KAMLOOPS – A trio of members from the Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team have earned conference recognition for their outstanding 2025 seasons.
CANADA WEST RELEASE
Esi Lufo earned a spot as a Pacific Division All-Star while both Sara Kuusimaki and
Floor Ursem were named to the Canada West All-Rookie team. This is the first time in program history that three members of the women's soccer team have been recognized with a Canada West All-Star spot.
It was a record-breaking season for Lufo. The product of Tirane, ALB spearheaded the WolfPack attack with nine goals on the year, a mark that tied her for the most in Canada West. Those nine goals for Lufo also set a pair of TRU women's soccer records as the forward is now the program record holder for single-season Canada West goals (9) and career Canada West goals (12). Racking up 11 points on the year, Lufo also has the most career Canada West points in program history with 21.
There will be no Canada West first or second team all-stars with this year's voting format, but Lufo does become the first player in program history to be named a Pacific Division All-Star.
"Lufo is a top quality player," said WolfPack head coach
Mark Pennington. "This year she really came into her own and we saw her take some real steps after adjusting to the level and speed of play in Canada West. Her ability has shone through and that's a testament to the work she has put in the gym and on the training field that has lifted her to the next level."
A speedy, versatile player that excels on both ends of the pitch, Sara Kuusimaki was named to the Canada West All-Rookie team after an excellent breakout campaign. Starting all 14 games this season for the 'Pack, Kuusimaki tallied a goal in her first-ever conference game.
"Sara has been outstanding and is a little bit of an unsung hero really," said Pennington. "She started the season with our first goal of the year and then as the season wore on due to injuries she went in to play at the back four and has been absolutely outstanding. We are really excited to see how far she can go, I really believe this is the tip of the iceberg for her. She's a hardworking player who goes about her business and works incredibly hard for the team."
A rock at the back all season long for TRU, Ursem started 13 games for the WolfPack. The product of Uitgeest, NED tied the program record with four shutouts in a since Canada West season, making 46 saves with a 1.46 goals against average.
"Floor has come in, taken the opportunity in front of her and has been really good," said Pennington. "The exciting part about Floor is that I think this is just the beginning, I think you will see her go from strength to strength in the next couple of years. She has shown her quality in her ability to keep ball out of the net but also from a distribution perspective, so we are really excited to see where she can go."
Kuusimaki and Ursem join past members of the WolfPack, Chantal Gammie,
Raiya Rumo and
Juli La Rotta in receiving Canada West All-Rookie honours
The trio of honourees helped TRU to a record of 5-8-1, the second-most wins in a season in program history, where they finished just outside of a playoff spot.
"It's super exciting, we obviously love to see our players recognized for the work they're putting in and this shows the direction of the program and project that we are building," said Pennington on having a program-best three players recognizes at the CW level. "While they aren't in it for individual accolades, it's great to see our players recognized across the conference."
