Dalhousie Tigers men’s soccer coach Alan Jazic is pleased to announce the commitment of Connor Aalders, Yianni Trihopoylos and Suliman Elomrani for the 2020-21 season.
A 5’11 goalkeeper, Aalders comes to the Tigers after two seasons with the Halifax City Soccer Club (HCSC). A current member of the men’s premier team, he helped lead the U17AAA team to a Nova Scotia Soccer League (NSSL) championship title at the end of the 2019 season.
Before joining HCSC, Aalders played two seasons with the Suburban Football Club, helping them to a gold medal performance at the NSSL U17AAA provincials in 2018 and a silver at the end of the 2017 season.
“I am very much looking forward to being a part of the amazing soccer program at Dalhousie under Coach Jazic,” says Aalders. “It’s always been a goal of mine to play soccer at the university level and I am grateful for the opportunity.
The Hubley, N.S. native was named to the Principal’s List in grade 10 and 11 and is set to graduate from Sir John A. MacDonald High School in June. He will be pursing a Bachelor of Engineering while at Dalhousie.
“Connor is a fantastic young keeper and we are very lucky to have him join the Tigers family,” says Jazic. “He’s extremely athletic with great reflexes and shot-stopping ability. Connor has a fantastic attitude and works extremely hard day in and day out!”
Joining Aalders is fellow HCSC teammate, Yianni Trihopoylos.
A 5’6 full back, Trihopoylos helped his U17AAA team to provincial titles at the end of the 2019 and 2017 seasons and has been playing with the HCSC premier team over the winter.
“I am excited to have the opportunity to continue to play at a high level while studying at a great school,” says Trihopoylos. “I look forward to wearing a Tigers uniform.”
The Halifax, N.S. native is a stellar student, making the Principal’s List in grade 10 and 11, while achieving the highest mark in four of his grade 11 classes at Sir. John A. MacDonald High School. He will be pursing a major in environmental engineering during his time at Dalhousie.
“I’m really excited to have Yianni join the squad,” says Jazic. “He’s a great competitor who has a relentless work rate. Yianni plays the game with a high-level of intelligence and he has the ability to play in multiple positions to contribute to the team.”
Also committing to the 2020-21 squad is Suliman Elomrani.
A 6’1 winger, Elomrani is a five-year member of the Halifax Dunbrack Soccer Club and played for Team Nova Scotia for four seasons from 2013 to 2017.
A member of the Halifax West High School team, he helped the Warriors to two-consecutive Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation championship titles in 2017 and 2018.
The Halifax, N.S. native has been a member of the Halifax Wanderers training team since 2019.
“I’m very excited to be attending Dalhousie,” says Elomrani. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to continue my education and join such a great team.”
Elomrani hopes to complete a Bachelor of Science with a major in kinesiology while attending Dalhousie.
“I’m really excited to have Suliman wear the black and gold,” says Jazic. “Suliman is one of the brightest young talents in the province. He’s very dynamic in one-on-one situations and has the ability to create chances for himself and his teammates.”
The Tigers finished third in the regular season standings and lost in the quarter-final round of the 2019 AUS championship.