The Canada West University Conference soccer seasons open this weekend, but neither U of S teams are expected to be playing on the final weekend according to the annual pre-season coaches’ poll.
The Saskatchewan women’s team finished sixth out of 16 teams in voting while the Huskies men’s side was eighth out of 13 teams. Both U-B-C sides are favoured to win titles according to the coaches polls. Both U of S teams play in Edmonton this weekend, against MacEwen on Saturday and Alberta on Sunday. Following are the news releases from the Canada West Conference…..
WSOC: UBC enter as favourites
Defending champion T-Birds top pre-season coaches poll
24 August 2023
Aug. 24, 2023 – A new Canada West women’s soccer season hits the pitch this Friday, and coaches from around the conference have declared the UBC Thunderbirds as favourites to defend their crown.
The T-Birds, who lost only one conference game in 2022, claimed the CW trophy last season by defeating rival Trinity Western University Spartans in the final. With a strong returning roster and an explosive offensive attack, UBC garnered 14 first place votes to top this year’s pre-season coaches’ poll.
“We have a mature team with most of our starters and game changers returning, along with some electric first year players joining the team,” says head coach Jesse Symons. “We are a team motivated to continuing to progress our standard on the field and hopefully be consistent with our performances in each match that we play.”
The Spartans took second spot in the poll, coming off an impressive year in which they went 9-2-3 in the regular season. Head coach Graham Roxburgh will be looking for his young players to take another step forward.
“We are going to need to have contributions from many players offensively, but I think that has the potential because we have exciting young players,” says Roxburgh.
Two prairie division rivals rounded out the top four in the poll, with the MacEwan Griffins placing third and the Calgary Dinos fourth. Both sides also received a first-place vote.
The action gets underway with a handful of games on Friday, including UBC starting their title defence at home against Fraser Valley. Opening weekend continues with a full slate of matches running through Sunday.
The regular season runs through Oct. 15, with playoffs slated to begin Oct. 21.
For the complete Canada West women’s soccer schedule, click here.
For a compete team-by-team preview, click here.
2023 CW WSOC PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team – Points (First-place votes)
- UBC Thunderbirds – 224 (14)
- Trinity Western Spartans – 205
- MacEwan Griffins – 196 (1)
- Calgary Dinos – 184 (1)
- Alberta Pandas – 148
- Saskatchewan Huskies – 145
- Victoria Vikes – 141
- Mount Royal Cougars – 125
- Thompson Rivers WolfPack – 110
- Manitoba Bisons – 102
- UBCO Heat – 101
- Fraser Valley Cascades – 82
- UNBC Timberwolves – 64
- Regina Cougars – 45
- Lethbridge Pronghorns – 29
- Winnipeg Wesmen – 19
MSOC: Thunderbirds top coaches poll
Thunderbirds seek sixth consecutive Canada West title
24 August 2023 – Can anyone put a stop to the UBC Thunderbirds historic conference dynasty?
What will the Thompson Rivers WolfPack do for an encore after delivering the school’s first U SPORTS national championship?
These are among the key storylines surrounding the 2023 Canada West men’s soccer season, set to kick off this Friday.
UBC has once again topped the pre-season coaches poll and for good reason – they enter as five-time defending conference champions. The T-Birds went 9-3-3 in the regular season last year, before ultimately downing the Calgary Dinos in the CW final after a dramatic PK thriller.
Despite roster turnover, T-Birds head coach Mike Mosher believes his team has what it takes to keep the championship streak alive.
“We expect to have another strong season this year despite losing some key top players,” says Mosher, who enters his 28th season at the helm of the T-Birds. “The key will be how the group gels and connects given several new guys coming in, several of whom I think can have a real impact immediately.”
WolfPack Look to Defend National Title
While UBC claimed conference supremacy again last season, it’s the Thompson Rivers WolfPack who will enter 2023 as defending national champions.
The WolfPack downed UBC in last year’s national final, capturing the school’s first-ever U SPORTS title with a memorable victory in front of their raucous hometown fans.
The U SPORTS championship was the first for a Canada West men’s soccer side since the Alberta Golden Bears took the crown in 2016.
The WolfPack are expected to be among the strongest teams in the conference again this season, finishing fourth in the coaches poll.
Cougars, Golden Bears Hungry to Take Next Step
Looking east to the Prairie Division, both the Mount Royal Cougars and Alberta Golden Bears hope to build off semi-final appearances last season. The Cougars and Golden Bears placed second and third in this year’s coaches poll, respectively.
Both clubs are expected to be strong contenders for the CW trophy, with MRU receiving two first-place votes and Alberta garnering a single first-place nod.
MRU is coming off a memorable regular season that saw the side go an undefeated 8-0-6, conceding just seven goals in 14 games. The team will look to take the next step after a heartbreaking semifinal 2OT defeat to the cross-town rival Dinos.
Alberta is also coming off a strong campaign that saw the team finish second in the Prairie Division, before falling to UBC in the semis.
Opening weekend begins Friday through Sunday with a full slate of games across the conference. The regular season runs through Oct. 22, with playoffs slated to begin Oct. 28.
For the complete 2023 Canada West men’s soccer schedule, click here.
For a compete team-by-team preview, click here.
2023 CW MSOC PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
Team – Points (First-place votes)
- UBC Thunderbirds – 142 (10)
- Mount Royal Cougars – 125 (2)
- Alberta Golden Bears – 123 (1)
- Thompson Rivers WolfPack – 102
- Trinity Western Spartans – 98
- Calgary Dinos – 85
- UNBC Timberwolves – 84
- Saskatchewan Huskies – 70
- Victoria Vikes – 55
- Fraser Valley Cascades – 54
- UBCO Heat – 32
- MacEwan Griffins – 30
- Lethbridge Pronghorns – 14
