final December 5 against Carson-Newman of Jefferson City, TN.
Unlike the quarterfinal when SFU needed a late goal and a shootout conversion from Chopin, the Clan put this game away early scoring in the first seven minutes of the game and late in the half.
Ryan Dhillon and Colin Jacques scored in the first half before Carlo Basso (51), Alexander Kleefeldt (83) and Jovan Blagojevic (85) completed the rout.
Brandon Watson faced eight shots to record the shutout.
SFU, 17-2-2 now travel to Blanchard Woods Park inEvans, Ga. for the Final Four.
The other teams remaining are Southern New Hampshire University and Rockhurst of Kansas City.
Kaslo’s Jules Chopin kicks SFU Clan into NCAA Elite Eight
First there was Nelson’s Mitch Popadynetz powering University of BC to the gold-medal in the CIS men’s soccer tournament last Sunday.
Now, another Nelson Youth Soccer player has tasted stardom on the university circuit — this time in the USA at the NCAA level.
Jules Chopin of Kaslo scored in the sixth round of shootout (watch penalty kick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YVde4AfljQ) to spark Simon Fraser University Clan to a win over the University of California, San Diego Tritans to clinch the program’s second straight NCAA West Region title and a trip to the Elite Eight.
The Clan tied the game with four minutes remaining as Jovan Blagojevic scored to even the game at 1-1.
After overtime settle nothing, the teams went to the sixth round of shootout before the Tritans missed and Chopin converted the winner.
This is the second season on the Clan squad for Chopin, who toiled in the NYS system before heading off to play in the Lower Mainland while attending Burnaby Mountain Secondary.
Chopin Graduate of SFU High School Soccer Academy in 2011 and played for U18 CMFSC Metro
Last season as a freshman, Chopin played seven games for the Clan.
This season he started 11 of the 15 games this season for SFU.
The win clinches the Clan’s second straight NCAA West Region Championship and sends SFU to the “Elite Eight” where they will face the host Regis University Rangers.
The Clan’s match Sunday against Regis will begin at 1 p.m. Live stats and audio will be available at athletics.sfu.ca.
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