The University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer team has added three more pieces for the 2022 season.
German centre back Nicolas Burret and a pair of local products – midfielder Michael Beecroft (Coquitlam) and goalkeeper Jackson Lau (Chilliwack) – are set to join the Cascades this fall.
Lau, a 6-3 Chilliwack Secondary student and Coastal FC product, began his youth soccer career with Fraser Valley Metro, earning a pair of top-three provincial finishes – third in 2016, first in 2018 – along with a silver medal at the Phoenix Rising Showcase Cup in 2019. He’s spent the past two seasons at the B.C. Soccer Premier League level with Coastal FC, and is a current member of the B.C. provincial team.
“Jackson will come in and bring high-level competition and challenge our current goalkeepers for playing time,” stated UFV head coach Tom Lowndes. “He is a big, athletic goalkeeper with a commanding presence and he leads from the back. He has extensive experience in the BC Soccer provincial program, and I’m confident this will help him as he moves up to Canada West soccer.”
Burret played youth soccer across the pond for 1. FSV Mainz, winning a U16 regional league title, and he was selected for the South-West rep team.
“Nicolas is a high-quality centre back who will have an immediate impact on our squad,” Lowndes said. “His main attributes are his athleticism, distribution and range of passing from centre back. I’m excited to see him transition from his club team in Germany to U Sports soccer, and we are looking forward to adding someone of his academic and athletic qualities.”
🏔⚽️ | Cascades MSOC is thrilled to introduce its three newest signees!
— UFV Cascades (@UFVCascades) May 4, 2022
✅ Nicolas Burret
✅ Michael Beecroft
✅ Jackson Lau
🗞 https://t.co/CFbaUz6WjI#welcometoUFV #WeClimbWeConquer pic.twitter.com/nRMBhnHJfX
Beecroft spent much of his youth soccer career at Burnaby District Metro Soccer, winning a Coastal Cup championship in 2017. He spent the past season at Fusion FC, excelling at the BCSPL level, and he earned all-star honours at a recent First Touch Football event.
“Michael is a versatile player who is comfortable at centre mid and at centre back,” Lowndes noted. “He will bring us valuable depth in both of these positions and has the desire and work rate to get better every day. He fits into the culture of our program in terms of what we want from a student-athlete, and his athleticism will help him as he transitions into the physical nature of university soccer.”
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