Fifteen years after the men’s team’s last win, UVic will once again host the U Sports National Soccer Championship this November
Photo by Chase Carter via govikesgo.com.
It’s early September, which means the ospreys are nesting on top of the stadium light poles while the Vikes men’s soccer team are practicing for their first game of the season. The subject of soccer has been hard to miss this year. The FIFA World Cup games transformed the Canadian cities that hosted them over the summer, and in November, the 54th U Sports National Championship — spanning from Nov. 12 to Nov. 15 — will similarly transform our campus.
It’s been 15 years since the UVic last hosted the Championship games in 2011, and it’s been 15 years since the Vikes have won. The Vikes have taken home the Sam Davidson Trophy four other times since the genesis of the league: 2004, 1996, 1987 and 1975. The women’s team have won the equivalent Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy once, in 2006.
Prior to the National Championship, the Vikes will first play in a gauntlet of the 12 other teams that make up the Canada West league. From there, the two final teams go on to compete in the quarterfinals at Nationals.
“We’ve gotten as close as [we] can,” explained Jag Zaharia, a fourth-year player for the Vikes, in reference to the brutal conclusion of the team’s last season. The Vikes were up 3–2 against their recent rival, the Mount Royal University (MRU) Cougars, until the 90th minute where they tied the game. Tensions in the grandstands rose as a penalty shootout ensued. Both teams matched each other goal for goal. Then it was the goalkeepers’ turn. MRU’s keeper scored, and Callum Weir, the Vikes keeper, missed.
“[It] was the most painful experience I’ve ever felt,” said Zaharia. “After the heartbreak of last year, it just makes you want it more…. That’s the drama that comes with sports, which makes it fun, too.”
The weather is the unspoken wildcard here. Anyone who has lived in Victoria these last few years knows that the presence of an atmospheric river has become an all too regular occurrence for locals. Water vapours are shunted through the atmosphere until they eventually sweep over the island mountain ranges and condense into a relentless deluge.
The fields at most Canadian colleges and universities don’t have natural grass as a playing surface, instead they have artificial turf. The Centennial Stadium, where the championship games are slated to take place, is one of only three grass pitches amongst the Canada West teams, according to Stefanek.
“We probably have the best grass pitch in the country … our groundskeepers are amazing,” Stefanek said, referencing the technical expertise that goes into maintaining a pitch that will undergo the stresses of the 11 games, in three consecutive days, played by the eight qualifying teams that comprise the National Championship — all while under the threat of a potential flood.
Last year’s Championship was held at the University of Toronto. The first two days were played in calm weather, but Sunday’s weather proved to be a significant variable, with teams arriving at the pitch to see a dusting of snow. The bronze medal match between the Université de Montréal Carabins and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes played through the mixed precipitation.
Later that day, the gold medal match between the York Lions and the MRU Cougars had to play in a relentless snowstorm, the snow accumulating on the pitch to the extent that it had to be removed mid game. The gruelling elements made it impossible for either team to progress. The game’s only goal happened in overtime during the 115th minute — the Lions gained the chance to take a penalty kick, and used that opportunity to clinch the win.
When I met with Stefanek to discuss the upcoming championship, one of the first things that we discussed was how much the sport has changed since he was a player. “It’s changed a lot…. We have access to a lot more sports science. We know more about nutrition, hydration, recovery, … [and] what we have to do in the gym in terms of strength and conditioning.”
In the lead up to the USports Championship, the Vikes will make their way through the Canada West tournament, where they have the opportunity to face off against emerging rivals, the MRU Cougars, who have “gotten the best of [the Vikes]” over the past three years.
“We [will] play against them this year at home,” said Zaharia, who is ready to flip the script this October.
