By: Simran Sarai, Sports Writer

There are a lot of firsts that come with being a collegiate athlete, whether that be the first day of class, first practice, first game . . . the list could go on. But there’s one moment that stands out among the rest: first goal. We asked SFU athletes to take a stroll down memory lane to describe their first goal at SFU  — how it happened, who they played, and what they remember most from that day.

Kyle Bergh, SFU men’s hockey

The fifth year psychology major fondly recalls his first goal as a freshman against the Trinity Western Spartans. “I remember it fairly well, mainly because it was my first game with the team,” Bergh said. “It was also a meaningful goal for me because I had red-shirted the first semester — so after a lot of sitting in the stands, it was just great to be back playing, and to score was even more of a bonus!” 

Speaking of bonuses, how about not knowing how the puck found its way in the back of the net? “The goal was quite funny, I moved the puck to my linemate as we entered the zone and went hard to the net,” explained Burgh. The only way Burgh was going to score is if a rebound from his teammate ricocheted off the goalie and onto his stick. That’s if his teammate did decide to shoot the puck. 

“I got tied up with the player in front, and to my surprise, my linemate had passed me the puck, and it somehow hit off my stick and went in, unbeknownst to me!” While it might not have been the prettiest of plays, it doesn’t make the moment any less special to the winger. “I still have the puck with the date and team written on it, sitting on my mantle. I am looking at it now!”

Niko Papakyriakopoulos, SFU men’s soccer

The junior left back, double minoring in business and communication, also remembers his first goal at SFU in great detail. “It was last year in Lacey, Washington against Sonoma State University. I was a sophomore playing in my first season for SFU,” the transfer from Western Michigan shared. “The goal was a set play my coach drew up from a corner kick. The ball was passed to me on the edge of the box, and I shot it low with my left foot.” 

While the set play worked out to plan, similar to Bergh, Papakyriakopoulos’ goal wasn’t possible without a bit of fortune. “It was a little bit lucky considering it went through two players legs before hitting the back of the net,” he said. By the end of match, Papakyriakopoulos’ goal had earned him not one, but two achievements. “It was the first goal of the game, and the eventual game winner, so I felt great that I could put my team in the lead, and my teammates all felt the same.”