KELOWNA, B.C. – Fresh off back-to-back appearances in the Canada West quarter-finals, the UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team is set to add 10 talented new student-athletes to their roster for the 2025 season.
 
Five of the athletes coming to UBCO will be staying in their home province, including Charlotte Schommer of Vernon, B.C., Kat McCleary of Kamloops, B.C., Katie Chan and Katie Scarth, both of Burnaby, B.C., and Lucy Evans from Port Coquitlam, B.C.
 
The other five athletes will all join the Heat from Alberta, including Rowan MacPherson of Sherwood Park, Alta., Haden Thomas of Edmonton, and Maria Georgacacos, Brooke Burrows and Julian Hannan, all from Calgary.
 
"I'm really excited about the incoming group of players," commented Heat head coach Craig Smith. "We have players of all different skill sets; some are good between the lines, some really good at running in the depth with some very good in the duel in both attacking and defending. We're looking forward to see them training with our current group as the potential of this class is very exciting and they're all great people who will create really strong friendships on the team."
 
Schommer and McCleary headline the list of 10 recruits as they are both set to stay close to home after playing their club soccer for Okanagan United FC. Schommer is a 5-8 centre back who has also participated in the BC Soccer provincial identification program. Meanwhile, McCleary is a 5-6 goalkeeper who has also suited up for Rivers FC in League1 BC. In 2024 she won the Vancouver Cup and was a member of the Premier College Showcase All-Star Team.
 
Chan joins the Heat after playing for the TSS Rovers in League1 BC. The 5-4 centre back has also suited up for the BC provincial team and won the 2023 Provincial A Cup.

Scarth comes to UBCO from Coastal FC and Premier Academy. The 5-5 midfielder won the 2023 San Diego Surf Cup and has played with the BC provincial development group.

Evans joins the Heat from Langley United. The 5-5 left winger has won back-to-back BCSPL Championships as well as the Las Vegas Mayors Cup while also participating in the PDP Canadian National Championship.
 
The group of athletes joining the Heat from Alberta are led by the duo of MacPherson and Thomas, both graduates of the Edmonton Juventus Soccer Club.
 
MacPherson is a 5-7 centre back who has won multiple provincial medals, including bronze at the 2023 outdoor championships and silver in 2024. She was also a member of the National Development Centre Canada Select team in 2023.

Thomas is a 5-4 winger who also suited up for League1 Alberta side BTB Soccer Club. Last season she played 612 minutes over 10 games, scoring once in a 2-2 draw with St. Albert.
 
Georgacacos will be a familiar name to Heat fans as she joins her sister Eleni, a 2023 Canada West All-Rookie, at UBCO.

The 5-7 midfielder brings a decorated resume to the Heat. The South West United club member earned a trial with the U17 Greek national team in 2022 while also participating in multiple Canada Soccer development teams. This past summer as a member of Callies United in League1 Alberta, she played 340 minutes over nine games, scoring three goals.

Burrows is a 5-5 midfielder from the Calgary Rangers. In 2024 she won silver at the provincial championships and was selected for the All-Star Game of Distinction Premier Spring Showcase in Surrey.

Finally, Hannan is a 5-2 midfielder who played at South West United. Last summer she earned a call up to Callies United League1 Alberta while also earning an invitation to the Alberta Soccer High Performance identification camp.
 
The 10 new additions will join a Heat program that is coming off a 6-5-3 regular season record, their second consecutive campaign with an above .500 record. The Heat also set a program record for fewest goals allowed in a season since joining Canada West, conceding just 15 times in 14 matches.