Lying on his back in the middle of Quest University field, Ben MacGregor could hardly believe it: His postsecondary soccer career had finally come to an end.
MacGregor and his teammates on the Kermodes men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to Simon Fraser University (SFU) on Saturday (March 24), and it was the last time wearing Quest colours for MacGregor, striker Mawuena Mallet and goalkeeper Lucas Menz.
"It's pretty surreal," MacGregor said. "I remember our first year here like it was yesterday and here we are four years later."
He recalled the first team back in 2008 and just how different it was to be in 麻豆社国产after growing up in Scotland.
"I heard about Quest from Adam [Day, former Quest head coach] and it was very different, especially on my first day," he said. "But I quickly settled in and made friends mostly because of football."
The early years of Quest soccer were trying with many losses, but MacGregor said there were some bright spots.
"I'd say beating VIU on our home field was a huge moment for our program," he said of the win on Oct. 16, 2010. "We've never lost to VIU on this field and that says a lot because they're always ranked in the top three in the country."
MacGregor said the Kermodes continue to grow and the evidence was displayed during the team's friendly against SFU.
"Even a game like today shows you how far the program has come," he said. "To play a team in a higher league like SFU so tough is a good sign for Quest."
He added that Mallet and Menz have become close friends and have helped build the Quest men's soccer program.
"Lucas is absolute quality," he said of Quest's goalkeeper. "He's probably the best keeper in our league and Mawuena is a tank out there. He gives the opposition so much trouble whenever he has the ball."
MacGregor's coach, Jonas Worth, praised the impact the three departing seniors have made.
"There's a reason all three are captains," he said. "They've been the heart and soul of this team for a while. Maw's impact is obvious in any game, Lucas is a pro-level goalie playing college ball and Ben is my best overall player, he's so well balanced out there."
Worth added that he was glad to give his team the chance to take on a team like SFU.
"It's a good measure of where we need to be," he said. "I want the boys to play against these tougher teams."
He also said he liked the play of goalkeeper Evan Cross, forward Kevin Berna and was impressed by several new recruits.
As for MacGregor, he said his journey at Quest isn't quite over. He will stay on as an assistant coach for next season and said he's looking forward to the challenge.
"To be fair, I'm not ready to leave the boys yet," he said. "I'm looking forward to stepping in and doing anything I can to help out. I also wanted to say well done to all the boys I've played with over the years and to all the fans who come to our games. The fans here are brilliant and we have a great support system and fan base here at Quest."
For more information on Quest athletics, visit www.questkermodes.ca.
