Kayla Batchilder and Kazuya Iwasaki named UPEI Panther Ladner’s Source for Sports Athletes of the Week

Every week, UPEI Athletics and Recreation recognizes student-athletes for their achievements and contributions to their respective sports. The UPEI Panther Ladner’s Source for Sports Athletes of the Week for September 28–October 4 are Kayla Batchilder (women’s field hockey) and Kazuya Iwasaki (men’s soccer).

Batchilder is a fourth-year kinesiology student from Charlottetown, PEI. She scored seven goals across four games to help lead the Panthers to a perfect 4-0 record at the season’s second league tournament on October 3 and 4, hosted by Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie universities.

“Kayla was a driving force for our team this weekend, scoring seven goals across four games. Her ability to not only find the back of the net but also create chances and assist on numerous other goals gave the team momentum in every match and set the tone for our attack,” said Lacey MacLauchlan, UPEI Women’s Field Hockey head coach.

Iwasaki is a first-year kinesiology student from Charlottetown, PEI. He made a seamless move from midfield to the backline, where his experience, composure, and defensive awareness helped anchor the Panthers in a 1-0 win over the defending champion Dalhousie University Tigers on October 3.

“Kazuya led from the backline both on and off the ball, using his positioning and experience to help us secure a clean sheet and an important victory,” said Mozzi Gyorio, UPEI Men’s Soccer head coach. “He also brought composure in possession, giving the team confidence and calmness when we had the ball.”

Go Panthers Go!