Lancer Football adds McGarva and Potopilnyj to defence for 2009

Windsor, ON - The Windsor Lancers and Football Head Coach Mike Morencie are pleased to announce the commitment of defensive back/linebacker Matt McGarva and defensive lineman Taras Potopilnyj for the fall of 2009.

McGarva will enter the Odette School of Business in the fall, while Potopilnyj will be studying in the Faculty of Human Kinetics.

McGarva is from Lord Tweedsmuir high school in Surrey, B.C., while Potopilnyj is from Toronto Birchmount Park, which produced former Lancer Oliver Clovis.

"Matt McGarva and Taras Potopilnyj have the speed and football instincts to compete for playing time immediately," Morencie said.

McGarva is the second B.C. native to join the Lancers following defensive lineman Andrew McClary.

"We're starting to move around," Morencie said.

The club also boasts Winnipeg's Geoff Melnechuk and David Tiede.

The Lancers got help with McGarva from his high school coach Kurt Thornton who was coached by Lancer Associate Head Coach Scott Fawcett when he was in high school.

"I chose to attend the University of Windsor because it is a great school, has great facilities, good coaches and feels comfortable," the six-foot, 185-pound McGarva said.

He was named defensive MVP of the B.C. senior football all-star game as well as a conference and provincial all-star.

"He leads by example and sets the tempo for the team," Thornton said. "This past year, he was our leading tackler, leading receiver and second leading rusher."

The Lancer also have high hopes for the six-foot-four, 220-pound Potopilnyj (pronounced Poto-pill-nee), who runs a 40-yard dash in 4.75.

"He's got to get bigger, but he's got a big frame and big hands and you can see already he has a commitment to the weight room," Morencie said.

Rob Pacas, who was Potopilnyj's high school coach, feels he'll quickly rise to the top at the CIS level.

"I expect that Taras will respond to the bigger stage with big plays for the Lancers," Pacas said.

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