VIKES #2 IN MEN’S CONFERENCE SOCCER POLL

By David Bandla

EDMONTON – The UBC Thunderbird men top the 2010 Canada West conference soccer polls recently conducted among coaches across the league.

With coaches not permitted to vote for their own school, the UBC men received five first-place votes, while #2 Victoria, #3 Alberta and #4 Trinity Western receiving one first-place vote apiece.

Here are the complete MEN’S voting results, based on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2 system (first-place votes in parenthesis):

1. UBC                        53 (5)
2. Victoria                   46 (1)
3. Alberta                    43 (1)
4. Trinity Western       40 (1)
5. Saskatchewan         31
6. Fraser Valley           26
7. Calgary                    21
8. Lethbridge              16

Topping the 2010 Canada West preseason men’s soccer poll are the UBC Thunderbirds, which return key veterans Tyson Keam, 2008 Canada West Rookie of the Year Devin Gunenc and Marco Visintin as they aim for another first-place regular season finish and hope for more post-season success. While First Team All-Canadian Graham Smith is no longer on the roster, Keam and Gunenc, who scored four goals apiece last season, are returning Canada West All-Stars.

Placing second in the conference-wide coaches’ poll, the Victoria Vikes are defending CW champions, but the departure of All-Canadian Cole McFarlane, along with All-Stars Sam Wingham and Dan Kilpatrick will present new challenges. All-Star Bobby Eng and talent Jordie Oberg are back for the Vikes in 2010.

The Alberta Golden Bears sit #3 in the CW poll, with All-Canadian Brett Colvin, All-Star Harman Braich, Milan Timotijevic and goalkeeper Jaswinder Gill all back for another season. Sam Lam is back after a two-year absence, while Matthew Strelow, Cam Black and Dean Northover are no longer with the club.

Despite being #3 in the most recent CIS poll, the Trinity Western Spartans actually rank lower, at #4, in the Canada West poll. Picking up one first-place vote, the 2009 CIS bronze medalists are guided by second-year head coach Pat Rohla, who returns All-Star Jordan Whitehead, veteran keepers Andrew Fink and Andrew Kowan, along with Rhys and Brayden Volkenant. Difficult to replace will be CIS MVP Paul Hamilton on defence and All-Star Nathan Pogue, who led Canada West with nine goals and 12 points in 2009.

Fifth among the coaches were the Saskatchewan Huskies, happy to see the return of All-Canadian Josh Northey, All-Star Eoin McFadden and former All-Star, striker Jerson Barandica-Hamilton. Striker Steve Irinici, who has two goals and four points in 2009, has moved on, giving recruits Paul Craig and Nick Clark a chance to step in.

The Abbotsford-based Fraser Valley Cascades see the return of All-Star James Giebelhaus and fellow fifth-year defenders Andrew McCullough and Nick Turner. Top scorer Ethan Claiborne-Collins, who found the net on four occasions in 2009, is also back, along with forward Josh Atebe.

Sitting #7 in the conference preseason poll, the Calgary Dinos will benefit from the return of former All-Star and now fifth-year goalkeeper J.P. Crescenzi, with the departure of lone conference All-Star, Joe Long, a tough player to replace on defence. Izak Lawrence, who missed all of 2009 with an injury, could be a sparkplug on offence for a team that scored a league-low 12 goals in 2009.

Finishing at #8 in the preseason prognosis are the Lethbridge Pronghorns, which improved by three points and one position in the standings a year ago. Despite losing All-Star Mike O’Brien, back for 2010 are defender Steve Brown, forward Andrew Malcolm, standout midfielder Matt Medoruma and goalkeeper Jordan Campbell.

WOMEN’S SOCCER 2010-11 SEASON PREVIEW

By Andrew Smith

2009-10 conference record: 9-2-3 (2nd)
2009-10: CW Playoffs (0-2)
Last CW Title: 2008
Last CIS title: 2005

Last year the UVic Vikes women’s soccer team had their run of five straight CIS Championship appearances broken after a frustrating postseason, but entering 2010 optimism abounds with a new-look offence installed to complement an acclaimed defensive unit.

OVERVIEW
In her ninth season at the helm of the Vikes, head coach Tracy David hit the recruiting trails hard this off-season in order fill the balance between her new-look offence and All-Star studded defensive nucleus.

2009 IN REVIEW
The Vikes closed out the regular season with a series sweep over eventual national champs Trinity Western and posted a 9-2-3 record to clinch the no. 2 seed heading into the conference playoffs. Their hopes of securing a fifth straight CIS berth were dashed, however, when star striker Kendra Flock was plucked from their lineup for a Senior National team camp in Florida.

A Flock-less Vikes were unable to produce offensively as the squad was bounced from the postseason with back-to-back losses. It was a tough exit for the no. 2 Vikes led by graduating CIS All-Canadians Jackie Snell and Holly Fiddick.

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
The Vikes enter the season with a tested veteran defensive core led by 2009 Canada West all star ‘keeper Stephanie Parker who posted eight shutouts and a second best 1.19 goals against last season. Conference All-Stars Shayla Behrens, Sarah Clark and Nellanna Kurylo will provide leadership in the backfield while Frankee Bencher, the Vikes second-highest ’09 scorer will lead a new-look offence.

OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS
Headlining a bevy of recruits for the Vikes is Jaclyn Sawicki, a Canada Under-20 standout and key contributor to B.C.’s 2009 Canada Games gold medal run. Sawicki is joined by fellow Whitecaps standouts Kendra Williams and Maryse Reichgeld, both products from North Vancouver.

COACH’S COMMENTS
“I think everybody is really excited and we have a lot of new players that bring a lot of positive energy to the team,” Tracy David said. “When we have a team where we’ve lost some key players, we look to rely on our veterans. Key for us to anchor our backline is Shayla Behrens who we look to for her leadership as well as her technical abilities. Behind her stands Steph Parker… so when you have two of those sorts of players in the back, we’re hoping that they will stop a lot of goals.”  – govikesgo.com

2010-11 SCHEDULE
Canada West Fall schedule:

Sep 11, at Manitoba, 10:00am
Sep 12, at Regina, 12:00pm
Sep 18, at Fraser Valley, 12:00pm
Sep 25, Fraser Valley, 2:15pm
Oct 2, Trinity Western, 2:15pm
Oct 3, UBC, 12:00pm
Oct 8, at UBC, 5:00pm
Oct 9, at Trinity Western, 5:00pm
Oct 16, at Saskatchewan, 12:00pm
Oct 17, at Alberta, 12:00pm
Oct 23, Regina, 12:00pm
Oct 24, Manitoba,12:00pm
Oct. 30, Lethbridge, 12:00pm
Oct. 31, Calgary, 12:00pm
Nov 4-6, Canada West Championship at tbd
Nov 11-14, CIS Championship at Charlottetown, PEI

Home games in bold to be played at Centennial Stadium.

TRIAL BY FIRE FOR OVERHAULED SOCCER VIKES

By Andrew Smith

It will be a case of trial by fire for an overhauled UVic Vikes men’s soccer team as they pursue their third consecutive conference championship after graduating 12 key veterans on their 2009 roster.

OVERVIEW
For the first time in five years, Vikes head coach Bruce Wilson will be without his star striker Cole McFarlane, a three time CIS All-Canadian who topped the Vikes scoring charts for five consecutive seasons. Second year defenseman Bobby Eng, the Vikes only returning conference All-Star and newly appointed Captain Jordie Oberg will lead a new-look Vikes roster that features 75 per cent of its players in their first or second year.

2009 IN REVIEW
A veteran line up peaked down the stretch when they won their three remaining regular season matches and squeaked past Alberta in the conference final to secure the only available berth to the CIS Championship. The Vikes stumbled in the opening round at the CIS tournament against Toronto only to thrash UPEI 6-2 and edge Cape Breton 3-2 for the consolation prize.

KEY RETURNING PLAYERS
Donning the captain’s arm band, Jordie Oberg, a third year striker and Canada West’s third-highest scorer in 2009 will play a key role in galvanizing the Vikes youthful offence. Oberg and McFarlane led the Vikes to a conference high 35 goals last season. Leading the squad in the backfield will be Canada West All-Star Bobby Eng, who logged a team-high 1700 minutes of playing time in his rookie season. Eng will feature with Elliot Mitrou, the Vikes new ‘keeper who emerged from a three-way preseason battle for the no. 1 jersey.

OFF-SEASON ADDITIONS
Vancouver Island AAA champion Craig Taylor highlights the freshman class for the Vikes and has proved to be a versatile utility player both in the defence and midfield. Starring alongside Taylor in the preseason is Spencer MacKinnon, a recent graduate of Abbotsford’s Yale Secondary who has led the Vikes offence in the build up to their Canada West opener.

COACH’S COMMENTS
“We spent half a decade developing a very strong squad that led us to the Canada West title twice,” Bruce Wilson said. “But now it’s time for a new era of Vikes to come through the system and although we are very young, there is a lot of potential in this team.” – govikesgo.com

2010-11 SCHEDULE
Canada West Fall schedule:

Sep 11, at Calgary, 2:00pm
Sep 12, at Lethbridge, 2:15pm
Sep 17, at Trinity Western, 7:00pm
Sep 18, at UBC,7:15pm
Sep 25, Alberta, 12:00pm
Sep 26, Saskatchewan, 12:00pm
Oct 3, Fraser Valley, 2:15pm
Oct 9, at Fraser Valley, 2:15pm
Oct 16, at Saskatchewan, 2:15pm
Oct 17, at Alberta, 2:15pm
Oct 23, UBC, 2:15pm
Oct 24, Trinity Western, 2:15pm
Oct 30, Lethbridge, 2:15pm
Oct 31, Calgary, 2:15pm
Nov 5-6, Canada West Championship tbd
Nov 11-14, CIS Championship at Toronto, ON

MARINERS MEN’S SOCCER | THEY COULD RUN AWAY WITH IT

By Randy Wachtin
Incider.ca

Bill Merriman, head coach of Vancouver Island University’s Mariners mens soccer program has an enviable problem.

Every player in his pre-season camp has the ability to be a starter on his team. Roster limits imposed by Canadian Colleges Athletic Association means difficult decisions are coming down the road.

With many players returning from their silver medal provincial season a year ago, it is the first year recruits & walk-ons raising eyebrows of the coaching staff. Nervous, and rightly so, are the veterans of a quality team.

Their spots are not chiseled in stone, and they know it.

Players are fit and already in game shape. A lengthy list on the VIU pre-season roster competed with Highlanders FC, Highlanders Reserves and Victoria United this past summer including Jared Stephens, Dano Cato, Davis Stupich, Chris Arnett, Ben Leggett, Chris Merriman, Romaie Martin, Ishimine Akihiro and Yoshi Wantanabe

The boys have three games under their belts in pre-season scrimmage tests with positive results that will capture your attention. A 5-0 winning score vs. Nanaimo United got the wheels rolling. A 1-0 defeat to Provincial Senior A Champion Gorge FC was no setback by any means. The result confirmed the small island university program has a competitive pool of players.

The head turner happened this week with a solid 2-1 victory versus University of Victoria’s Vikes men’s program.

Stephen Ewashko opened the scoring on a first half penalty from the spot. Jarred Stephens netted the bomb to break a 1-1 tie in the second half for the winner. A first time victory over their Vancouver Island cousins.

Merriman is keeping expectations in check. He knows the boys are in a tough provincial conference. It has been a dozen years since the school from Nanaimo has captured a provincial crown and their only national banner was captured in 1983.

While Incider will refrain from creating hub city hype, there is a hint that fans of soccer in Nanaimo are in for something special this fall. This is a team that contains a wealth of skill, speed, size and deft ability. They’re going to be an entertaining group to watch.

VIU Mariners conclude their exhibition schedule with an away test in Burnaby, Saturday, Sept. 4 vs. Simon Fraser University. This is SFU’s first season competing in the NCAA Div II standard in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Kick off is 12 noon at Fox Field.

For fans in Nanaimo, VIU’s BC Colleges Athletic Association league home opener vs. Quest University is scheduled Saturday, Sept. 11, 3 p.m. at Mariner Field.

24-HOUR SOCCER GAME AUG. 28

Sooke Soccer Club is holding a 24-hour soccer game Aug. 28 to raise money for its turf field.

Details at http://www.sookesoccer.com/

VIU RAMPING UP FOR 2010-1 SEASON

By Brent Dunlop

(ISN) — VIU Mariner Athletics is gearing up for the 2010-11 season …

The women’s soccer team has just  departed on its California tour , while the men’s team battle the Nanaimo United and Gorge FC on the weekend.

On the 17th the the women play San Diego Mesa, 19th Vanguard @ LA, 20th Cal State San Marcos, returning home on the 22nd.

Our Men’s soccer teams played some exhibition games this past weekend in Nanaimo on the Merle Logan field.

Saturday the VIU men’s soccer team played against a young Nanaimo United FC Div 2 and came away with a 5-0 win, both teams using the game to see how the new players looked for their up-coming seasons.

Romain Martin made a nice play down the sidelines and knocked in a cross that Jared Stephens was able to get on the end of and put VIU up 1-0 12 min into the game. Then 20 minutes later first-year players Dan Citra and Chris Merriman off a set piece to help Jared Stephens collect his 2nd goal of the game.

Aki Ishimine finished off the 1st half with a goal, set up by some nice individual work by Stephen Hill. The team played well the first half passing the ball well and playing with a high work rate.

The second half was a lot like the first with the team working hard to keep possession and winning the ball back if they lost it. Merriman connected with Jarred Stephens once again tow minutes into the second half to give VIU a 4-0 lead and Jared Stephens collecting a hat trick.

Then Chris Arnett with the goal of the day, the play starting with some three-way passing between Merriman, Matt Mehrassa and then Aki Ishimine laying a ball back to Arnett who hits it from 20 yards, top corner. Ben Leggett anchored the back line with Robbie Cochrane and Daniel Mercer combining for the shutout.

It was good to see a number of first-year players fit in so well with our returning players. The chemistry of the team was very good and they still have a few more players coming in that will add to the team.

Sunday VIU lost 1-0 to Gorge FC, VIU’s assistant coach James Merriman and his Gorge FC are preparing to represent BC in October at the upcoming National Championships.

These spectators were treated to a great game. Played very close with good ball movement and scoring chances at both ends of the field. The Mariners worked hard and showed good character after their hard training sessions during the week and a game the night before.

The game against a very talented and experienced team was a perfect match up for the Mariners this early in their pre-season; they got an idea of the focus and commitment it takes to get to the Nationals. There was a lot of positives taken away and despite losing a close one the team felt good about their over all performance.

Ben Leggett, Mat Rigden and Chris Merriman did well in the back line with Kyle Bate, Aki Ishimine and Matt Mehrassa strong in the midfield and Jared Stephens battled hard up front.

Next game for the VIU Mariners is against UVIC in Victoria on on August 25th. Then the Mariners travel to Burnaby to play SFU on Sept 4th.

HIGHLANDERS, EDMONTON TIED 2-2

It happened at the last minute but the Victoria Highlanders managed to tie  FC Edmonton 2-2 at Bear Mountain stadium Sunday night.

The majority of the first half was more or less a feeling out process by both sides as FC Edmonton carried the bulk of the play but only threatened goal twice.

The Victoria Highlanders, bolstered by several reserve players seemed nervous in the early goings of the half but sorted out the nerves and had a few chances on goal themselves.

Their best scoring chance of the half came in the 25th minute when Jordie Hughes danced into Edmontons penalty area, befuddling defenders, but directing his strike just wide of goal.

FC Edmonton would make Victoria pay for the missed opportunity when Shaun Saiko’s brilliant strike from about 20 yards out beat Victoria keeper Brandon Watson.  FC Edmonton would take the 1-0 lead into halftime.

FC Edmonton wasted no time finding the net in the second frame as Matt Lamb got in behind Victoria’s defenders inside the six-yard box and deftly tucked the ball away in the bottom right corner of the goal.

The fireworks ensued after that as the match took a more physical tone and cautions were given to both sides.

Victoria found glory in the 67th minute as Chris Arnett capped off a fine sequence of passing to get the home team within one.   Highlanders’ Davis Stupich was given a straight red card in the 86th minute as his ambitious tackle resulted in injury to Edmonton’s Paul Mathijs.

Despite being down to 10 men, the Highlanders clearly weren’t fazed and persistent pressure from Victoria’s forwards saw Romaie Martin get a clear break in the penalty area, only to be fouled off the ball by the Edmonton defender.

Tyler Hughes cooly buried the resulting penalty kick to seal the draw for the Highlanders just a minute from the final whistle.

HIGHLANDERS TAKE ON NASL BOUND EDMONTON

(ISN) — The Victoria Highlanders will take on 2011 NASL side Edmonton at 6 p.m. Sunday at Bear Mountain Stadium.

Although the match has no playoff implications and no promise of hardware, it could prove to be the most telling of the season for Head Coach Ian Bridge who gets to test his team’s mettle against a team of pros.

The Highlanders have made no secret that they are entertaining the idea of joining the USL’s (United Soccer Leagues) pro ranks, most likely in a division two setting, and will be monitoring how the club stacks up against other professional caliber clubs.

Part of being able to make a jump to the pro ranks is increasing club support and stadium attendance.

The Highlanders are hoping that the community continues to show the kind of enthusiasm for high-level soccer that has made the Highlanders a leader in attendance in the PDL.

The friendly is not a new experience for the Highlanders, who hosted USL Division One club Austin Aztex (with whom they have an affiliation) last summer and plan to add more exhibition matches to their schedule, hopefully against increasingly stronger competition.

FIRST ANNUAL ISLAND SUMMER GAMES

(ISN) — Island Summer Games is a fun new two-day sporting and social event in Colwood bringing the playfields of three different sports together.

The games feature competition in basketball, soccer and volleyball; combining the 11th Annual Harbour City 3-on-3 tournament with the added elements of soccer and volleyball.

This weekend is more than just a game, donations will be collected throughout the weekend to help support the Goldstream Food Bank! A collection of non-perishable food items, new toys and Canadian Tire money will take place alongside the games.

WHEN: Saturday, August 28 – Sunday, August 29, 2010

More details to follow.

Visit www.islandsummergames.com

HIGHLANDERS RESERVE AND WOMEN IN PLAY-OFFS

The Highlanders Reserve Men and the Highlanders Women’s First Team are in the play-off this weekend.

The PCSL Challenge Cup Tournament in Coquitlam marks the culmination of an entire season’s work and training.

For the teams who qualify the past is erased and the only thing that matters is now.

In one single match, an entire season can be swept away, for one team, the end, for another, glory.

The two-day tournament features two semi-final matches in each division on Saturday with the winners playing off on Sunday in the final where one side will be crowned 2010 Champions.

It is an exciting time of year, providing thrills and drama that will surely not disappoint.

Women

The Victoria Highlanders Women will kick off their quest for the Championship on Saturday afternoon at 4:00pm versus the Fraser Valley Action.

This is an intriguing matchup as the Action were one of only two teams to beat the Highlanders in league play this year earning 4 out of a possible 6 points against the Victoria side.

Fraser Valley took a 2-1 victory at Bear Mountain Stadium, then followed that up with a 0-0 draw at home against the Highlanders last weekend before dismantling Okanagan 7-0.  The Action will have plenty of confidence heading into this playoff matchup and will undoubtedly come to play.

The Lady ‘Landers may not have had much luck versus Fraser Valley but they will take solace in the fact that they were the league’s second most dominating team this year, finishing second in the overall tables, second in goals for with 53 and first in goals against, allowing a paltry 9 goals in 16 matches.

VHFC are a side that know how to score and are even more adept at keeping the ball out of their goal that is hard to bet against in a “winner take all” scenario such as this.

The Highlanders also boast the league’s top goal scorer of the year in Liz Hansen who equaled her own record of 19 goals scored, a fact that should have Highlanders fans breathing a little easier heading into the weekend.  No matter the outcome, this fixture has every possibility of being the match of the tournament.

NOTE: The 1st place Vancouver Whitecaps Prospects take on 5th place Coquitlam, who only qualified for playoffs as they are hosting the event, at 2:00pm on Saturday July 24.

Reserves

The Highlanders Reserve men take the pitch on Saturday as well when they face the first place Vancouver Thunderbirds in their semi-final at 2 p.m.  The Thunderbirds coasted to first place in the Men’s Premier League tables with a 12-1-3 record, enjoying an 11-point cushion on second place finishers Khalsa Sporting, allowing just 9 goals against while scoring 30, easily the best differential in the league.

Although the Thunderbirds seem like Goliath on paper, their record over their past three matches falls more under the David category as Vancouver limped to the finish line dropping a 3-1 decision to Victoria United, narrowly defeating Khalsa 1-0 and finishing the season with a 0-0 draw against Okanagan, scoring just 2 goals along the way.

The Victoria Highlanders meanwhile are the only playoff team sporting a record with more losses than wins, but collected enough points in their five draws to push them through to the post-season.

The Highlanders dropped a 1-0 decision in their last match of the regular season to cross-town rivals Victoria United but prior to that, served up a 7-0 drubbing of United and lost just twice in their last nine matches.  To boot, the Highlanders fared well against Vancouver in the regular season, losing 1-0 and drawing 0-0 respectively; stats they will prefer to draw upon heading into the weekend.

NOTE: 2nd place Khalsa Sporting Club will take on 3rd place Okanagan Challenge in the other semi-final match up.

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