Kacee Ougden a step closer to dream after signing with UBC Okanagan soccer

KELOWNA, BC -- The UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team added another strong piece to the 2017 recruiting class with the commitment of centre midfielder Kacee Ougden. The 5’3" grade 12 student from Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary will try and help the Heat build on their 2016 season in which they made the playoffs.

Signing her letter of intent in November of 2016 the Cloverdale resident commented after committing to coach Heat head coach Craig Smith, “I get to play out my dream of playing University Soccer.”

Ougden's future coach Smith is "Pleased that Kacee has decided to join us next year, she is a good technician who can play well between lines and hurt the opposition."

Bi-Lingual after her french immersion schooling she will be studying both Human Kinetics and French with the goal of becoming a French Physical Education Teacher.

Not just happy to be in Kelowna fulfilling her dream, Ougden has big on-field goals in mind as well. The playmaker hopes to achieve All-Canadian status during her time in the Okanagan.

Success and opportunity on the field and the potential in the classroom drew the Lord Tweedsmuir star to UBC's Okanagan campus as she based her decision not fully on soccer but also on the ability to obtain her diploma at one of the best Universities in Canada.

Two other reasons she chose UBCO were the ability for her to develop under head coach Craig Smith and the rest of the coaching staff, including assistant Carli Tingstad as she noted that “Craig cemented my decision," and the opportunity to be a part of the Heat's growth in the Canada West Conference made the choice all the easier.

The future Heat midfielder, like many of the incoming recruits, understands the need to be a part of her community. Currently she volunteers for Help on Wheels, is an assistant coach for Surrey Guildford United, and is involved in the French immersion leadership program at her high school.

Her playing resume includes being on the TSS FC Black Women's select "A" team in 2016-17 and the TSS FC Black Women's premier league spring team in 2016. She was voted the "most inspirational player" by her teammates in 2015. She also won two high school Fraser Valley Championships in Grades Eight and Nine while at Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary.

Ougden will have some familiarity when coming to the Okanagan at the end of summer as her TSS Football Club teammate Jillian Hunt (Centre-back) is also part of coach Smith's 2017 recruiting class.

Anastazia Ziros (Defender) was the PACWEST Rookie of the Year in 2016 as well as a league All-Star will transfer from Langara Collage and three players from the Coquitlam Metro Ford club program will be a part of the Heat's 2017 incoming class, Kathleen Deady (Defender), Mackenzie Pfoh (Striker), and Erica Reis (Midfielder) make up the trio.

The UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer schedule will be released on Wednesday, June 14.

Samantha Anderson from the The Cloverdale Reporter did a nice feature on Ougden in January.  http://www.cloverdalereporter.com/sports/411696756.html