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2010 Canada West men's soccer preview
Photo credit UBC athletics - by Canada West Communications
Alberta Golden Bears
2010 CW Rank: #3
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 7-3-4
2009 CW Tournament: 2nd
2009 CIS Tournament N/A
Last CW Title: 2003
Last CIS Title: 2006
Key returnees: Jaswinder Gill, Harman Braich,
Brett Colvin, Milan Timotijevic
Key additions: Sam Lam, Antonio Rago, Marcus
Johnstone
Key departures: Matthew Strelow, Cam Black, Dean
Northover
EDMONTON - Long-time head coach Len Vickery, now in his 26th season, has 14 returning players from last season, all who remember the 2-1 shoot-out defeat to Victoria that ended their season on a silver lining, but before the CIS championship tournament even began.
Key among the returnees are starting goaltender Jas Gill, starting central defender, and conference all-star, Harman Braich, and star midfielder/striker, Brett Colvin, a two-time CIS All-Canadian, who played for Canada at the 2009 Summer Universiade. Although Colvin has been switched to midfield from striker, much like former high-scoring Golden Bear John Konye before him, the Bears will not be sort offensive chances. Colvin in fact, has extra motivation as the fifth-year player is just four goals away from becoming Alberta’s all-time goal scoring leader.
Also helping the Golden Bears in their offensive quest, they were a fourth-place squad last season, will be returning striker Milan Timotijevic, as well as 2009 recruit Jonah Feil and CIS rookie Marcus Johnstone, who was training in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ residency program.
Sam Lam is returning to the Golden Bears after a two-year absence as he pursued professional playing opportunities, including this summer with FC Edmonton, while Antonio Rago, a defensive midfielder who also was with the Whitecaps’ program and FC Edmonton, will help shore up Alberta’s backline, which was second best in Canada West last season.
UBC Thunderbirds
2010 CW Rank: #1
2010 CIS Rank: #9
2009 CW Record: 10-3-1, 1st
2009 CW Tournament: 3rd
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 2001
Last CIS Title: 2007
Key returnees: Tyson Keam, Devin Gunenc, Marco
Visintin
Key additions: Brandon Bonifacio, Navid Mashinchi,
Gagandeep Dosanjh
Key departure: Graham Smith
VANCOUVER - A 1-0 loss to the Alberta Golden Bears at home in the 2009 Canada West semi-finals was a bitter end to the UBC Thunderbirds campaign last season that saw them top the regular season table. This year's squad is focused on repeating their regular season success that would clinch them a spot at the 2010 CIS championship under new league rules.
At the back, the 'Birds enjoy a wealth of talent, returning everyone save All-Canadian and captain Graham Smith from a unit that allowed a conference-low seven goals. Jason Gill will wear the armband this year with mainstays Will Hyde, Matt Allard, and Joey Loreth returning. Transfer Graeme Webber (Queen's) and newcomers Jack Cubbon and Paul Clerc will also see time on the pitch.
In net, former Southampton and Kaiserslauten youth program standout Zach Kalthoff appears to be the team's number one keeper.
Calgary Dinos
2010 CW Rank: #7
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 4-7-3, 5th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: 1980
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnee: goalkeeper J.P. Crescenzi
Key additions: head coach Brian McDonnell, striker
Brett Howard, forward Izak Lawrence
Key departures: midfielder David Bird, defender
Joe Long
CALGARY - For the second straight season the Dinos will see a change at the head coaching position with Brian McDonnell taking over from Ken Price. An assistant under Price in 2009, McDonnell is a former goalkeeper with the Dinos, having played from 2003-2007.
His former teammate and partner in net, J.P. Crescenzi, enters his final year with the Dinos in 2010 and will be a key contributor after posting four shutouts in 2009. The Calgary native had a productive off-season, allowing a league-low 12 goals in 18 games with eight shutouts for the provincial champion Calgary Dinosaurs Major League team this summer.
A potential breakthrough player, Izak Lawrence, who was lost to injury in 2009, led the Alberta Major Soccer League this summer with 15 goals in 18 games and will be counted upon to replicate that success in Canada West play for the Dinos. Rookie midfielders J.J. Cristobal and Cole Ross, defender Jason Genee and striker Brett Howard opted to stay home and play for the Dinos after finding enormous success with the Calgary-based Foothills Crew in 2009. They took the Sony U18 Cup in convincing fashion, winning 7-1 in the championship final.
Fraser Valley Cascades
2010 CW Rank: #6
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 4-8-2, 6th
2009 CW Tournament N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnees: James Giebelhaus, Ethan
Claiborne-Collins, Joshua Atebe
Key additions: Mohammed Aziz, Stuart Rowlands,
Sasa Plavsic
Key departure: Robbie Fadden
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Led by Alan Erington, entering his seventh season as head coach of the Cascades, Fraser Valley looks to its core of veterans to continue progress the program has made over the past several seasons.
Errington is introducing an excellent recruiting class of Mohammed Aziz, a midfielder from Abbotsford, B.C., Stuart Rowlands, a Striker from Chilliwack, B.C. and Sasa Plavsic, a midfielder from Coquitlam, B.C. All three played this past summer for the Abbotsford Mariners PDL team and jumped right into the Cascades starting lineup.
Lethbridge Pronghorns
2010 CW Rank: #8
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 2-7-5, 7th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returnees: defender Steve Brown, forward
Andrew Malcolm, midfielder Matt Medoruma, goalkeeper Jordan
Campbell
Key additions: Conner Brady, defender; Blake
Irvine, striker; Keaton MacLean, midfield; Matt Lung, midfield;
Andrew Southern, midfield Key departures: Mike
O’Brien, defence; Greg Remjin, forward
LETHBRIDGE - Despite nearly doubling their offensive output from the previous season, scoring continues to be the Horns Achilles heel as they finished near the bottom of the conference offensively again last season, scoring only 13 times in 14 games.
The Horns enter the upcoming Canada West season with a great mix of returning players and new recruits. Leading the way this year will be co-captains, striker Andrew Malcolm and defender Steve Brown.
The Horns return 11 players from last season but have two huge holes to fill with the graduation of 2009 Canada West 2nd team All-Stars Michael O’Brien and Greg Remjin.
The team added 10 new faces to the program this year with Conner Brady expected to make an immediate impact this season.
Saskatchewan Huskies
2010 CW Rank: #5
2010 CIS Rank: N/A
2009 CW Record: 2-10-2, 8th
2009 CW Tournament: N/A
2009 CIS Tournament: N/A
Last CW Title: N/A
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returning players: midfielder Josh Northey,
striker Jerson Barandica-Hamilton, Eoin McFadden
Key recruits: striker Paul Craig, striker Nick
Clark
Key loss: striker Steve Irinici
SASKATOON - After a disappointing finish in 2009, the University of Saskatchewan men’s soccer team looks to find themselves back in the mix this year.
For the three seasons prior to 2009, the Huskies finished just short of a playoff spot. Now returning a core group of starters including current and former all-stars and All-Canadian Josh Northey, Jerson Barandica-Hamilton and Eoin McFadden, the Huskies look to use a stronger offence to make the leap to the post season.
Joining the team will be CIS transfer Paul Craig. The former UPEI Panther spent 2009 on the sidelines sitting out 365 days, as per CIS transfer rules. Craig, a striker, played three seasons for the Panthers and was named a Second Team All-Canadian in 2008. Others joining include striker Nick Clarke and midfielder Chad Anthony.
Third-year keepers Mark Diakiw and Simon Kluge will return to the net for the Huskies. The two split equal time each starting seven games in 2009. Together they combined for a 2.29 goals against average and 88 saves.
Trinity Western Spartans
2010 CW Rank: #3
2010 CIS Rank: #4
2009 CW Record: 8-2-4, 2nd
2009 CW Tournament: 4th
2009 CIS Tournament: 3rd
Last CW Title: 2007
Last CIS Title: N/A
Key returning players: Andrew Fink, Andrew
Kowan, Jordan Whitehead, Rhys Volkenant, Brayden Volkenant, Cardin
Davis, Jason Wiens, Ioannis Tsoulouhas
Key additions: defender: Denny Serifovic,
midfielders Chase Wickham and forwards Andre Costa and Danfi
Parker
Key departures: Paul Hamilton, Nathan Pogue
LANGLEY, B.C. – Second-year head coach Pat Rohla is going to need his young Spartans to step up quickly if Trinity Western is to make it to their sixth straight CIS national championship. The Spartans, who have almost half of their roster, 14 of 30, in their second year or less have some very big shoes to fill if they are to vie for a post season spot in the highly competitive Canada West. TWU has lost 17 of their 29 goals scored last season as well as their mainstays on defence. Gone are Canada West goal scoring leader Nathan Pogue, who finished with 11 goals and CIS Player of the Year defender Paul Hamilton. Also weakening the backline is the potential season ending injury to fourth year defender Jake Jorgensen.
That being said the Spartans haven’t had five straight CIS appearances without being able to rebuild on the fly. TWU has brought in a strong recruiting class, of 10 players, with hopes of repeating in their quest to return to the CIS championship. Rookies who could have an immediate impact are: defender Denny Serifovic of Surrey, BC, midfielder Chase Wickham of Richmond, B.C. and forward Andre Costa of Ipatinga, Brazil. Tranfer forward Danfi Parker of Woodbridge, Va will also look to have an impact on the program.
Victoria Vikes
2010 CW Rank: #2
2010 CIS Rank: #5
2009 CW Record: 8-5-1, 3rd
2009 CW Tournament: 1st
2009 CIS Tournament: 5th
Last CW Title: 2009
Last CIS Title: 2004
Key returning players: striker Jordie Oberg,
defender Bobby Eng
Key recruits: def/mid Craig Taylor, Spencer
MacKinnon
Key departures: striker Cole McFarlane, Sam
Wingham, Dan Kilpatrick
VICTORIA - 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.
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.
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.
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 defender 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.
About Canada West Universities Athletic
Association
Canada West is consistently the most decorated of the four
conferences in Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), winning at
least 10 CIS national titles every year since 1997-98. Comprised of
14 schools, from the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
and British Columbia, the CWUAA produces numerous major award
winners and Academic All-Canadian student-athletes each year, with
many going on to athletic success around the globe in pro leagues
or events such as the Olympics, Paralympics or Universiade Games.
For more information, visit www.canadawest.org; follow
“cwuaa” on Twitter.
