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Takhar takes Dartmouth by storm

Amar Takhar, a former Howe Sound Secondary Sounder, is in his third year at Dartmouth College where he is tearing up the soccer field. "His team is doing really well this year," said his father Pepsi Takhar. "They are top of the Ivy League.

Amar Takhar, a former Howe Sound Secondary Sounder, is in his third year at Dartmouth College where he is tearing up the soccer field.

"His team is doing really well this year," said his father Pepsi Takhar. "They are top of the Ivy League."

"If they win the Ivy League, they go to the NCAA national championships."

Only 32 soccer teams in the United States attend the championships.

On a personal level, Amar is doing well - he's tied for first in scoring on his team.

On Sept. 27, Amar scored the first game winner of his college career in a 3-2 victory over Temple in the Adidas/Hypertherm Classic, according to the college's online version of The Dartmouth, the college newspaper.

He was named athlete of the week for the whole college.

He has traveled with the soccer team, called Big Green, to Scotland, and has done an exchange in Barcelona, said Pepsi.

"He's having a wonderful experience. I watched him when the team was in San Diego," Pepsi said.

At that tournament, Amar assisted on the tying goal in one game, and scored the tying goal in another.

Amar went to Dartmouth right out of high school.

"He was over the moon about it. It was just his dream come true," Pepsi said.

He chose the school out of around 30 American school that had sent him letters.

Amar was noticed on the soccer field while he was in Grade 10, but recruiters weren't able to approach him until he was older.

Amar played soccer in Squamish for years. He started in house league when he was five, and joined the North Shore Selects for four years. He played for the Sounders and won two provincial championships with the team. He also played on the provincial team and the National U17 team.

Pepsi said part of the Dartmouth's draw were the academics at the school. Amar is majoring in economics, and wants to become an investment banker.

Soccer may or may not be a lifetime goal.

"He's more concerned with his job prospects," Pepsi said. "He will pursue soccer if something major comes his way.

"If Amar can do it then other kids can do it with lots of hard work and commitment," Pepsi said.

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