VANCOUVER – The last time the UBC Men's Soccer team stepped foot on the pitch for Canada West action, they came away with the program's 20th conference title. Nearly two years on, the goal for the preseason favourites remains the same: claim a fourth consecutive Canada West banner and make a run for another national championship.
That quest officially begins Friday evening in Kamloops as the T-Birds visit the Thompson Rivers WolfPack for the first half of a weekend doubleheader.
"I think everybody's ready to go, it's been a while, it's just going to be fun for everyone to get back on the field," said UBC Head Coach
Mike Mosher who enters his 26
th season running the program. "The goals are the same. Step one is to try to win the division and step two is to try and win the conference and step three is go to nationals and try to win there. With fewer games I think it puts a little bit more emphasis upon each and every league game, it gives you less games to slip up and thus getting a decent start is important."
That start for the consensus conference favourites as per the preseason coaches poll, comes against a quality opponent in the WolfPack who themselves have big ambitions for the season, coming in as the fifth ranked program in the Canada West.
"For them, it's a lot of the same faces from two years ago, similar to us, but a good team," said Mosher. "Some real solid foreign players in the squad. They're a difficult opponent and it's a difficult first weekend for us, no doubt."
With the likes of 2019 conference goals leader
Victory Shumbusho, first team All-Canadian defender
Jackson Farmer, and 2018 U SPORTS Rookie of the Year
Thomas Gardner all returning to the T-Birds roster along with a stellar crop of new recruits, this year's UBC squad is both deep and dangerous.
"We're happy with how some of the young guys have done, some of the guys who were first years last year and even two years ago because it's difficult to break into this team in year one, but it's nice to see some of them have really started to forge their way. From an overall talent and from a depth perspective, I would put it with some of our best teams, without a doubt."
That depth gets tested for the first time this evening at 7:00 p.m. PT at Kamloops' Hillside Stadium. Saturday's rematch goes at 5:00 p.m. PT.
Due to Interior Health restrictions, fans are not permitted to attend, but both games are available on Canada West TV.
