Despite the cancellation of the 2020 U SPORTS soccer season, two first-year Cougars are getting their feet wet in the professional environment.
 
Victor Loturi and Ethan Keen became the second and third Cougars to be selected in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) U SPORTS draft in 2021. The two freshmen were both chosen by Calgary's hometown club, Cavalry FC.
 
The CPL has drafted the top men's Canadian U SPORTS soccer players for the past three seasons. Players selected in the draft are able to sign developmental contracts that allow them to keep their U SPORTS eligibility while playing professionally during the summer and return to play with their university in the fall.
 
In the 2019 draft, Cavalry FC used their second-round pick on another Cougar, Moe El Gandour. In the 2021 draft, Cavalry FC used the sixth overall pick on Loturi and the 11th overall pick on Keen.
 
Loturi, a central midfielder, is playing his second professional season with the Calvary after joining the club's roster in 2019.
 
"I have a bigger role this year. I think the first year was more about learning and gaining experience from some of the older guys," Loturi said. "But, getting to play now and having a more important role, I have to make sure I'm sharp and ready to play every game."
 
Loturi has appeared in all 12 of Cavalry FC's matches, scoring one goal so far.
 
The CPL season started in a bubble in Winnipeg where the Cavalry played their first eight matches at IG Field before returning home on Aug. 3.
 
As the team sits in second place, Loturi hopes to continue both his and the team's strong positioning for the rest of the season, especially as they return to play in front of fans.
 
"I just want to keep up our winning ways at home," Loturi said. "For me personally, I want to score some more goals, keep playing well and keep my spot on the team."
 
Unfortunately for Keen, he suffered a hamstring injury before the team left for the bubble in Winnipeg, preventing him from joining the team this season.
 
However, he spent the pre-season training with the team and gained valuable experience that he hopes to transfer to his play at Mount Royal.
 
"Being a younger player at MRU and being the youngest guy with the Cavalry I think it's important that I take on a role [at MRU] where I'm not necessarily going to lead the team with my voice, but I can help out in the way that I know what the older guys expect and I know what to do on the field, so I can kind of lead in that way," Keen said.
 
For Keen, his focus upon returning to MRU in the fall will be getting the men's soccer team back into contention to make the U SPORTS national championship. In 2019, the team made Mount Royal history as the first team to win a Canada West medal after beating the University of Saskatchewan for bronze.
 
"I'm really focused on the team. The only way for me to improve as an individual and get more opportunities like [the CPL draft] depends on how much success we have as a team," Keen said. "So I just want to win. I'm optimistic that we can win nationals and that's something we can push for my entire career at Mount Royal."
 
Keen and Loturi being drafted together was a special experience for both players who became friends long before joining the Cougars soccer team.
 
"I've known Ethan since we were probably 10 or 11 years old and we played on Alberta teams together growing up," Loturi said. "So to see him come along this whole way and us being on the same team together is just an awesome feeling. It's crazy to think that we played together when we were 13 and now we're playing together on the professional level."
 
For Keen and Loturi, getting drafted before playing in their first U SPORTS match as a Cougar proves their talent and bright futures ahead with the MRU men's soccer team.
 
"It's an honour [to be picked]. There's a ton of players that were in the draft pool and just to be one of them is a motivational thing for me. I want to push myself and prove that I was drafted for a reason," Keen said.
 
"It meant the world to me, now I get to play professionally in front of all my friends and family and all the people and coaches that helped me get to where I am today," Loturi said. "It was a great feeling to stay home so everybody could come to watch us play and it was honestly just awesome."
 
The Cavalry's season continues at ATCO Field in Spruce Meadows, as the team and Loturi push for their first CPL championship.
 
Watch Keen and Loturi in action with the Cougars men's soccer team on Saturday, October 2 at 1 p.m. for their season opener against the University of Alberta! Admission is free for all to enjoy as the men look to start their season off strong!