The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack men’s soccer team has secured another recruit for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
It’s a name likely familiar to those involved in local high school soccer, as born-and-raised Kamloopsian Luca Cupello has committed to TRU.
"One of the things we liked about Luca was his ability to take players on,” WolfPack men’s soccer head coach John Antulov said of the talented winger.
“He's very much an attacking player, very good technically, good on the 1v1, quick, strong, so you know we really hope he's going to add a real offensive threat for us.”
Antulov added that he has continually seen Cupello work hard on his own to reach the next level, displaying that he has “the drive to want to get better.”
“We continually see him at the fields, and trying to get touches on the ball so you know, that obviously bodes well for him and wanting to get to the next level and succeed,” he explained.
⚽️ MSOC | A local star for @kysanews and Sa-Hali is staying home to join the 'Pack!
— TRU WolfPack 🐺 (@GoTRUWolfPack) December 4, 2024
🗞️ https://t.co/gyQnsBI70T#FearTheWolf pic.twitter.com/9IPZp0fJ1H
Cupello, who is set to graduate from Sa-Hali Secondary in a few months, started his soccer career with Kamloops Soccer Quest from the ages of five to 13.
As he got into his important teenage years, Cupello decided to stay local and transfer into the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association.
He said he “wanted to show kids that you don’t need to play for those high-end teams to be successful.”
“Being a Kamloops guy, this means a lot to me to represent my hometown and brings a lot more emotion and passion into the game while playing for my hometown,” he added.
"This is a great opportunity to play for my hometown team after growing up here my whole life."
Cupello plans to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at TRU.
