Greedy, Rigby lead talented Caper men’s soccer all-decade team

When it comes to success over the past decade, the accomplishments of the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers men’s soccer program are second to none.

January 12, 2021

Greedy, Rigby lead talented Caper men's soccer all-decade team

When it comes to success over the past decade, the accomplishments of the Cape Breton University (CBU) Capers men's soccer program are second to none.

The highlight of the 10-year stretch – from 2010 to 2020 – was a dramatic U Sports gold-medal victory in 2017, which served as the springboard to garnering silver and bronze-medals in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

Along with a silver-medal effort on the national stage in 2012, the Capers also captured five Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championships (2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019).

In a recent Zoom conversation – as part of the Caper Athletics All-Decade Team Series – head coach Deano Morley unveiled the squad, which includes a starting 11, along with a group he described as "honorable subs." Watch the video here!!

"Certainly an exciting process – it was quite a daunting task, actually," he said, adding the CBU coaching staff engaged in "quite a lot of discussion and debate."

"The way that we really looked at this was – everything that we do in our program isn't around individual accolades … it is about what you bring to a team process; your work ethic, how you get better, how you improve and what you bring to the team and just, overall, the person that you are – in the classroom, in the community and on the field."

Stuart Heath – Morley's "first-ever signing as a head coach" – is one of eight 'honorable subs.'

"I wanted to sign somebody to come in here and help me change the culture and build a program. I needed a leader and – from my first conversation with Stuart – I knew that was him," he remembered.

Morley described Heath as a "tremendous general" – on and off the field.

"Stuart would never back away from anything and that was the character that took us to win a national title [in 2017]," he said.

Morley called Andrew Rigby – one of the starting 11 – "… the best football player that ever played at CBU."

"Anyone that watched this lad play the game would probably agree with me. I am sure that every teammate that played with him would agree with me," he said, adding that Rigby possessed "unbelievable composure."

Ian Greedy and Keishen Bean are also Caper all-decade starters.

"You couldn't have this pairing not on the all-decade team – it was incredible…. Unreal – what a joy to watch those two play football," Morley said.

He described Greedy, the lone Nova Scotian on the squad, as "an amazing talent," while fondly recalling his "bombs" that came off either foot.

Morley added he had "all the ingredients" to be a top-notch professional player, if the timing had been right.

"Ian was a gem," he said.

Describing Bean as a "tremendous finisher," Morley ranked him as the best striker in program history.

"Strong, fast, natural [and] composed – he was literally a man amongst boys," Morley offered.

Reflecting on the process, he said the Caper coaches "feel good about the selections that we have made."

"It wasn't easy, but I know that every one of the players that have been part of … building and contributing to this program, everyone feels proud about being a Caper," Morley added.

The Caper men's soccer all-decade team line-up includes:

Starting 11:

Ben Jackson – Bury, United Kingdom

Sandro Rajkovic – Hamilton, Ontario

Peter Schaale – Bernkastel-Kues, Germany

Euan Bauld – East Lothian, United Kingdom

Jack Simpson – Reading, United Kingdom

Jason Massie – Liverpool, United Kingdom

Charlie Waters – Lancashire, United Kingdom

Andrew Rigby – Wollaton, United Kingdom

Cory Bent – Preston, United Kingdom

Ian Greedy – Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia