Abbotsford – The University of the Fraser Valley athletic department is pleased to announce that Tom Lowndes will be the head coach of the Cascades men’s soccer program moving forward.
Lowndes was hired in March of 2015 as interim head coach, following the retirement of former bench boss Alan Errington. He had served as assistant coach under Errington to previous two seasons.
The Cascades thrived under Lowndes’s direction in 2015. They came within a game of earning the program’s first-ever berth to the CIS national championship, only to be turned aside by the No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds in the Canada West semifinals. They bounced back to defeat the Trinity Western Spartans to secure the conference bronze medal, matching the program’s best Canada West finish.
“I’m pleased with the way last season unfolded under Tom’s leadership,” said UFV director of athletics and campus recreation Steve Tuckwood. “In addition to the strong performances on the pitch, the men’s soccer team also had a very good fall semester academically, and I’m confident Tom will continue to move the program forward.”
Lowndes, who hails from Undy, Wales, is a former academy player for Bristol Rovers FC in England, and played varsity soccer in North America at Baker University (an NAIA program in Kansas) and Simon Fraser University (NCAA Div. II). He was a two-time all-conference honouree at Baker University and helped the Wildcats to the 2011 NAIA Final Four.
At the conclusion of his university playing eligibility, Lowndes transitioned to the coaching ranks as an assistant with the Baker University men’s and women’s teams, and helped guide the Wildcats women’s squad to the NAIA Sweet 16 in 2012. He joined the Cascades in 2013 as Errington’s lead assistant.
“It’s exciting – I want to continue all the good work we’ve started here,” Lowndes said, reflecting on his permanent appointment as UFV head coach. “With all the returning players, we should be looking at a really exciting year in 2016.”
