Kelowna product Erica Lampert has signed on with the UBC Okanagan women’s soccer team for the 2017-18 season.
The 5-foot-3 midfielder and Kelowna Secondary graduate will join a large recruiting class as the Heat gets set to kick off its fourth Canada West campaign.
Lampert began her soccer career in Edmonton at the age of eight. At 12, she realzied an outstanding opportunity to compete internationally, travelling to Agropoli, Italy where her team came home with the gold medal.
Since moving to Kelowna in 2011, Erica has played with the Thompson Okanagan Football (TOFC) club and has competed in the top levels of the BCSPL (BC Soccer Premier League). Lampert twice represented her province, playing for Team BC in both 2014 and in 2015.
In the classroom, the ex-Kelowna Owl will study business management and noted that it was not just athletics that led her to UBCO.
“It’s an excellent school that allows me to pursue my academic and athletic goals while staying at home.”
Being able to keep talented local players at home the coaching staff of the UBC Okanagan Heat including second year head coach Craig Smith are understandably pleased at the ability to work with local players throughout the year and identified Lampert as a player that will fit in well on theri roster.
“We are delighted with the addition of Erica to our roster, she is a local player that brings in a wealth of experience including time with Team BC and six years competing in the BCSPL for Thompson Okanagan Football Club. She is a well rounded box to box midfielder with great technical ability and a strong understanding of the game,” explains Smith.
The local TOFC club has produced two players this year that have made the choice to play for their local University and compete in the Canada West conference for their post-secondary soccer career. Kelowna Secondary’s midfielder Erica Lampert will join Kelowna Christian’s Angela Ostrom on the roster.
Those two TOFC products are part of a large recruiting class in 2017-18 for the Heat women’s soccer program.