University of the Fraser Valley men’s soccer coach Tom Lowndes has added two more standouts to his 2017 recruiting class, signing Darash Sandhu and Ravin Aujla.
Sandhu and Aujla are teammates with Surrey United’s top U18 squad, and they’ll be eligible to suit up for the Cascades this fall. Their addition brings the Cascades’ 2017 recruiting class to 10 players.
Darash Sandhu
6’1” forward, Surrey, B.C.
Surrey United
L.A. Matheson Secondary
Sandhu was part of a tremendous run of success for his age-group squad at Surrey United – he celebrated three consecutive provincial championships (2013-2015) and helped the club win a national championship at the U16 level in 2015.
The high-scoring striker also led his Matheson Mustangs high school program to some outstanding accomplishments – he was part of a Fraser Valley championship-winning side in 2014, and helped his team to a sixth-place finish at AAA provincials in 2016.
“Darash is a very dynamic attacker,” Lowndes said. “He’s a natural finisher, and he’s deadly around the box. I think he’s got good potential to challenge for playing time immediately, and physically he’ll fit into our style of play. I think he’ll score goals and be successful at this level.”
“I was comfortable signing with the Cascades because I knew a couple of players who joined last year, and some of my current teammates are joining the Cascades this year,” explained Sandhu. “UFV also has a good kinesiology program that I was interested in.”
Ravin Aujla
6’1” defender, Surrey, B.C.
Surrey United
Cloverdale Learning Centre
Aujla joined forces with Sandhu on the Surrey United club last year, and he’s also experienced some tremendous success at the high school level. He helped guide his Sullivan Height Stars to a fourth-place finish at the AAA provincial championships in 2016.
“He’s a versatile defender who’s had a good season with the Surrey United 99 team,” Lowndes said. “He’s a hard worker, eager to learn, and I’m excited to see how he transitions to U SPORTS soccer.”
Aujla, who plans to major in economics at UFV, has an ability to make runs to advance the ball while maintaining a stout defensive presence.
“I knew Tom from Surrey United, and he’s a good coach,” he said. “I like the way he coaches, and the program is really good. I could see this team going to nationals.”
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