KAMLOOPS – Just one day ahead of a Canada West quarter-final match in Calgary, the Thompson Rivers WolfPack men's soccer team received recognition from coaches across the conference.

COMPLETE CANADA WEST RELEASE
 
Captain Jan Pirretas Glasmacher was named a Canada West First Team All-Star, graduating forward James Fraser to the second team and standout freshman Akwasi Agyekum to the All-Rookie team.
 
The total of three players earning Canada West recognition is the second-most in program history, only behind the six athletes honoured on the eventual U SPORTS bronze medal winning 2017-18 squad.
 
"It's huge for our program, it shows that these guys are quality players and that our program is bringing in quality players," said WolfPack head coach John Antulov. "It just shows the progression of where we're at and what we are doing. I think potentially we could have had a couple more all-stars but to have three is substantial and we are very grateful."
 
Starting every game and playing in nearly every minute over the course of the season, the fourth-year centre back Glasmacher once again led by example for the WolfPack. The product of Barcelona was the centrepiece of a defence that allowed just 10 goals in 12 games, the fewest in the West division.
 
"Jan is one of the top defenders and one of the players in Canada West from my point of view," said Antulov. "He's the rock at the back that steadies the ship and is just a great leader and a great captain."
 
Fifth-year forward James Fraser was key for the WolfPack this season, leading the team in goals (3) and points (4). In his final season of action with the 'Pack Fraser tallied a pair of game-winning goals and also showed a flair for the dramatic with two of his goals coming after the 90th minute of play.
 
"James gives you 100 per cent every day," said Antulov. "Even if he's not scoring goals, he's doing so many good things on the field. He's our first defender and you're not going to find a player that's going to work harder than him."
 
Rounding out the WolfPack honourees was rookie Akwasi Agyekum. Starting 11 of the WolfPack's 12 matches, Agyekum played a crucial role as a holding midfielder. The business student from Calgary shielded the WolfPack back four and was a pivotal piece of that divisional-best defence.
 
"I believe I hit the jackpot with Akwasi, he was the missing piece for us in terms of how we play and what we needed for our team to succeed," said Antulov. "Defensively he just covers so much ground, reads the play so well and he's really starting to progress on the offensive side and I think he's nowhere near hitting his ceiling with where he can be in the next couple years. He's going to be a focal point, along with a couple different guys, of our program for the next five years.   
 
Glasmacher, Fraser, Agyekum and the rest of the WolfPack will play the most important game of their 2021-22 schedule so far when they travel to face the Mount Royal Cougars in a Canada West quarter-final. The game kicks off at noon pacific and can be watched live on campus at The Den.

First Team All-Stars

• Goalkeeper
  • Jake Ruschkowski / Calgary / 4 / Calgary, AB / Engineering
• Defending players
  • Evan Libke / Victoria / 5 / North Vancouver, BC / Education
  • Justin Anderson-Louch / Mount Royal / 5 / Calgary, AB / Business
  • Jan Pirretas Glasmacher / Thompson Rivers / 4 / Barcelona, ESP / Business
  • Adam Huskic / Calgary / 4 / Cazin, BIH / Engineering
  • Noah Cunningham / Alberta / 5 / St. Albert, AB / Grad Studies & Research
• Attacking players
  • Mohamed El Gandour / Mount Royal / 3 / Calgary, AB / Business
  • Isaac Koch / Victoria / 5 / West Kelowna, BC / Education
  • Ajeej Sarkaria / Alberta / 5 / Edmonton, AB / Agriculture, Life, and Env. Sciences
  • Trevor Zanatta / Fraser Valley / 3 / Coquitlam, BC / Criminal Justice
  • Carlos Patino / Alberta / 3 / Tulua, COL / Arts

Second Team All-Stars

• Goalkeeper
  • Nicholas Reitsma / UBC Okanagan / 4 / Kelowna, BC / Medicine
• Defending players
  • Ryan Donald / Fraser Valley / 5 / Surrey, BC / Business Admin
  • Christopher Lee / UBC / 1 / West Vancouver, BC / Kinesiology
  • Caden Rogozinski / Mount Royal / 1 / Calgary, AB / Business
  • Brandon Torresan / Trinity Western / 1 / North Vancouver, BC / GENBA
  • Aaron Hidalgo-Mazzei / Saskatchewan / 2 / Winnipeg, MB / Kinesiology
• Attacking players
  • Christian Rossi / Trinity Western / 1 / Surrey, BC / HKIN
  • Nikolas Baikas / Saskatchewan / 3 / Saskatoon, SK / Business
  • Tristan Torresan / Trinity Western / 2 / North Vancouver, BC / BUSBA
  • Dane Domic / Mount Royal / 2 / Calgary, AB / Communications
  • James Fraser / Thompson Rivers / 5 / Penticton, BC / Business

All-Rookie Team

• Christian Rossi / Trinity Western / Surrey, BC / HKIN
• Kundai Dziwa / Calgary / Calgary, AB / Engineering
• Akwasi Agyekum / Thompson Rivers / Business
• Caden Rogozinkski / Mount Royal / Calgary, AB / Business
• Brandon Torresan / Trinity Western / North Vancouver, BC / GENBA
• Alvin Mazaheri / MacEwan / Copenhagen, DEN / Commerce
• Thomas Spiess / Fraser Valley / Nuremburg, GER / Business Admin
• Gareth Smith-Doyle / Calgary / Science
• Bennett McKay / UBC / Delta, BC / Arts
• Ethan Keen / Mount Royal / Calgary, AB / Business
• Christopher Lee / UBC / West Vancouver, BC / Kinesiology