(FREDERICTON, NB) For Jake Martin, UNB’s BMO Centre is a special place.
The wing back, from Winnipeg, captained Team Manitoba to the 2017 U17 national soccer championship on the BMO turf.
“After losing in the final the year prior, it felt considerably more rewarding to achieve what we, as a team, had been searching for since we first came together as a team at 13-years old,” he said.
Now, Martin is returning to the BMO Centre to join the Varsity Reds.
Martin and winger Stuart Loop, from Squamish, British Columbia, are the latest members of the Varsity Reds men’s soccer team’s recruiting class of 2018. Both players have signed U SPORTS Letters of Intent and will join UNB in the coming season.
“I chose UNB to pursue my interest in Engineering while simultaneously bettering my soccer and athletic abilities in a highly competitive environment,” said Martin.
He joins the Varsity Reds after several years with Winnipeg’s prestigious Bonivital SC, and is the latest player with Winnipeg roots to join the Reds, following keeper Evan Barker.
“Jake is a talented left-side player,” said Varsity Reds head coach Miles Pinsent. “He proved his versatility and leadership when he led his U17 club to a national championship here at UNB last October.”
“I’m excited to improve as much as I possibly can during my time with the team and the amazing coaching staff,” said Martin.
Loop comes to UNB from Vancouver’s Mountain United FC, where he helped the club’s U17 side to the 2016 provincial championship and a bronze medal at the national championship tournament, in Lethbridge, Alberta.
“I chose UNB because of the Bachelor of Recreation and Sport Studies program and the stellar reputation of the men’s soccer team,” said Loop. “I felt an amazing atmosphere when I came to visit the campus.”
A versatile player, Loop can lead or assist in attacking, and brings speed and aggression to the pitch.
“Stuart is a tenacious and hard-working winger,” said Pinsent. “He is strong technically and likes to run at defenders in one-on-one situations.”