One month into the academic calendar, the Vikes’ athletic schedule is beginning to heat up. This upcoming weekend’s slate of games includes home games in soccer, basketball, rugby and field hockey.
Of particular note are the men’s and women’s basketball teams who will begin their exhibition schedule this weekend.
Last season, the women’s basketball team finished their regular season with a record of 15 wins and seven losses in Canada West play, and are looking to avenge a disappointing loss in the CW quarterfinals at the hands of the University of Regina Cougars.
The men’s basketball team are coming off a tremendously successful 2013-14 campaign in which they advanced to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Final Eight tournament in Ottawa. At the CIS Final Eight, the Vikes finished fourth after losing the bronze medal match to the University of Alberta Golden Bears. During this weekend’s exhibition schedule, the Vikes will face the Golden Bears on Oct. 3, as part of the Guy Vetrie Memorial Tournament taking place at UVic’s McKinnon Gym.
After dropping a heartbreaking 24-22 decision to the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, the Vikes women’s rugby team will look to salvage their season with a win in their final CW regular season match against the UBC Thunderbirds. The Vikes are winless in three games so far this season and will be in tough against a UBC squad that has defeated the University of Calgary Dinos and the Pronghorns already this season – two of the three teams that beat the Vikes previously.
After losing their first game of the season, the Vikes men’s soccer team enter play this weekend on a hot streak. Winning their last five games straight, the Vikes face UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University this weekend on back-to-back nights at Centennial Stadium. The Vikes have been led by fifth-year midfielder Cameron Stokes, who has scored four times in five games and averaged nearly four shots per game.
Similarly, the Vikes women’s soccer team are off to a great start in the 2014 CW season, boasting a record of five wins, zero losses, and one draw after six games of conference play. The Vikes are in an excellent position to improve their record even further this weekend facing off against UBC Okanagan and TRU on Oct. 3 and 4, respectively, at Centennial Stadium. These opponents have a combined record of 0-11-3 this season and have been outscored 30-7.
The Vikes women’s soccer team are not the only unbeaten squad at UVic. with the women’s field hockey team holding a record of two wins, zero losses, and two draws after four games played. This weekend, the Vikes welcome the University of Calgary Dinos on Oct. 4-5 for back-to-back games. The Dinos are yet to win a game this season and present a golden opportunity for the Vikes to maintain their unbeaten streak heading into the final weekend of regular season play on Oct. 11–12.
