VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps FC senior squad took to Ken Woods Field at UBC Monday for their inaugural training session of 2016, and former Thunderbirds defender Chris Serban was amongst them.

Serban spent last season with Whitecaps FC 2 and is now getting a golden opportunity to try and stick with the big club.

"Full credit to Chris as he is the one who put in the hard work over the years to get himself to where he is now in an MLS training camp," says UBC head coach Mike Mosher. "It goes to show that a CIS program can help to play a role to assist players to get to top levels in North America."

Serban will need to impress the 'Caps brass over the next two weeks to earn a spot on the back line. Timing could be on his side as the 'Caps are looking for some outside defenders to fill the large hole left behind when team stalwart Steven Beitashour signed with Toronto FC this offseason.

"He's a player who has tremendous upside, he's very athletic – his attitude is tremendous," adds Mosher.  "He's intelligent, he's a quick learner and he's seemed to have success with whatever gets thrown at him."

The opportunity is not only a dream come true for Serban, but also a nice "feather in the cap" for the Thunderbird soccer program and current players still on the roster according to Mosher.

"I hope that our players can feel a sense of pride that they've had a role in helping Chris fulfill his dream of moving forward as a player."

A little too early yet for the Southsiders to start incorporating Serban into their material, but just in case they need something; "Serban is the man!" has a nice ring to it.

The Thunderbirds have three former players who have played in MLS, including former national team players Pat Onstad and Mark Watson. Srdjan Djekanovic is the third former T-Bird to have played in the league. Watson and Onstad remain in the MLS today as assistant coaches in Orlando and Columbus respectively.