Three members of the Carleton Ravens varsity soccer teams will be donning the Canadian red and white at the 27th Summer Universiade in Kazan, Russia.
Rachel Bedek and Veronica Mazella will suit up for the Canadian women’s soccer team, while Joey Kewin is the only Raven on Canada’s men’s team.
Every two years, the Fédération internationale du sport universitaire (FISU) holds a Summer and Winter Universiade staged in different host cities.
The Summer Universiade is an international sporting and cultural festival feautring over 10,000 university athletes from around the world, according to the FISU website.
Kewin said he was “ecstatic” about cracking the Canadian lineup.
“Ever since I started university, it’s always been a goal of mine and I’m thrilled that I can finally achieve it,” he said.
Bedek will be appearing in her second consecutive Universiade, after representing Canada as a goalkeeper at the 2011 edition in Shenzhen, China.
She said she is hoping for more success this time around, after finishing in fifth place in her first experience.
“Hopefully, as a team, we will be able to pull out a gold medal, but that’s always the end result we are looking for,” she said. “Individually, I just want to be the best person I can be, and do everything I can to put my best foot forward and to show up and perform.”
Mazella, a Ravens midfielder, said she was “speechless” that her hard work paid off with an invitation to represent Canada at the upcoming Universiade.
“To represent Canada at an international level is a dream of mine, and to be able to accomplish that is a feeling that I can’t even describe,” she said.
Alex McNutt, coach of the Ravens women’s soccer team, said he would expect nothing less from the two talented players.
“I’m very happy for the girls, and very proud of them for the achievement of being selected to the squad to represent Canada,” he said.
“Rachel is a leader. She’s got a winning mentality, and she is just one of those dependable players. And [Veronica] is very aggressive and very competitive.”
Kewin will be making his Universiade debut at this year’s event.
“I went into the tryouts kind of pessimistic,” he said. “But then I had a good showing and the coaches liked me, and I was confident about my chances. When I got the call from the coaches, it was nothing but joy.”
Kewin said he credits much of his success and growth to his four years spent with the Ravens.
“My coaches have been instrumental in my development, as a player, as a student and as a person,” he said. “I’ve been able to learn a lot and develop my on-field game, but also my off-field leadership as well.”
Mazella also said her experience playing for Carleton has helped her prepare to compete on the world stage.
Ravens defender Briana De Souza was also offered a spot on the Canadian women’s Universiade roster, but declined due to work and prior commitments, according to McNutt.
Both Canadian teams are scheduled to play their first preliminary round games July 5, with the women’s team facing Mexico and the men taking on France.
